Archive: Around Town

'New 1 bedroom single family home with outstanding Cayuga Lake view, access to hunting and fishing, perfect for a young family, ready to move in.'   That could be a realty sign on Salt Point where a platform for an osprey nesting platform was installed Tuesday morning.  While it is possible the 65 foot tall nest could attract eagles, NYSEG Forester Paul Paradine says attracting osprey would be a coup on the DEC owned (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), Town of Lansing operated nature park.

"We're hoping for osprey," Paradine says.  "There is a pair of eagles that I am pretty sure nests near Salmon Creek.  They have been there for some time and are probably the only pair in this area that dominate the location.  You never know, but we're hoping for osprey because it will be unique, considering there is only one other location."

Hello there. I'm Rusty! I had quite the life as a stray out in Newfield, and I sure proved it when I arrived at the SPCA of Tompkins County! I had intenstinal issues, ticks, dental diseases, and corneal scars. Thank GOODNESS for the lovely vet staff. Now, you'd never know I was in such rough shape! I am tick free, my intestines run like normal, my eyes have been treated, AND my teeth and mouth are SO clean and great! I am a bit shy at first, as life as a stray made me, but I do respond to gentle petting by purring, rubbing, and chirping. I would be SUCH a handsome addition to your home, and would love to be in one soon! Maybe it's yours?

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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The DeWitt Middle School Orchestra was selected to perform at the Heritage National Orchestra Competition and Festival in Boston, MA, April 27-28, 2013.  DeWitt Middle School students will participate in master classes with professional musicians and perform in a concert with other selected schools.

DeWitt Orchestra Director Aaron Buck states, “Going to festivals and competitions is a great way for these seventh and eighth grade students to see what other orchestras are doing and helps them as a team to achieve something great. It gives our students a goal to shoot for.” 

The Ducks Unlimited Finger Lakes Chapter made the Top 100 list as one of the organization’s best fundraising chapters over the last year.  The chapter earned a spot in the Top 100 out of the more than 2,700 DU chapters nationwide. DU’s event fundraising system has become a model for other conservation organizations around the world and has funded a significant portion of the more than 13 million acres of wetlands and associated habitat DU has conserved since 1937.

“These fundraising events are the backbone of DU’s habitat conservation efforts, and the volunteers who make up these chapters are the grassroots force making a difference for North American waterfowl populations,” said DU President John Newman. “It takes a great deal of effort to crack the Top 100, and these chapters deserve to be congratulated from every person who enjoys the outdoors.”

United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) announced receiving 2012-13 Community Campaign pledges and gifts totaling $2,083,894 which is 96.7% of its $2,155,000 goal.  This represents the fifth consecutive year that the annual campaign has exceeded $2,000,000. 

Community members have responded favorably to the recently announced Hunger & Food Security Challenge Grant from an anonymous donor. As a result, the generous donor increased the challenge grant from $20,000 to $30,000.  With community support, the $30,000 will generate $60,000 in new funding for area hunger and food security programs.  All gifts designated to hunger and food will be matched $1 for $1.  To date, donors have pledged $25,804.

	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 with everyone who’s had a heart attack or has the potential.

If you have plaque in your arteries, and most of us do, then you have it everywhere, not just near your heart, and you need to keep it from building. Great news: You can do this, and even reverse the buildup. Why wait until you need stent or bypass surgery?

Read more ...

Parents came to Lansing Middle School Monday to hear  a 'Parents University' series lecture by Jamie Nabozny.  Nabozny won a federal lawsuit against the Ashland, WI school district for failing to stop severe harassment he suffered in middle and high school for being gay.

Nabozny was on the receiving end of extreme predudice and harrassment culminating with a beating that landed him in the hospital.  When he was in eleventh grade he, his parents and his school counselor decided the best course would be for him to move awy to finish school in Minneapolis, where he now lives.  The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund helped him sue his school district.  In 1996 he accepted a $900,000 out-of-court settlement, the day after three school administrators were found liable for failing to shield him from repeated abuse.

Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins turned over an envelope she had received to Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller and Bookkeeper/Personnel Officer Sharon Bowman.  The envelope contained a check for $25 to be placed in a custodial account to help pay for Lansing Pathways projects.  A little slip of paper fell out that read: 'Paying it forward: in memory of children and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut.  Honoring Emilie Parker age 6.'

"It had a message that was 'Act #16 of 26 acts of kindness'," Bowman says.  "We thought it was noteworthy that an individual would make this contribution in honor of a child who was killed in the Newtown shooting.  It was a really special tribute.  It touched us when Kathy and I looked at it we felt moved that someone would do this."

Mayor Svante Myrick officially threw his hat in the ring on Monday, March 11th, and will be running in the Tough Turtle race with the “City Haulers” on April 20th. The City Haulers consist of Mayor Myrick, Amy Ross and Tammy Lopez of Cornell University’s Facilities Operations, Nikolas Lopez, a local student and Ithaca resident and Ray Weaver of Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their goal is to raise $1,000 that will benefit the Ithaca Children’s Garden. “This is a great cause and a really fun way to raise money for a local landmark,” says Weaver.

Eighty-two teams from New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania participated in the 2012-2013 Northeast 7th/8th Grade Thinking Cap Quiz in January.

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, has awarded $3,900 in mini-grants to area Ithaca City District Schools serving 2,286 students.    Funded projects include: mural making, song writing, video production, visiting performers and an art garden.

Grant funds are made possible through Fine Arts Booster Group performance booklet ad sales. The boosters produce performance booklets for middle and high school concerts and plays, totaling over thirty events each year.

Hi! My name is Dottie and I'm ready for you to take me home! I'm naturally playful, curious, and trusting. I love going for big walks every day and having something to do when I'm home. When I've worn myself out I will curl up with you in the evenings. I see the world through my nose, like a typical hound, so it is always on the ground while I lead the way on our walks together. I could use some obedience training as I am 2 years young and haven't had much of it before. I have a gentle demeanor so if you have school aged children or older, we should get along just fine. Please come to the SPCA today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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