Archive: Around Town

Lansing's Board of Education (BOE) was at odds with district administrators last week when they put off hiring a school information systems specialist for the Technology Department.  Curriculum Director Deb Pichette explained for the second time what the need is for the position, and how her proposed reorganization of the department will solve problems the district is experiencing, but school board members weren't biting in what was at times a hostile exchange.

Michelle StoneI didn't even know what my high school principal looked like.  There were over a thousand students in the school, and to keep it manageable it was divided into 'houses.'  The house masters and the principal were all a bit scary.  In fact, the only time I actually talked to my house master one on one was when my good friend ran away from home and he thought I may have been in cahoots.  The next time I was that close to him he was handing me a diploma.

Lansing kids have a much better deal.  Their high school principal is accessible, and knows each one by name.  She doesn't put up with nonsense, but kids know she cares about them and is rooting for them to succeed.  Well, more than that, because she does everything she can to give them opportunities to succeed.  She isn't just some intimidating figure.  She is a person who, without making a big deal of it, provides an example of how to be a human being.

She is also a capable administrator who is knowledgeable and able, somehow, to fit more into our little high school than you would expect.  And I mean programs of a scope and quality that by all rights should exceed the capabilities of a community our size.  Students, teachers, administrators, and parents all seem fond of her.  And she is clearly proud of her faculty and staff, and especially of her students.  She is certainly not your stereotype of a high school principal.

Yet when you think about it, who wants that stereotype?  That house master of mine scared the heck out of me.  Otherwise he didn't have much impact on how I viewed myself or the world.  Michelle Stone has an impressive impact on everyone who knows her.  And that's why she is our November Star of the Month.

-- Dan Veaner, Editor


Kids always come first with Michelle. She, in a lot of ways, is their second mother. She communicates her decisions well and empowers the staff to be part of those decisions. As far as a colleague, I could not ask for a better person to work alongside of. She follows through with her decisions, is accountable and reliable.

-- High School Dean of Students and District Athletic Director Ed Redmond

Anyone replacing a principal who has served 20+ years faces a tough task since many people resist change. Michelle did the smartest thing a person could do in her situation: she spent her first year watching, learning, getting the lay of the land - and it paid off in spades. She earned the trust of her faculty and staff before she began suggesting/implementing change. She is professional to the nth degree - disagreements do not become personal. I'm sure there are people who drive her crazy, but she doesn't let on.

Kids come first with Michelle and she is driven to help EVERY child and she expects the same of her faculty. Despite the enormous responsibilities of a building principal, she lets her human side show - she is an awesome baker - some might say obsessive once she gets in the kitchen, she loves to laugh and the glass is half full with her. Lansing is lucky to have her and I feel fortunate to work in a building with her at the helm.

-- High School English Teacher Julie Berens



I think the greatest compliment that I can pay to Ms. Stone is that if I were a High School student again, I would want her to be my principal.  She would probably give me the same detentions I deserved before, but I would know two things: first, I better not do it again, and secondly, more importantly, if I really needed help I could turn to her!  

For Ms. Stone, rigorous academics are paramount, but a High School has to do so much more.  I would have to argue that Michelle believes in looking at the whole child.  Her approach with students is to demand their respect, but that respect is returned with a level of empathy that makes the child realize that his or her world is important.  To loosely quote Ms. Stone, "If they don't think you care, they won't listen."  She truly cares, students truly listen.  As a teacher I am grateful for her empowering support.
  
Ms. Stone is not an administrator that rules from on high, but expects that her faculty collaboratively work together to improve our school to the benefit of the entire Lansing community.   Ms. Stone invests an amazing amount of time in our school.  Michelle has worked countless hours on the important tasks of improving academics, planning to save our deteriorating school infrastructure, and enhancing student safety and security.  Yet while managing these gargantuan tasks she also does the little things that are not required but bring smiles to both students and staff alike!  

Michelle, thank you for letting those student vent to you so they were ready to learn when they came to my class. Thank you for candy on the stressful days and birthdays.  Simply put, thank you for all do for our school!

-- High School Global History Teacher Dan Ferguson


It has been my privilege and pleasure to work with Michelle Stone on behalf of the young people of Lansing for the past year.  She possesses endless talents as a school leader as well as a sincere dedication to the personal and educational welfare of each student with whom she comes in contact.  

In her four-plus years as principal of Lansing High School, Michelle has worked tirelessly to develop a program for young people rife with opportunities for their current and future success.  She has garnered the trust, not only of the students, but of her staff, her fellow administrators and the at-large community as well.  

On a personal note, I view Michelle as a loyal colleague who possesses a boundless commitment to Lansing.  In fact, in my sixteen years of service as a school superintendent, she is the best high school principal with whom I have had the pleasure of working. This school and the community it serves are fortunate indeed to have her as their high school principal.  

-- Superintendent Mark Lewis



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The Tompkins County SPCA reports they are offering two cats or kittens for the price of one through November.  They are offering the special for $50, which includes temporary cat carriers, pet food, a sample bag of premium kitty litter, an engraved identification tag, a booklet on cat care, and a free veterinary visit.

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Dan SegalIn some perverse twist of nature's balance--or maybe it's just a blustery source of poetic longing--the onset of cold weather brings wist for the summer garden behind us, and yearning for its next awakening in the coming spring.

In this unique moment of the year, mid-fall, when the garden is truly done, when you must admit it--unlike in early October, when the frosts are but a tickle if they've come at all--emotion wells up in the gardener. There's a bit of regret for what wasn't done, for the choice plant that captivated you in May but never made it into your own garden, for the persistent patch of weeds you meant to get this summer, finally, and didn't. There's something gnawing, like angst but something more organic than angst, more natural, that comes from our knowing the coldest season approaches and we just can't devote the time to our garden that we'd love to, that we know would make us happier if we could, and now it's too late again, one more year of being slightly out of sync, not having enough time to relish the garden, to savor it, to pay homage to it by way of work, to praise it with our time and attention.

Homeowners who want to reduce their heat and electric bills can get help from the New York Energy Smartsm program offered through Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. Eligible homeowners can obtain loans with a low interest rate of only 4% and matching grants of up to $5,000 to pay for energy improvements that will both lower energy costs and make your home more comfortable. These improvements are installed by certified contractors who are monitored by INHS staff. Typical energy efficiency improvements include insulation, air sealing, replacement windows or energy efficient heating systems and appliances.

Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services is offering this program to eligible homeowners throughout Tompkins County. Program participation is limited to households with modest incomes. The income limits for each household size are shown below:

Household  Size	Maximum Income
1 2 3 4 5	$28,848 $37,728 $46,608 $55,488 $64,352

For more information, contact Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services at 277-4500.

This week the word came that Bensvue Farm in Lansingville will receive $1,105,348 from New York State to preserve the 958  acre farm for agricultural use.  The money comes from the Farmland Protection Program administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.  Farms that are accepted in the program sell their development rights to the State.  The Town of Lansing served as applicant with help from Cornell Cooperative Extension and the County Planning Office.  "If the farm families are interested, then we're certainly interested in supporting that," says Lansing Supervisor Steve Farkas.  "We hope that others will take advantage of it."

Healing WellAs mentioned in last week’s article, effective communication is essential in all relationships. The way a person communicates conveys to others a lot about that person. But how do individuals develop effective communication skills? Are certain individuals simply born with this gift while others are destined to a life of failed relationships? Although it may be somewhat true that a few are born with the gift for eloquent speech, near perfect prose, or win an Oscar every time they appear in a film, most people learn basic communication skills through practice, years and years of practice.

There is joke about a young musician, who having just arrived at Grand Central Station, asks an elderly gentleman how one gets to Carnegie Hall. The elderly man responds in classic New York Style, “Practice. Practice.” The joke may be an old one, but it illustrates the way how one communicates effects those around them. The young musician wanted directions to Carnegie Hall not an opinion on musical ability and the chances of making an appearance at the famed landmark.

Pet of the WeekHi I’m Hondo! I am a wonderful dog who is playful and loves to be petted. I get really excited when I get visitors.  I was found as a stray so you can’t find out about my past.  So why don’t you come and visit me at the SPCA.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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(Ithaca, NY) The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce is expanding its Annual Awards program to include two new categories; The Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year Award and The Large Employer of the Year Award. The Chamber is also changing past policy and will present the awards on three different occasions, versus simply presenting them at its annual dinner. The location of the dinner itself is also different. To accommodate the event’s growth in its attendance, it will be held in the Emerson Suites at Ithaca College.

Last Saturday the Lakewatch Inn held a rockin' beach party when the Corporate Development Committee of Lansing Central Schools, Inc. (CDC) held their annual auction to raise money for technology equipment in the Lansing schools.  The 'Hang Ten' party was a slight departure from past years when people dressed to the nines to attend the event.  Many people came in beach attire and sunglasses, with some wearing grass skirts.  Joe Bruno and 'The Beachbums' rocked the hall as bidders viewed items for sale and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and played 'Beach Blanket Bingo.'


"I heard from a lot of people that they really liked the casual atmosphere," says board member Bobbi Wasenko.  "They had a lot of fun with it."  Wasenko says ticket sales average about 325, but this year only about 260 tickets were sold.

Lansing walkers joined people all over the United States in a walk to help fight hunger, both locally and around the world.  Lansing United Methodist Church (LUMC) and All Saints Catholic Church joined to host Lansing's 14th annual 'Communites Responding to Overcome Poverty' (CROP) Walk.  "Some of our goals are monetary and some are spiritual," said LUMC CROP Walk coach Ed LaVigne.  "Some are sensitizing people to other parts of the world, and there is a healing benefit because some people realize their lives aren't so bad compared to others."

The Board of Directors of Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) today unanimously approved the award of bids for reconstruction of the Seneca Street bus shelter. The general contractor for the project will be Streeter Associates, of Elmira, NY. The electrical contractor will be Matco Electric Corporation, of Vestal, NY. The total cost of the new shelter, which is the first phase of TCAT’s City Center Project, is anticipated to be just over $950,000. The shelter will replace the existing waiting area in the City of Ithaca’s Seneca Street parking garage, at the corner of East Seneca and North Tioga Streets. Included in the cost is deconstruction of the existing shelter.

The new waiting area will be ADA accessible and will have lighting, seating, easy-to-read signage, an emergency phone, and battery back-up in case of a power outage. It will also be designed to accept new electronic technology for informing riders of the locations and expected arrival time of buses, when the technology becomes available. TCAT picks up and discharges about 4,000 passengers a day from that corner, underlining the need for a larger, more comfortable, and more visible shelter.