Rick Vaughan is our Boy Scout Troop 48 Scoutmaster in Lansing. He has led many boys in the Lansing community in achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. For example, in 2006, the troop had 5 Eagle Scouts. They are Frank Massi, Hunter Preston, Mark Bailey, Jonathon Howe, and David Jones. This is an amazing accomplishment due to the smaller size of the Lansing community.

Rick leads the way with many hiking trips, campouts at Camp Barton, and summer camps at different Scout camps each year. Through his leadership, Troop 48 participates in the semi-annual Lion's Club Pancake Breakfast, decorates for the holidays at Woods Edge apartments, and does Adopt-A-Highway. His leadership has helped inspire many other people in the Lansing community to get involved with Troop 48.

Rick Vaughan has amazing knowledge of the outdoors to share with boys and other adults in Lansing. He works for Cornell Co-operative Extension and can share many things that are interesting and valuable. He knows all about trees and plants and is a real naturalist.

One of the most rigorous and difficult programs in scouting is to work towards the Wood Badge. Rick Vaughan completed all the requirements and was awarded this honor at a Troop 48 Court of Honor with a special ceremony on June 11, 2007.

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superstar

Probably the two biggest stories in the Lansing Star were about Gimme Coffee opening a Lansing shop, and Regal Cinema opening 14 stadium theaters at the Shops at Ithaca Mall (that was when the mall changed its name.

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stayed the first annual Lansing Harbor Festival.  Despite a freak storm that literally snapped three telephone poles near the Lansing schools, and damage to tents that had been set up for the event, it was rescheduled for a week later and was a resounding success.  The Lansing Community Council is already making plans for the second annual festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 23, 2008.

With the current controversy about the library vote it is easy to forget the triumphal reopening last February that gave Lansing its first look of the transformation from a dingy, crowded space to a full fledged library building.  The $385,000 capital improvement project was entirely paid for by donations, meaning that when the library came up for a vote there was no mortgage or debt of any kind.

Meanwhile, the John Joseph Inn and Elizabeth Restaurant opened this year.  Resurrected literally from the ashes of Lansing landmark The Rose Inn, the new owners have created not only an inn and a restaurant, but a lifestyle that matches the elegance of the old inn with a friendly, family atmosphere all their own.

My favorite ongoing story is the sagea of Tompkins and Cayuga Counties' oldest log cabin and how it came home to Lansing this year.  Originally built near Conlon and Searles Roads in 1749, it has been moved at least three times, and spent the last 50 years behind the Cayuga Museum in Auburn.  This year it came home to Lansing, a fate that was anything but certain until Town councilman Bud Shattuck arranged to save it from demolition and the Lansing Highway Department dissembled and brought it back home.  It has yet to be reassembled in a new location to be determined this winter.

Finally you can't talk about 2007 without mentioning the dedication of the new All Saints Catholic Church.  The Bishop of Rochester was only one of many celebrants who packed the church last October to consecrate it to God's service as a place of worship.  A combined chorus led by Doreen Kelly Alsen was made up of All Saints singers along with those from neighboring Catholic parishes and Lansing United Methodist Church filled the sanctuary with joyous song to celebrate the official opening of the $1.7 million church.

• Regal Cinema Throws a Party
• Gimme Lansing - Gimme Coffee Comes to Town
• Lansing Library Prepares for Grand Opening
• A Restaurant and Inn Return to Lansing
• Historical Cabin Stacked for Winter
• All Saints is Dedicated
  

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Dr. Stephen GrimmIn less than two weeks Lansing will have a new Superintendent.  Dr. Stephen Grimm and his wife Miquel are already looking for a home in Lansing as he prepares to take the helm of the Lansing schools on January 2.  In last week's installment of our exclusive interview Grimm talked about what attracted him to Lansing, his educational and personal background, and a bit about his educational philosophy.

In this week's installment he talks about his impressions of Lansing and some of the challenges he will face in a district that has been plagued with interrupted leadership, deteriorating buildings, and financial woes.  Despite these issues Grimm is optimistic.  His approach of looking at the district with new eyes and prioritizing district problems based on the importance given them by stakeholders may be just what the doctor ordered.

Hi there my name is Aslan. I am an orange and white neutered male who is looking for a wonderful home. I would love to come to your home for the holidays! Please come and visit me at the SPCA.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Ask IMOAsk IMO

Lansing's Advice Column

Email your questions to IMO at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dear IMO,

I get very nervous this time of year when I see my neighbor’s dog left outside for long periods of time.  The cold, wind, and snow can’t be good for him or any animal.  What should pet owners do with their pets during this time of year? 

Thanks,
Pat

Dear Pat,

We humans are not the only ones who experience hardships with cold weather.  The SPCA always receives complaints about pet that are left outside in the cold.  Although they are equipped with their very own fur coats, dogs, cats, horses, and other animals can still suffer from frostbite, exposure, and dehydration when their water freezes. 

About 40 people gathered at the Benson’s residents on Lansingville Road to celebrate the Lansing Youth Services Committee’s 20th anniversary.  Attendees at the November 15th event included town officials, school administrators, past and present committee members and programs managers, as well as staff from Cornell Cooperative Extension and Tompkins County Youth Services Department.

Primitive Pursuits

Stilt Walking

The Town Hall was packed Wednesday with town employees and guests for the annual holiday lunch.  Outgoing Supervisor Steve Farkas was presented with a plaque in appreciation for his years in service as a Town Councilman and Supervisor.  Later that day he presided over his last regular Town Board meeting.

Ask IMOAsk IMO

Lansing's Advice Column

Email your questions to IMO at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dear IMO,

We have three children, and every year I dread this time of year. It's not that I'm the Grinch, but our kids have way too much stuff. There is so much stuff in their closets, the basement, and the attic I think we could open up our own toy store. I'd like to lighten the load this year and have them/us do something different this year. Do you have any suggestions that can get us in the Christmas spirit without getting bogged down in the avalanche of stuff?

Sincerely,

Sheila

Dear Sheila,

Bah Humbug! Ebenezer Scrooge summed up the frenzy of Christmas quite nicely, and if he were alive today, some say he is, he'd really have a field day with the complete chaos of the buying season. In fact, from the tone of your letter, it sounds like there's a bit of frustration and dread in your life as you gas up the old SUV and head toward the Pyramid Mall for an excursion into extreme Christmas shopping.

Dr. Stephen GrimmLast month the Lansing Board Of Education appointed Dr. Stephen Grimm as the new Superintendent of Schools.  Grimm will take the helm of the Lansing Central School District on January 2.  Grimm is finishing as Executive Director of Secondary Schools in the Greece Central School District, and has 19 years experience in public education.  He and his wife Miquel have three children, a three-year old and one-year old twins.  Initially they plan to live in Marathon, where Miquel, a physical education teacher, has family, while they look for a home in Lansing.

Grimm has already been tapped to participate in the hiring of Lansing's new business administrator, Penny Osborne, who will also be starting at Lansing on January 2.  Monday the Star had a chance to talk to Grimm about his background, philosophies, and his initial impression of the school district he will be heading up in only a few weeks.

Pet of the WeekHi there my name is Bamba. I am a spayed female. I am nine months old and have been at the SPCA since June ninth two thousand and seven. I am a beautiful gray tabby who needs a great home, so please come and visit me at the SPCA.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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(Ithaca, NY) What do young professionals who live, work or play in Tompkins County like about it? What do they think could be improved? [ithaca Forward] announced today that it has launched a comprehensive survey geared toward local 25 to 40-year-olds who make up the YP demographic in the county.

The survey is available on the [ithaca Forward] website at www.ithacaforward.org. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and is open to all young professionals who live, work or play in Tompkins County. Respondents don't have to be a member of [iF] or have attended any [ithaca Forward] events in the past, in order to participate. It asks them for their opinions on quality of life issues such as jobs, cost of living, housing, transportation, entertainment, the environment and community attitudes toward young professionals.