Archive: Around Town

Mark S. LewisThe Statewide School Finance Consortium Proposal:
All that Glitters is not Gold

For well over two decades, New Yorkers have endured the harangues of countless vocal critics of the existing state funding formulas. In recent years, the voices of discontent with the status quo have become louder, more numerous, and better organized. Opponents of current funding formulas contend that they are politically motivated and channel state tax dollars to more affluent school districts whose taxpayers are better equipped to foot higher property taxes than they do currently.

A grassroots organization, the Statewide School Finance Consortium, has now been formed whose member school districts, in their words, “speak with one voice in joining with overburdened taxpayers throughout Upstate to ask the legislature and the governor to drastically reform the system of financing schools primarily by property taxes.”

Pet of the WeekHi there my name is Maya! I am an adult female husky. My last family couldn’t take care of me any more so they had to leave me here. I have basic training and am a very sweet dog. I don’t live well with cats because I enjoy the chase. Would you please come and visit me at the SPCA?

Visit the SPCA Web Page



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Fourth grade students at R.C. Buckley Elementary School in Lansing learned lessons about worldwide disasters Monday as a result of their donation to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief fund.

Director of Emergency Services with the American Red Cross, Tompkins County Chapter, Mike Raffe described disaster relief projects around the world using the classroom map, explained reasons for the emergencies and what type of help is needed. He briefed them on the tsunami recovery in Indonesia and explained how tsunamis and tidal waves were caused by undersea earthquakes and he discussed other weather related emergencies.

Ithaca, NY - Charles Walcott, 2006 United Way of Tompkins County Campaign Chair, announced yesterday that the Community Campaign has exceeded the $1,900,000 goal. Donors made gifts totaling $1,905,221 and some additional pledges are still expected. “This is just an example of how generous our community is to those who need help,” added Walcott.

Strong support from the twenty-six Pacesetter Companies like The CBORD Group, Inc., Dryden Mutual Insurance, The International Food Network, Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed, Tompkins Trust Company and Retirees, and Wegmans helped by producing outstanding campaign results that set the pace for overall giving. Donors have generously supported United Way’s two targeted areas of care; Hunger and Food Insecurity and the Urgent Rx Prescription Program. This year, employees from Cornell University donated more than $715,000, which represents an all-time, record-breaking campaign. In addition, local businesses, government offices, organizations, and individuals made gifts to support the year-round programs and services. “As we have said all along, every gift helps someone lead a healthier and more fulfilling life,” stated Walcott.

Last week Lansing eighth graders shared their aspirations when they participated in a career fair as part of Audrey Hummel's Family Consumer Science class.  Each student displayed a poster with information about the career they chose, and answered questions about their choice for teachers and fellow students.  Students were excited to learn about their fellow students' careers.  "We look at investigating careers, resumes, how to get a job, job searching," says Hummel.  

Pet of the WeekHey there, my name is Emerald. I am a wonderful cat who is looking for a home. I am FELV positive so I am going to need to be your only cat or be with others like me. I need to be kept indoors but otherwise I am a great cat. please come and see me soon!  Please come and adopt me soon at the SPCA.

Visit the SPCA Web Page



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Lansing Town officials met Tuesday to strategize on how to bring the oldest log cabin in Tompkins and Cayuga Counties home to Lansing.  Town Board members Bud Shattuck, Connie Wilcox, and Marty Christopher, Environmental Planner Darby Kiley, Codes Enforcement Office Dick Platt, and Highway Superintendent Jack French met with resident Chris Muka to decide how to get the cabin to Lansing from the Cayuga Museum in Auburn and where to put it.  The museum had given the Town a deadline of January to remove the cabin from its property, but extended the time to allow the Lansing Highway Department better weather in which to effect the move.  "We're going to bring it back," said Shattuck.  "But there is no plan to put it together right away.

Mark S. LewisLansing Board of Education Petitions Now Available
April 16^th Deadline for Filing

There are many avenues that one could take to serve the community in which he or she lives, but none so demanding and yet fulfilling as serving on the board of education.
Individuals are motivated to run for seats on local school boards for myriad reasons, many of which reflect their desire to make a positive impact on the lives of the community’s young people.

They lend guidance and support for those entrusted with the responsibility of developing and implementing plans for continuous improvement in the school program. They provide essential insight into the community’s culture. They deal with issues head-on in an effort to ensure the best educational environment possible, especially during tough fiscal times.

Healing WellEach of us will face problems in life. Whether it falls within the realm of dating and marriage or relates to employment and money matters, we will have to tackle a host of issues during a lifetime. People who struggle with life’s issues will react to them in a variety of ways.

For example, those who are dealing with a financial issue, such as a job loss or decrease in income may experience a wide range of feelings and emotions. Some may feel depressed about the situation. Attempts to find a new job or ways to improve their financial situation may not succeed or fall short of their goal. As a result, they experience greater feelings of sadness combined with a sense of failure and disappointment. These feelings build up and cause a person to become depressed about the financial situation.

(Ithaca, NY) Nine different Ithaca-based bands spanning singer/songwriters, roots rock, alt/country, contemporary folk and space-alien-trailer-park-music will pay tribute to the Beatles on Friday March 23rd at Castaways. Hubcap, Plastic Nebraska, Joe Crookston, Five 2, Jamie Notarthomas, Mary Lorson & St. Low, Cypher: Dissident, The Sutras, and Larry Stamatel will each play an assortment of their favorite Beatles songs in their own distinctive styles—with no repeats!

The whole extravaganza benefits the development of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, a recreational and healthy lifestyle initiative being developed to improve our county’s lake access. A unique partnership between the City of Ithaca and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, the paved trail is suitable for everything from walking to rollerblading to biking to hiking and showcases Ithaca’s best natural resource — Cayuga Lake.

Ithaca, NY, March 15, 2007 ---- The Light in Winter Festival, Ithaca's annual celebration of art and science, doesn't just chase away the mid-winter blues for the increasing number of people who have attended over the last four years. It also pumps more than $200,000 into the local economy, according to a study conducted by Cornell University's Department of City and Regional Planning. Among the study's findings: