Archive: Around Town

It is fall! This is the season of the harvest, the fruition of all the growth of spring and summer. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are all abundant. This is true for us as well: we harvest benefits from our work and projects, we cherish our relationships and our health.  With fall comes a sense of gathering in, stocking up for what is necessary for the coming winter. The rest will be recycled with the descending energy of Nature, which becomes ready for rest and quiet.

Autumn is season of change, but contrary to the expansive nature of spring, fall is a contractive time of pulling in, going deeply inward like sap sinking down into the roots of a tree. The life cycle completes itself in autumn. Fallen fruits, withered blossoms, shaded foliage enrich the soil for next year's growth. There is a sense of loss as light becomes scarcer and air chills. Birds become quiet, the buzz of the insects is a random and isolated reminder of the past season. The notion of dying carries retracting and finishing energy.

The RINK turned 20 years old this week.  Today the Community Recreational Center (CRC) that includes the RINK and the FIELD is a thriving, solidly booked sports facility offering indoor skating, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, football and a myriad of parties and events to Lansing athletes and the surrounding communities.  It started 25 years ago when Andy Sciarabba started working on bringing a community ice rink to Lansing.  After five years of fund raising, planning, and forming the not for profit corporation that makes it all work, the RINK opened its doors in 1995. 

"It was a community effort," says Sciarabba's son Jay.  "It was great.  I remember that day.  I think Dad cut the ribbon with a skate.  Then everybody went out and skated."

If you have ever wondered what the building next to the little school house in the Town Hall and Library campus is, you should go in on a Saturday morning.  There you will find members of the Lansing Historical Association sorting the archives or working on a new exhibit or program.   Town Historian historian Louise Bement, a former Lansing 4th grade history teacher, is also the president of the historical association, an active group of history buffs who maintain a collection of records and artifacts spanning over two centuries.  The core of this group is quite busy, not only in preserving the records and Lansing's heritage, but in presenting it and making it a vibrant part of current town life.

"The Historical Association uses the archives that are here," Bement says.  "A town can't own the archives.  If you don't have a historical association then the Town Historian would have the archives.  We have public programs in October and in the spring, which are very well attended.  The Board of Directors always has so much to discuss, and we do so much for the Town."

by Rochelle Davis

Beautiful Casper Rose was surrendered to the SPCA when the children and other pets in her former home were causing her too much stress. She has been described as very sweet and affectionate, but she is only happy around quiet adults, and gets very scared around children or other animals. She will need a patient adopter who is willing to help her adjust, and a home with no children or other cats, but with some time pretty Casper is sure to warm up to her new person. She has been spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated up to date. Could her new forever home be with you? Talk to an adoption counselor about this very special cat to find out if she could be the one!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Aurora, New York—Wells College announces the appointment of two new members of the Board of Trustees. Carl Sgrecci and Allen J. Naples will begin their three-year terms of service immediately, as the Board prepares to gather in Aurora for its annual fall meeting.

"Wells College will benefit tremendously from the experience and acumen of such accomplished leaders in the business and finance arena, and we are delighted to welcome them to our Board," said Board of Trustees Chair Carrie A. Bolton '92.

Izzy’s Closet
The furry character from the Izzy Adventure books finds a cozy spot at elementary school. A library cat who visits local landmarks in her first adventure tale, Izzy was created by Groton Rotary Club members Mona Forney and Janet Watkins.

Forney has now written two books featuring Izzy the library cat including the first book, Izzy's Groton adventure which was co-written by Watkins, and the newest book, Izzy's Dance Adventure, which was released last year. Izzy has been an inspiration to young readers within the community and beyond.

The Ithaca Tompkins County Regional Airport released a new website on September 21 of 2015. The site now has a welcoming home page that is easy to read and navigate to find the right information you may be searching for. The website is adaptable, making it easy for travelers to navigate on the go with their smart phones, laptops, or tablets.

The new site comes equipped with features such as real-time tracking for arriving and departing flights to and from the Ithaca Airport, weather updates that may conflict with travel arrangements, TSA travel alerts, and information about the Ithaca Airport for any user to gain access to.

Lansing is part of a pilot program that brings the next phase of recycling to Tompkins County.  A public space recycling bin was installed in the parking lot near the Lansing Town Hall and ball fields August 31st, with a second location at the bus stop outside the Tompkins County Public Library.  Tompkins County Solid Waste officials say a third unit will be installed in Trumansburg before the end of this year.

"It's a pilot program," says Assistant Recycling Specialist Nancy Webster.  "We started with a couple of bins and looked for locations that had some potential recyclables to pull out of the trash.  Who might benefit from it?  It helps municipalities not have to service the trash as much.  We looked at some best practices from around the country.  Everything from researching the type of bin to how often to service it, and the best locations.  We looked at purchasing the bins and working with municipalities and prospective locations in the County."

The next time you visit the North Lansing Fire Station -- Station 4 -- you're in for a treat.  A $343,000 capital improvement project has brought many improvements to the building that will make North Lansing Auxiliary pancake breakfasts and their famous Election Day Dinner and Supper even better than they were before.  North Lansing Auxiliary Treasurer Connie Wilcox says the improvements will mean a lot less waiting to be seated for meals.

"We only had room for three rows of tables in order for the waitresses to be able to move through and seat everyone comfortably," she says.  "But with changes that have been made we can now have four rows of tables in here.  That is going to be great for election day, because we won't have people standing in line waiting because we don't have enough seating."

At its Annual Meeting on September 21, the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) welcomed new board members and thanked retiring board members for their dedication and service.

"I am filled with gratitude for the vision and dedication of our retiring board members for so many years, and extend a warm welcome to our new board members," said Executive Director Christine Sanchirico. "IPEI is in capable and talented hands for the future. I look forward to working with our board members and volunteers as we continue to partner with teachers and community members to enhance the education of every student in the Ithaca City School District."

The March for the Animals is scheduled for Sunday, October 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the F.R. Newman Arboretum in The Plantations on the Cornell University campus. The Plantations also serves as host sponsor for the event.  Like other local "friend-raising" events, the majority of fundraising for the $100,000 goal will take place in the next two weeks leading up to the event.

With just a little less than two weeks before the day of celebration, the event already has 46 teams formed with150 individual participants. To date, over $61,000 has been raised towards the $100,000 goal.

The Finger Lakes Library System has a New Home (FLLS) will show off its new home today (September 25th) from 3-6pm.  FLLS is the part of local public libraries that you don't really see, but most library card holders enjoy various services from the system.  Considering the scope of services the system offers, the new building is a vast improvement over a corner of the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) it previously occupied.

"If you use a library you are probably using our library system every day without realizing it," says FLLS Executive Director, Sarah Glogowski.  "Say you are in Lansing and you want a particular book that is not on Lansing's shelf.  You would put a hold on the item, and maybe Groton would send it to Lansing so you can check it out.  We are the ones that then deliver it from Groton to Lansing.  The Lansing staff would check it out to you. When you're done you could return it to Lansing and then we deliver it back to Groton.  It is very seamless."