- By Dan Veaner
- Around Town
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Lansing Food Pantry Needs More Help for Local FamiliesAt the Lansing Board of Education meeting David Dubin eloquently said that this is a time to push a little harder and do more with less. He argued that fewer people can afford to pay more taxes in the disastrous economy. "Talk to the people who run the food pantry in Lansing," he said. "They're strained to the limit. They're dying. The lines are incredible. Look at the food pantry at the Methodist Church. They're stripped bare. We're hurting."
A visit to the Lansing United Methodist Church confirms that food pantry shelves are alarmingly bare. That's where Lansing Food Pantry Director Nancy Myers leads a group of stalwart volunteers in an effort to feed local people in need. There aren't fairy-tale people you read about -- they are our neighbors who live in the Lansing community, which is far from immune from the devastating economic downturn. Myers says times are obviously tough and food pantries, including her own, are serving more families than ever before.
"I firmly believe this is going to continue," she says. "I don't see it getting any better for the foreseeable future."
The Association of Science-Technology Centers in Washington, D.C. has named Megan Ludgate of the Sciencenter’s ScienceWorks program winner of an international online competition for successfully reducing carbon dioxide emissions for a virtual city. Visitors to the Sciencenter can learn more about the Clim’City Competition this Saturday, April 3, 2010 at a special 2 p.m. Showtime! presentation at the museum.
United Way of Tompkins County has exceeded its 2009-10 Community Campaign Goal of $2,075,000, raising $2,079,149 and still counting. 
Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca announced the successful completion of their 'Opening New Doors' capital campaign to raise $2.5 million for a new home at 127 West State St at a donor Celebration last Friday, the 26th of March at LaTourelle Resort & Spa. The 'Opening New Doors' campaign was the most ambitious fund-raising effort in the agency’s 125-year history and ensures the continuation as well as expansion of vitally important mental health services, youth, and senior services. 
Tompkins County is urging residents to turn off their lights for an hour this Saturday to participate in Earth Hour 2010, a worldwide event demonstrating the commitment to address the problem of climate change.
Hey there my name is Jenny fur, I am a 2 year old black and white domestic shorthaired/mix. I'm a beautiful girl who is looking for a loving family with no big dogs. So come and visit me at the SPCA to see if I'm the right cat for you!
Hey there my name is Arlie; I am a two-year-old female domestic medium hair mix. I'm a lovely girl who is looking for a loving home with people who will take good care of me. So come and visit me at the SPCA to see if I'm the right cat for you.
Swimming is a relatively minor item on the tentative budget reduction list presented by Lansing school officials last week. If the 'Tier I' cuts are made the program would lose a physical education teacher, one teaching assistant and two assistant coaches to at a savings of of $84,500 out of $927,500 in potential cuts. It would harm the program, but it would remain viable. If another $438,000 in 'Tier II' cuts are necessary, however, closing the pool to the tune of $120,000 in savings has been suggested. Several speakers argued to keep the pool open at Monday's Board Of Education meeting.
About 200 Lansing residents, teachers, and students turned up for Monday's Board Of Education meeting. 20 of them addressed the board, mainly to plead for board members not to cut teachers and academic programs, as well as several who admonished the board to keep the high school swimming pool open. Even by reducing a budget gap of more than $2 million to just over $927,500 by using reserve funds, the district is faced with significant cuts. Officials released a tentative list early this week, which resulted in teachers rallying to lobby to eliminate cuts in their departments.
MapleFest, the Cayuga Nature Center's (CNC) annual maple syrup celebration will take place on Saturday, March 27 & Sunday, March 28 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
March 27, will be NanoDay 2010 at the Sciencenter Saturday with free admission all day, and more than 25 special hands-on activity stations, live shows and demonstrations, all about nanoscience and nanotechnology—super small stuff that’s a pretty big deal.
