Archive: Around Town

The Ithaca Public Education Initiative today announced that it has exceeded its $600,000 goal during its Our Children • Our Schools • Our Future capital campaign designed to meet the growing demand from teachers and students for its educational grants and programs. An independent not-for-profit organization, IPEI facilitates community connections and innovative learning initiatives for thousands of pre-K–12th grade students and their teachers in the Ithaca City School District.

The campaign received $624,326 in gifts and pledges from 228 individuals, corporations and foundations.

"The success of this campaign is fabulous because our community stretched and supported it!” said Terry Byrnes, IPEI board president. “The entire IPEI family is excited about expanding opportunities for teachers and students, and for strengthening our organization."

In just its third year, the SPCA March for the Animals has doubled in attendance, participation, and the amount of dollars raised! All of this added up to an amazing success. The total amount of money raised for the 2012 March for the Animals is currently $100,694, breaking last years’ record of $82,000 and the goal of $100,000 set by the SPCA.

This year’s March had many new and improved features. It moved from TC3 to the Cornell Plantations F.R. Newman Arboretum. It started a bit later in the day and took place a full two weeks early than in the past two years. It was followed by a dog and family friendly picnic. More than 250 people registered for the March as fundraisers – twice as many as last year. And over 1,500 people made online gifts to their favorite Marcher or March team.

Rising purchase costs, the inability to save for a down payment and other debt are the main barriers to homebuyers. But this year Better Housing for Tompkins County helped 22 Tompkins County families with modest incomes purchase their first homes through the Better Housing Homeownership Program. Families purchased homes in all towns of Tompkins County, including Lansing with the most recent closing in August of 2012.

"We have consistently administered this program in Tompkins County since 1996 and as a result have helped 338 families purchase their first homes," said Paula Poteat, who serves as liaison to the program. "This program, with its community partners, is helping moms and dads and their children take that big step of purchasing their first home in rural Tompkins County." Poteat’s job is to explain options that are available to first-time homebuyers, and help them overcome the barriers that are keeping them from home ownership.

Hi! I'm Roxy! I came to the SPCA as a sad stray, so they don't know much about my history. What they DO know is that I'm a really sweet and affectionate dog with an energetic side, so I'm looking for a forever home where I can have daily walks, time to train, and no children under the age of 8. Don't you want to live with me and learn with me and see all the progress I will make? Talk to an adoption counselor at the shelter for more info on me!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Cornell Plantations Natural Areas preserve system was recently expanded through the successful protection of a seven-acre addition to the Caroline Pinnacles Natural Area in the Town of Caroline. The addition increases Plantations’ protected natural lands to 3400 acres.  This latest acquisition also provides a long sought connection between Plantations’ Bald Hill and Caroline Pinnacles Natural Areas.

“Our interest in protecting the Caroline Pinnacles originates from the educational value it possesses and the significance of its unique natural features,” stated Todd Bittner, director of the Cornell Plantations Natural Areas program.  “For the past 150 years, naturalists, botanists and Cornell students have explored the steeply sloping hillsides to study the area’s unique environments.”

What were you reading 20 years ago? Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library is celebrating 20 years in their building on 509 Esty Street with a display of popular books from 1992. You can check out their selections at the upcoming sale (Saturday, Oct. 6-Monday, Oct. 8; Saturday, Oct. 13-Monday, Oct. 14; and Saturday, Oct. 20-Monday, Oct. 21).

Beryl Barr, the Book Sale Coordinator, says, “We have over 250,000 items for sale ranging from books, DVDs, CDs, to graphic novels, comics, computer software and games, to board games and puzzles.”

Mathnasium hosted its second annual National TriMathlon on the weekend of September 29th and 30th, 2012 at more than 170 participating centers across the United States. Mathnasium of Ithaca hosted the math competition at its learning center location on September 29th, 2012. Students from across the region registered for the free event and had over 35 students in third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades attending public, private, or home school participate.  The event created excitement about math among area students and schools.

The TriMathlon consisted of three challenges:  The Counting Game (tests student’s ability to count from any number, to any number, by any number), Magic Squares (students are awarded points for developing their own math problems), and Mental Math Workout (evaluates student’s Number Sense by asking them to solve given problems the ‘smart’ way without pencil and paper). Questions become progressively more difficult for students in higher grade levels.

Letters Of Intent (LOI) to purchase land from the Town of Lansing for two proposed senior housing projects were approved Wednesday, but not without dissent.  If built, the projects will be the first new projects in a new Lansing Town Center.  Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins said she was willing to vote to approve the letters, but only if conditions were added.

Hopkins proposed tacking on conditions that would require the terms of the sale be consistant with current town planning process, including conforming to as yet to be established design guidelines and changes to the location of the project.  She also asked that the agreement be subject to documentation that could include an appraisal of the parcel before a price is agreed upon.

Hi! I'm Precious, which is the perfect name for me since precious is exactly what I am! I came in with my daughter, Zubie, and we are quite bonded and hoping to go home together. Two cats are better than one, so if you're looking for a pair of calm and cuddly feline ladies who love windowsills, then we just may be the pair for you!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Are you suffering from unexplained mood swings? Do you have high blood pressure or high triglyceride levels? Maybe you suffer from Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis or cavities in your teeth? As you’re reading this are you wondering: Why is he writing about all these infirmities in the same paragraph - they’re obviously not connected? To which I reply, they certainly can be and the common cause can be an excessive intake of sugar.

Which leads us naturally to the next question: What, exactly, is an excessive intake of added sugar?  The answer might surprise you.

Cayuga Medical Center and United Way of Tompkins County (UWTC) Board Chair John Turner welcomed a crowd of supporters to Stewart Park to kick off the 2012/13 United Way Community Campaign. He announced that UWTC is Celebrating Volunteers. Turner shared that hundreds of dedicated community volunteers help UWTC and many other organizations throughout the year to fulfill their missions.

James Brown UWTC President thanked the community for its generous support of the 10th Annual Stephen E. Garner Day of Caring Food Drive. J. Brown also thanked Alan Workman and Christina Roberti, Campaign Co-Chairs for CU’s Student United Way Campaign, and shared that over $9,000 was raised at the September 15th Annual A CAPPELLA UNITED Concert.  Brown thanked Cornell University and its Alumni Affairs and Development for including UWTC in its upcoming Homecoming 2012 festivities beginning tonight with a pep rally and the football game on September 22nd.

A new beer was introduced in Lansing yesterday to celebrate the Ithaca League of Women Rollers (ILWR).  The Rogues' Harbor Brewing Company introduced the beer last night at the bar in Lansing's historic Rogues' Harbor Inn.  Not only did roller derby fans get to sample the new beer, but its official name was revealed: 'Hell On Wheels Wit'.

"It suits them," says Rogues' Harbor owner Eileen Stout.  "It is a Belgian wheat beer, otherwise known as a wit.  It's light.  It's a little bit cloudy because it's unfiltered, so it has some earthy flavors, and it's seasoned with coriander and bitter orange."