Archive: Around Town

As a Delta flight to Detroit took off on Runway 32 late Saturday morning passengers on the right hand side of the plane could see another 50-seat Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft on the ground, surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances, with passengers being carried out on stretchers and firefighters scrambling to help victims of the crash.  Of the 42 souls below, 8 were deceased on impact, 8 had serious injuries requiring immediate medical care, 11 had less serious injuries, and 15 escaped with only minor cuts and bruises.  Oddly the plane had no cockpit or wings.  That was because the CRJ on the ground was a simulator being used for a full scale disaster drill, not a real crashed plane at all.

"I like the full scale part of it," says Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport Operations Supervisor and Fire Chief Dave Crawford.  "Everybody is practicing in actual real time.  You can practice, but usually it's in sub-sections.  You practice fighting fires, your response, you practice with the equipment. But this is nice because it all comes together, and we get to practice with all our mutual aid departments at the same time."

When the Lansing Food Pantry opens its doors on October 27th they will be new doors.  After a quarter of a century operating at the Lansing United Methodist Church (LUMC), the Community Recreation Center, Incorporated, better known as The RINK and The FIELD, has donated space in a former storage area below the upstairs health club.

"We were short of space at the church, very short of space," says Food Pantry Director Nancy Myers.  "All this was in a small space, a closet that we were sharing with the rest of the church.  Now this is all ours.  It's absolutely a dream.  It took us a good two hours to set up in the morning, and perhaps an hour to take down at night.  Now we walk out at night and lock the door."

The New York State Association of REALTORS®' Young Professionals Network Group held a used cell phone collection drive at the recent NYSAR Fall Business Meetings at Turning Stone Resort to benefit victims of domestic violence.

To encourage participation, NYSAR made it a contest between their 8 geographic regions. Coming out on top, of course, was the Southern Tier (Binghamton, Elmira-Corning, Ithaca, Cortland and Otsego-Delaware), who collected over 70 phones for this great cause!

Gracie is a sweet girl who was found as a stray in the town of Dryden. Her sweet demeanor can be overshadowed sometimes by the fact that she is a little timid. Once she warms up, though, Gracie seems to enjoy being pet and will do fine in a home with children over the age of 6. While she might not be the most playful cat at our shelter, Gracie is a love who deserves a good shot at a new home. We're recommending that she be the only cat in her new home since she was found to be a bit territorial around other kitties. She's also been diagnosed with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease which means that she should be fed canned food for the rest of her life. Thankfully, this disease doesn't tamper with her longevity; she'll live to a normal cat's age. We hope you'll consider taking this wonderful girl home today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

v10i38

Planning Consultant Michael H. Long joined the Lansing Codes Office, and attended his first Lansing Planning Board meeting Monday.  Long is filling a part time planner position that has been vacant since April.

An Auburn resident, Long served as Oneonta City Manager, Poughkeepsie City Administrator, Cayuga County Senior Planner/Draftsman, and held several positions in Auburn including Interim City Manager, Director Of Capital Projects And Grants, Capital Improvement Project Manager, and Senior Planner.  He has 30 years of successful grant and capital project management experience.  He has been involved in numerous historic preservation projects, including the Harriet Tubman National Park in Auburn.

The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) has published a comprehensive case study of the bioswale garden at Cornell Plantations. This is the first Cornell University site chosen for the LAF's case study program, and was selected because the LAF believes the site shows the potential for a demonstration of substantial landscape benefits. The study was conducted by Michele Palmer, of dba Templeton Landscape Architecture & Planning located in Cooperstown, NY, in 2014.

The bioswale was installed as part of the Nevin Welcome Center building project in 2010. The project, which includes a green roof, and several other sustainable features, received LEED Gold from the U.S. Building Council.  The bioswale was designed to slow and clean storm water runoff from the parking lot while providing an attractive garden landscape, which is more ecologically minded than a traditional storm drain system.  The garden is used as a teaching landscape to showcase the benefits and functions of a bioswale garden.

The Sciencenter recently became the first museum in America to offer reduced admission for low-income families under a new national program called Museums for All.  The program offers $1 admission to anyone in a family presenting an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card at the admissions desk. EBT is the electronic system used by states to issue SNAP (nutrition assistance) and other benefits to low-income families.

According to Sciencenter executive director Charlie Trautmann, "Museums for All advances the Sciencenter's vision that all young people, regardless of financial means, should have the opportunity to experience the Sciencenter and be empowered to use science in shaping a better future." Trautmann serves on the board of directors of the Association of Children's Museums in Washington, DC, which conceived the program earlier this year.

Milwaukee, WI – Justin Bennett, a Lansing, NY resident and member of the Cayuga Nation, is among the 2014 award winners to be honored during a gala at the leading Native American business event in the country, taking place at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee.

Emerging Native American leaders from across the country will be honored for their outstanding leadership during the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's upcoming Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 'Native American 40 under 40' is a prestigious award that is bestowed upon individuals under the age of 40, nominated by members of their communities, for showing initiative and dedication to providing significant, positive contributions to business or in their respective communities.

The Cayuga Medical Center Foundation is proud to announce that this year’s annual gala,  An Evening to Care, had the largest support from our community ever – with the highest attendance ever – 415 people.

The gala raised a net of $110,800 to support Cayuga Medical Center Foundation’s 2014 fundraising initiative – Renovation of Surgical Services Department Project. Of the $110,800, $28,000 was raised by an auction with auctioneer David Hall of National Book Auctions and Laurie Linn of Communique’ Design and Marketing presiding over the live auction.  All of the auction items were generously donated by local businesses and members of our community.

Daisy is a 10 month old unique looking beagle/basset hound mix. Unfortunately, she got her looks when she was attacked by another dog and had to get her ear surgically removed. However, this doesn’t stop anyone from thinking she is adorable! The person who fostered her after surgery says that she is very sweet and loves to snuggle. She can be quite vocal though, so having close neighbors could be an issue. She is quite playful with other dogs and would love a friendly canine companion. Being a puppy, she could certainly use all the socialization and training she can get, but she’s a pretty nice dog to begin with. Are you ready to take her home and give her another chance at a forever home? She’s dying to meet you!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

v10i37

James Brown, President of United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC), welcomed a crowd of supporters to Stewart Park today for the 12th Annual Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring and the 2014/15 Community Campaign Kickoff. He shared his remarks on how United Way of Tompkins County makes a difference in people’s lives by supporting essential education, income, and health programs.

Brown thanked the community for its generous support of the Day of Caring Food Drive and presented a new video that showcases the impact of UWTC. Brown announced four grant opportunities for local nonprofit organizations that open today. In total, $88,440 is available through the Hunger and Food Security Fund, T. Merrell Shipherd Flexible Fund, Youth and Philanthropy Program, and the Ithaca College Student United Way. Brown also thanked Cornell University and its Alumni Affairs and Development office for including UWTC in its upcoming Homecoming 2014 festivities; events include A Capella United, Homecoming 5K, and the Family Fun Day.