Archive: Around Town

My friend Kathy has just suffered through two difficult and traumatic episodes.  Her husband of 27 years lost his battle with pancreatic cancer and she won her five year struggle with uterine cancer.  She has lived in New York City all her life and was more than ready to escape into a country setting.  I invited her to stay with me, in Ithaca, for a few days and tried to find some relaxing, yet stimulating, events for her.

To that end, I reserved two places on a Mid-Lakes Navigation Company cruise on Skaneateles Lake.  The boat departed at 6:00 PM on Tuesday evening and returned to the dock promptly at 8:30 PM.  The two and a half hours in between were, for us, a welcome distraction from our everyday worlds and were filled with fun, fresh air, and fine food.

The commute on TCAT buses these days should be brighter and more thought provoking, thanks to the talents of TST BOCES Community High School students and teachers.

BOCES teaching artist Janet Locke and art teacher Jodi Riggs this past school year tapped into the creativity of their art students to create posters aimed at environmental sustainability. TCAT agreed to display artwork indefinitely in the interiors of TCAT’s more than 50 buses.

An Ace was made Monday, June 18, at the Ithaca YMCA Kionix Kids to Camp Golf Outing.  The event commands both courses, the Country Club of Ithaca and Cornell’s Robert Trent Jones, for a field of 140 players. This event has been conducted in collaboration with Kionix for the past 6 years and has become one of the leading golf outings in Tompkins County and beyond. Over 30 different organizations also sponsored the event, and 140 prizes were provided for the players.

The Lansing Community Council is hosting the town's second annual fireworks event at Myers Park Sunday (July 1) to celebrate Independence Day.  The event features food, music, and an even bigger fireworks display than next year. 

"We moved up one," says Lansing Community Council President Ed LaVigne.  "We went small the first year because we simply didn't have the money.  This year we've received generous donations, but we still have to pay for everything.  We're still collecting money for that, and we will after the event."

15% of the students earned technical embellishment at TST BOCES.  90% will attend college: 47% will attend two year colleges and 54% will attend four year colleges.  The remaining 9% are entering the military or joining the work force.

37 seniors took a total of 83 advanced placement exams.  83 seniors earned 659 college credits for an average of 8 credits per student.

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Hey there, my name is Pippa. I'm a four-year-old bulldog, american/mix. I'm a friendly girl who is looking for a loving home, so please come and visit me at the SPCA to see if i'm the right dog for you!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Americorps VISTA members from around upstate New York traveled to Ithaca on Friday, June 15th to work on a service project at New Roots Charter School.

Little Voices Music & Motion is a program of the Town of Lansing Parks and Recreation department.  Little Voices is a research-based music and movement class for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and kindergartners.  Parents or other caregivers attend with the children. 

Families sing, dance, and play with instruments and other props to a variety of traditional and original songs.  The curriculum teaches basic rhythm and tonal skills and assists children’s learning in other areas as well.

Aurora, New York—Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson has joined the Board of Champions for the Finger Lakes hub of the Empire State STEM Learning Network. As a member of the board, she will contribute her knowledge and experience to the organization’s goals of increased collaboration between schools, business, community and government in support of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

“Here in the Finger Lakes region we have an especially rich and diverse mix of educational institutions and a wealth of knowledge,” she said in an announcement posted to the STEM blog.  “Our challenge, of course, is to translate our commitment to STEM education, our capacity for excellent teaching, and our potential for transformative learning, to broad and effective action.”

The Lansing Town Board was brought up to date Wednesday on plans to open a bait and tackle shop in Myers.  Steve Williamson, who owns Bears Bait & Tackle Shop in Trumansburg, is partnering with retired Lansing employee Steve Jolly to open and operate the shop.  Lansing Engineering and Planning Coordinator Jeff Overstrom told the board that pending a site plan review the shop could open in a little over a month. 

"They are going to build a 12x16 foot prefab shed themselves," Overstrom told the board.  "The location is near the park's maintenance shop near the small Town marina area.   There's a light pole there and a water spigot for that corner where the small marina is."

Three students representing Lansing Middle School recently won highest honors in this year’s WordMasters Challenge-a national language arts competition entered by approximately 220,000 students annually, which consists of three separate meets held at intervals during the school year.

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SPCA of Tompkins County executive director Jim Bouderau announced that six area foundations have made grants to support important shelter services and programs.

“Our deepest gratitude goes to each and every funder. Their generosity is simply wonderful!”

The Helen Thomas Howland Foundation as administered by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County granted $5,000 to the SPCA in renewed support of the SPCA Annex at The Shops at Ithaca Mall. Bouderau stated: “The Howland Foundation has done a lot for the SPCA over the year, and their support of one of our newest ventures, the adoption center at the mall, is instrumental in reducing the length of a cat’s stay at the shelter and improving the health of shelter cats.”