Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Tops Market donated a palate of groceries to the Lansing Food Pantry Wednesday as part of its ribbon cutting and Grand Reopening celebration.  The Lansing store is celebrating its first major redecoration since the store first opened.  Food Pantry Director Nancy Myers was at a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning to accept a palette of food to give to families in need.

"We were chosen to receive $500 worth of food," Myers says.  "They asked my what food I would prefer.  Staples at our food pantry include peanut butter,  and cereals, but also soups and spaghetti sauces, because children are home for the summer.  So we try to provide more of that because it's easier for them to prepare if their parents work."

As part of its mission to provide "Service Above Self" in the local community, the Rotary Club of Ithaca recently made three scholarship awards to local high school graduates:

James L. Gibbs Memorial Scholarship - $1,500
Recipient: April Carroll, Ithaca High School Class of 2015

James L. Gibbs was an active African-American community leader and volunteer in Ithaca. He served as president of the Ithaca Rotary Club in 1974, and the club established the James Gibbs Memorial Scholarship Fund in his memory in 1981. This award provides a tuition scholarship of $1,500 for one year to a member of the Ithaca High School senior class who plans to attend college. It is awarded each spring to a student who has demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment toward furthering interracial understanding, and for his or her leadership, initiative, academic achievement, and financial need in addition to involvement in civic, social, and school activities.

The Corporate Development Committee (CDC) of Lansing presented $26,650 to purchase 90 Chromebooks to be presented to 4th graders next September.  CDC President Stephanie Perine, and CDC members Dan Ferguson and Margaret Shackell-Dowell presented an oversized check to the Board Of Education last week.  The computers will follow the students through future school years as well.  Superintendent Chris Pettograsso thanked CDC members for their gift.

"To have teachers who want to do something and not being able to allow them to do so because of funding is certainly disappointing as a superintendent," said Superintendent Chris Pettograsso.  "To have community groups like this help out is really great.  It's not just a one night event."

NYSEG's refrigerator and freezer recycling program offers the company's residential electricity customers a $50 check for recycling an old, working refrigerator or freezer. And the benefits don't stop there – getting rid of that energy hog can save up to $150 a year in electricity costs.

Refrigerators and freezers are dismantled and recycled by NYSEG's program partner, JACO Environmental. Materials from recycled refrigerators and freezers are used in paving and even to make new items such as cell phones and soda cans.

On behalf of the donors of the 2015 United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) Campaign, $1.1 million has been invested in essential services throughout the community. These designations through the Community Care Fund, donor designations, and the Hunger & Food Security Fund are helping people meet immediate, basic needs while empowering lasting change. To date, UWTC has awarded the 2015-2016 Community Care Fund awards and the Spring 2015 Hunger & Food Security Fund awards; additional awards and investments will be made throughout the year.

The 2015-2016 Community Care Fund (CCF) awards a total of $922,000 and support 95 education, income, and health programs at 41 local nonprofits. This funding will help children and youth succeed in school, work, and life; individuals and families improve their financial stability and self-sufficiency; and people of all ages will have improved physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

The Lansing Tops market is celebrating a major makeover with free grocery items and six weeks of savings starting Sunday.  The whole look of the store has been updated to give the store a warmer, welcoming tone with a local theme.  Adorned with photographs from Lansing's history, the new Tops also features expanded Natural-Organic and Beer sections, and has added exotic meats.  The official launch of the new look will be a ribbon cutting ceremony this Wednesday.

"We started this project the day after the Super Bowl," says Store Manager Rich Szachta.  "It's been a long five months! Before we had a more industrial, international look with more steel and lots of white and red.  Now it's gone to earth tones with an almost 'Barnes and Noble' feel when you walk in the store.  I think it came out really nicely.  There are different colors for each different department.  It really stands out.  The floor over in Produce has the biggest impact.  It used to be like cement tile, but now it's a nice, smooth brown tile that's more inviting for the customers.  Tops is looking at creating a more inviting environment for customers."

Smart Updates for GCSD
 
All summer programs including Summer Academy, BOUNCE and summer camps are being held at the elementary school this year as some major updating is done to the high school building. The largest project now underway is the building’s roof replacement. The last time the high school’s entire roof was refreshed was about twenty years ago.

To get a jump start on this project, the central gym and district office areas were closed temporarily which meant a temporary relocation for some students and staff earlier this year. During that time, the roof was laid and the heating unit in the district offices was repaired. The roof covering the far right entrance is now complete ahead of schedule and the rest of the roofing is underway. Replacing every window throughout the school is another big priority for the building crew, led by Randy Sovocool, Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds.

The Rotary Club of Ithaca announced Tuesday that long-time member Mary F. Berens has been named Rotarian of the Year for 2014-15. The award is given every June in honor of an active club member who exemplifies the Rotary motto of 'Service Above Self.'

Mary was chosen for the honor by outgoing Rotary President Brett Bossard, who said, "The Rotarian of the Year Award (this year, also known as Plate Spinner of the Year) goes to Mary Berens for her tireless work organizing our Centennial Gala event with aplomb and managing all the many moving parts. Without her scores of volunteer hours and masterful event management skills, the event simply wouldn't have happened. Mary has been a member of the club for twenty-six years, so this recognition of her perpetual service above self was long overdue."

There is a new princess in town! It is time to welcome Elizabeth Drake as the Tompkins County Dairy Princess. After the successful reign of the 2014 Dairy Princess, Julia Fouts, the crown has been passed to Elizabeth (Lizzy). She is the sixteen-year-old daughter of Doyle and Judy Drake of Lansing.

Drake is a rising senior at Lansing High School and a student in the Animal Science program at TST Career and Tech Center.  She was recently inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, and is the incoming President of the TST Career and Tech FFA Chapter.  Drake is also involved in several 4-H clubs and will be showing two dairy animals at the 4-H Youth Fair this summer.  Drake’s future goal is to go into the equine and bovine science field and own her own horses and cows.  This is her 6th year in the Dairy Princess program.

Joined by TCAT Acting General Manager Alice Eccleston and other dignitaries, Commissioner Rose Harvey, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, in a ceremony today welcomed children and families to Taughannock Falls State Park's free Learn-to-Swim program for youth.

In the ceremony, which was held on the scenic Taughannock State Park beach where the park's first swimming class of the summer was underway, the commissioner praised TCAT for providing its expanded Route 22 summer service. For the second year in a row, Route 22 not only travels to Taughannock, but to Buttermilk Falls and Robert Treman state parks, as well as other area parks to encourage park visitation and youth participation in summer programs, such as the free Learn-to-Swim program.  Anyone enrolled in the Learn-to-Swim program at Taughannock and their guardians who are in need of transportation can obtain a free TCAT pass.

What if every high school introductory business course began with a lesson about sustainability -- the triple bottom line that goes beyond typical measures of profit to include benefits to the environment and social sector?

Last Spring, a dozen students at New Roots Charter School created business plans to develop their own entrepreneurial ideas addressing social, environmental and financial profitability.  They learned sustainability concepts such as the triple bottom line, then researched their own plans, practicing basic budgeting, marketing and presentation skills.

by Rochelle Davis

Fruity the Cat was originally found sitting in the middle of the road in the Town of Groton! Probably she was REALLY anxious to attract attention to her loneliness and hunger, and she certainly succeeded! Fruity tends to grumble - a lot! - but will calm down and give head-butts to attract some affection on your part. She DEFINITELY doesn't like other cats, so will have to rule the animal roost in her new home - which must be quiet with no resident children. If you're interested in a mature cat with plenty of chutzpah, Fruity is the girl for you!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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