Archive: Around Town

by Ashley Fleming

Our adorable Sparky Night was part of the recent small dog transfer from sunny Los Angeles.  He came along because he heard that everyone in Ithaca wants a nice, small dog to cuddle with during this cold winter.  He's all ready to rise up to the occasion and be your personal, electricity-free heater!  He is spunky and loyal, but can be a bit possessive of his belongings. so for this reason, he should go to a home with teenagers or older.  Sparky gets along well with other dogs so he should be fine if you already have a canine at home.  Most of all, he just wants a home for the holidays!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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On Tuesday November 18th Lansing Pack 48 Cub Scouts spent an evening learning some ways to be good citizens.  The boys, aged from 6 – 11 and their families were introduced to what makes a good citizen by the Bear den during their opening citizen.  Dominick held up a 'Be a good citizen' sign after each of the other boys in the den read examples of how to be a good citizen.

After the opening, we held a ceremony to welcome two new Tiger Cubs, Brandon and Alex.  They had their faces decorated with a simple American flag as the colors were related to ways to be a good citizen and Cub Scout.

“…And Heaven and Nature Sing!”

Looking for some Christmas spirit?  The Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols is a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Jesus told in nine short scripture readings from the Bible interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols.  Please join us for this family friendly one hour service featuring the LUMC Bell Choir, congregational hymns and scripture readings as we celebrate the journey to Bethlehem.  There is no charge for this event and all are welcome!

Sunday Evening, December 14 at 6:30pm
Lansing United Methodist Church, 32 Brickyard Road

The Board of Trustees of The History Center announced Monday that Rod Howe will be its new Executive Director starting in 2015. Howe most recently was the Executive Director of Cornell's Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) and Assistant Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) for Community and Economic Vitality. Both CaRDI and CCE value the importance of local history in community strategic planning and economic development.

"I am thrilled to be joining The History Center team," Howe says.  "THC offers multiple venues for engaging with Tompkins County's rich history and for knowing, connecting with and discovering this unique place."

by Ashley Fleming

Snow Leopard arrived at the SPCA as part of a number of cats in a hoarding case. He had a pretty bad kitty cold when he arrived, and wasn't interested in eating, but he has recovered well from the illness and is now seeking his purrever home. We discovered that cat foods containing fish do a number on his intestines so Snow Leopard should not be fed any diet containing fish. He certainly gets along well with his roommates, so if you have another cat or two at home Snow Leopard wouldn't fuss. This beautiful boy just needs a home to call his own with a person or two to admire him and stroke him and love him 'furever'.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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When the Village of Lansing was incorporated in 1974 after a long and hard fought political battle, it codified a basic difference in philosophy between those in the southern part of the town that was desperate for zoning, and the north, which wanted to preserve its character as a farming community.  Structurally, though, the Village is a separate municipality that is still part of the Town.  When Village Trustee Gerry Monaghan approached Lansing Town Historian Louise Bement this year with an idea of establishing a Village historical archive within the Town archive, she jumped at the chance.

"I think that's the way it's going to be," says Bement.  Just like the Village is a separate Village inside the Town, the Village Archive will be a separate archive within the Town archive."

The 22nd annual Share the Warmth campaign has kicked off, with over a dozen collection sites around Ithaca and Tompkins County. Donations of new or gently used winter clothing will be gratefully collected, sorted, and distributed across the area by volunteers from a number of partner organizations: the Ithaca, Trumansburg, and Dryden Rotary Clubs; Cornell University; Ithaca College; Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga; and Finger Lakes ReUse.

The familiar 'red box' collection bins can be found at locations around Tompkins County. Each location will be accessible for a five-week collection period, scheduled to conclude on December 15. Clothes will be picked up and sorted by volunteers for distribution through the Samaritan Center of Catholic Charities. The donated clothing is distributed by Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga free of charge to individuals who need such items for the winter months.

New Roots Charter School reported a 51% four-year graduation rate for the 2010 cohort in the 2013-2014 Accountability Plan Progress Report.

Stating bluntly that the graduation rate was 'unacceptable,'” New Roots Principal and Superintendent Tina Nilsen-Hodges emphasized that it is an historical anomaly created by the unique composition of the cohort.  In sharp contrast, New Roots is projecting a 75% graduation rate for the 2011 cohort.  Seventy-one percent of the 2008 cohort and 67% of the 2009 cohort graduated in four years.

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation has announced a $2.75 million goal for its 21st Century Library Campaign.
 
More than 200 people packed the Library's Avenue of the Friends Saturday evening for an after-hours celebration feting the launch of the campaign.  The event, emceed by syndicated columnist and author Amy Dickinson, included remarks from campaign co-chairs Aloja Airewele, outgoing president of the Library's Board of Trustees, community advocate and storyteller, Tompkins Cortland Community College President Carl Haynes, Jean McPheeters, owner of Jean McPheeters Consulting LLC and retired president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, Ithaca College President Tom Rochon and Joel Malina, Cornell University's Vice President of University Relations, representing Co-Chair David Skorton, president of Cornell University and secretary-elect of the Smithsonian Institute.

Tompkins County will lower flags to half-staff Saturday, November 22, in honor of U.S. Army Sgt. Michael James Barra, the Korean War veteran and native son of Tompkins County whose remains will be laid to rest this weekend.

Sgt. Barra died as a prisoner of war after being captured in 1950, along with approximately 8,000 other servicemen.  His remains have been identified and are being returned to Ithaca, with services Saturday.

I didn't know Ray Buckley very well, but I certainly knew he was a larger than life figure in Lansing.  He came here to be the Lansing Superintendent of Schools, and he fulfilled that role for 31 years.  When he retired in 1992 the Board Of Education decided to name the elementary school after him.  I knew Ray after his retirement, and I have two large impressions.  But all my memories of Ray, large and small, have to do with him serving the Lansing community.   Ray died November 2nd at age 86.

It appeared to me as if Ray had three deep loves.  His wife Dot, who was no slacker herself in serving the Lansing community, children, and the Town of Lansing.  He wasn't the kind of person who loved the things he loved silently.  He did something about it.

Senator Mike Nozzolio announced that civil service exams will soon be conducted for the purpose of hiring new Corrections Officer Trainees for the New York State Department of Corrections.

“As the Chairman of the State Senate Codes Committee and former Chairman of the Crime Victims, Crime, and Correction Committee, I worked hard to require the Department of Corrections hire additional officers to insure our public safety, as well as safer working conditions for all the brave men and women who work in our State Correctional facilities,” said Nozzolio.