Archive: Around Town

A handful of cars met a fiery demise this week in South Lansing.  At least 20 firefighters from fire departments across Tompkins County were on the scene with two pumpers to snuff the fires.  Smoke billowed high above the burning cars as emergency responders rusher to put out the flames.  It was all part of the Firefighter I car fire training session, hosted at Lansing Central Station Tuesday night.

"To be an interior firefighter you have to have the Firefighter I class," says Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell.  "About half the departments in the county, including Lansing, also require an eight hour class on firefighter survival.  It's about bailing out if you get in trouble.  They do some bailout exercises in this class, but Firefighter survival gets into a lot more: getting out of windows, breaching walls, what happens when you fall through a floor."

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Pat PryorThe Legislature expressed official appreciation to the volunteer members of its Special Committee on Broadband, as the committee begins to wind down three years of work.  The resolution, approved without dissent (Legislator Will Burbank was excused), expresses the Legislature’s deepest gratitude to members of the committee “for their commitment, dedication, and innovative thinking that will help many Tompkins County residents and businesses to soon realize the benefits of high-speed connectivity.  The committee is made up of 16 volunteer members with varied professional experience and technical expertise, who used their best thinking to identify, evaluate, and propose solutions to address gaps in Broadband accessibility in the county.

For many years FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) subsidized a federally backed flood insurance program for homeowners, business owners and renters. However, flooding disasters in recent years - including Hurricane Sandy - have left the National Flood Insurance Program with a $25 billion deficit. The program must make up for the losses.

In 2012 the law known as "Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act (BW-12)" removed flood-insurance subsidies for more than a million home owners nationwide. BW-12 will roll out in stages and a part of the law is already in effect.  The plan begins to phase in full-risk rates over five years at a rate of 25% per year beginning in 2014 - including those that are affected by FEMA mapping changes.

Hi there, I'm Mylah and I'm a fantastic, beautiful 2 year old kitty who came to the SPCA when my last owner moved to a place that didn't allow cats. While in my last home, I was accustomed to being an indoor/outdoor cat, so it's possible that this might be my preference when I am in your home. If you want me to be indoors only, though, I'm sure I can adjust as long as you provide me with lots of toys and windows to look out of! I enjoy a good lap to lie on and am quite the affectionate kitty. You can usually see me in the lobby hugging one of the staff members at the adoption desk. I hope you'll consider me for your next pet; I'm a great girl in need of a good fur-ever home! Come meet me at the adoption center today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Yesterday Thanksgiving converged with the first day of Hanukkah, something that hasn't happened since 1888, and may not happen again for 77,798 years according to one calculation.  Many Jews are welcoming the 'Thanksgivukkah' calendar quirk, baking turkey shaped challah (a Jewish bread that is normally round), lighting turkey shaped menorahs (the traditional Hanukkah candle holder) and noting that Thanksgiving is a much better match for Hanukkah than Christmas: Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are both celebrated by giving thanks.

Thanksgiving offers thanks a good harvest.  Hanukkah offers thanks for a miracle that God performed in the 2nd century BC.  When Seleucid soldiers (a Hellenistic state) took and desecrated the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem, a group of Jews led by Judah Maccabee revolted.  The Maccabees became notorious for guerrilla tactics that eventually won back the temple, establishing Jonathan Maccabee as high priest.

100,000 Brazilian Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) students are being sent to United States colleges and universities to promote scientific research, invest in educational resources, increase international cooperation in technology and science, and to engage students in a global dialog.  A dozen of them are at TC3 this semester, preparing their English and cultural skills before going to four year institutions to study their fields.  They were at Lansing Elementary School Friday to help with the annual Thanksgiving luncheon.

In fact, they have spent a lot of time in Lansing.  Earlier in the semester they were treated to a tour of Borg Warner.  Yesterday Lansing couple Dan and Eve Brown hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the students, and they have tutored Lansing Middle School students.  The field trips are part of an intensive class in American culture taught by adjunct instructors Christine Iacobucci and Patrick Sewell.  Iocabucci is also a long-time member of the Lansing Board Of Education.

Sometimes there are acts of generosity that are so inspiring they develop their own force field – drawing in others to amplify the original intention of making the world just a little better.  The story of the latest Finger Lakes Climate Fund grant of $3,457 from Sustainable Tompkins to the Second Wind cottages in Newfield is about the intersection of two such force fields.

A few months ago an anonymous donor approached Sustainable Tompkins (ST) with the idea of creating a Sustainable Newfield fund where people concerned about climate disruption could donate money to help lower-income residents in Newfield make their homes more efficient and less dependent on fossil fuel.  Other donors have since joined in to help with this mission of slowing climate impacts by helping those in Newfield least able to afford rising energy bills.

	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

Recently, a culinary crisis stuck: Lansing Market ran out of rabbit! The meat manager told me that it had been selling very slowly at first, then it started to move, and suddenly it was gone. That's both good and bad. Bad for us when we want some delicious meat in the slow cooker, good in that we've made rabbit that popular.

Our meat guy said more is coming; just be patient. I told him the same thing had happened to me when I raised rabbits and sold the meat at the Ithaca Farmers' Market. At first, it hardly sold at all. It gradually picked up as word got around, until I couldn't grow rabbits fast enough. Then severe injuries from a traffic accident closed my booming meat business (rabbit and chicken) for good.

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My name is Beauty, and I'm an adorable, friendly 3 year old pit bull mix. I'm quite small and squat, and one of the cutest and sweetest dogs around! I came to the shelter along with a group of other dogs that were being chained out in the woods. I've had a rough start, and now I'm just looking for someone to love! I'm a high energy girl and would do best in a home where I can get regular walks, runs, and hikes. I still need to learn some doggie manners, but the nice staff have started me on training here at the shelter. I love to play and am always so enthusiastic about it! I like other dogs but, if a fight were to break out, my previous owner reported that I sometimes would get involved. For this reason, I should probably go to a home with children 8 years or older. Sadly, I don't like cats very much, so I should go to a feline-free home. I'm currently looking for an active, dog-savvy person to call my own - come in to visit me today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Downtown Ithaca's Winter Festival 2013 is set to take place November 30th - December 14th all over Downtown with a list of special events including culinary treats, Restaurant Week and a Chowder Cook-off.  Winter festival contains some of the most magnificent events in upstate New York  Ithaca Ice Wars, the Arrival of Santa from Center Ithaca’s Rooftop, the Runway Holiday Fashion Show, The Nutcracker at the State Theater, and much much more.

The first week kicks off on November 30th with Small Business Saturday and Ithaca’s Restaurant Week.  Shopping local for creative gifts and hungry bellies has never been so easy.   Winter festival hosts a wonderful array of brilliant art whether it is culinary, visual, or live right before your eyes. Friday December 6th a walkable tour of downtown galleries from 5-8pm for First Friday Holiday Gallery Night is chocked full with over 29 participating galleries and the Runway Holiday Fashion Show in Center Ithaca from 7-8pm.  Holiday, Evening and Daytime looks can be found at this local retail and designers Showcase.

New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio announced he is working to make the public aware of the lifesaving Yellow Dot program.   This free program is designed to provide first responders with important medical information that can save the lives of accident victims.

“The Yellow Dot initiative is a free program designed to help first responders provide lifesaving medical attention during the first “golden hour” after a vehicle crash or other emergency. A Yellow Dot in the driver’s side rear window of a vehicle will alert first responders that vital medical information is stored in the glove compartment. Our brave volunteer firefighters, first responders and police officers represent the best of our local communities and this important program will provide them with the information they need to save the lives of accident victims,” said Nozzolio.