Archive: Around Town

The bad news was that Super Saturday baseball games were rained out.  But that didn't stop Lansing Community Library Center (LCLC) volunteers from raising money for the facility.  Volunteers were selling Krispie Kreme donuts in a small tent in front of the library, and at a table in front of the Lansing Community Center, where the library's annual book sale was taking place.

This year Lansing's Ithaca-Cayuga Rotary Club was working with library volunteers to organize the fifth annual book sale.  "The books come from donations from all over the Lansing community, and they have, it's great, because they have three chances to good," says Rotary President and library volunteer AnnMarie Hautaniemi.  She says if a book can not be used in the library for any reason it is funnelled into the book sale.  Then if it does not sell it is sent to the Friends of the Library book sale in Ithaca for another chance.

Pet of the WeekHi I am Lilly, a female calico cat. I am five years old and am spayed. I am very cute and I am free. Please come and meet me at the S.P.C.A.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Ask IMOAsk IMO

 Lansing's Advice Column

Dear IMO,

I want to host a family reunion this summer. There’s just one problem—none of my family knows about it. What should I do to get the word out? Is it too late to have a reunion this year? Any ideas about what to have at the event?

Thanks,
Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Rule #1: It’s never too late to host a party.

Rule #2: Cold beer and barbeque will even get grumpy Uncle Jake off the  couch and at the reunion.

Andrea Conlon and Cole Rourke visited Monday's Board of Education meeting to show pictures and tell about their recent trip to Costa Rica.  Accompanied by Spanish teacher Nancy Gardner and Principal Michelle Stone, they hiked in the rain forest at La Paz, shopped, viewed Monte Verde, and walked the suspended bridges in the Cloud Forest.

Town Historian Louise Bement opened the Field Schoolhouse for Super Saturday last weekend.  Despite the rain, a few people came to visit the historic building.  "About ten showed up in bits and pieces," she said.  "Ed Schofield came with his son, Jim, at 12:30 and stayed till 1:30, so it was well worth the open house. A woman brought her 85 year old mother from Churchville, NY and that older lady enjoyed the school, too."

"This is a pioneer document in our school district, and I think that is essential to recognize," said Elementary School Principal Earlene Carr.  After suffering a revolving door in the superintendent's office for six years the Lansing School District finally has a long range plan.  The plan is a blueprint for the district to move forward to achieve goals, make the most of strengths and address weaknesses. 

If you attended a school concert last week you probably saw Maureen Bell handing out surveys asking your opinion about the various issues concerning the upcoming school district capital project.  They were also available at the school offices, Town Hall, the Pit Stop, The Cinnamon Shop, Curves, and on-line.  Post cards alerting all district residents were mailed and notice was in the bulletin that was also sent to all school district residents.  Bell personally handed out 1000 surveys, but when the results came in only 258 responded.

This set off a debate in the facilities committee Wednesday about the scientific validity of the survey.  Bell said she had consulted Cornell statistician Cindy van Es, who told her that it is considered scientific, but does not represent the whole community.  She called it a 'self-sampled' survey.  Still Bell said that the results, including 50 pages worth of comments, provided some valuable information to the committee.  In an e-mail School Board member Christine Iacobucci challenged the validity of the results, but agreed there is some value in them.  "What may provide the most useful information from the surveys are the open-ended comments," she said, noting that the survey should be considered a first step in an ongoing discussion with the community.

OK, let's just forget about the deer for a minute...in the grand scheme of things, what does it mean to garden here? What's the habitat and where do we fit in the big picture of North America and the world?

Gardening here, as you know, means late springs, hot and humid summers, autumns with cool nights where the frost can come early or hold off a bit longer than, say, in northern Minnesota, and winters that offer the worst of both worlds for plants--cold but not necessarily a lot of snow cover.

This week over 15 Elementary School classes were bussed to the Lansing Community Library Center to get them excited about reading. "We always invite them at this time of year because we want to tell them about the Summer Reading Program and promote the importance reading in the summer," says Susan Rosenkoetter, the driving force behind the program.

This year the popular reading program is pirate themed. Called "Books, A Treasure," the library staff has planned two programs in the Town Hall. "Merry Mischief," with Wayne and Marilyn Fuller will kick off the program on June 17th, and the ending celebration will be presented August 26th with Moreland the Magician and "Books a Treasure Magic Show."

On Thursday, May 25 children from Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and the United States took a field trip to study birds all at the same time.  Fifth Grade science teacher Therese Arsenault took her Lansing class along to study how birds migrate north to the Boreal Forest in Canada.  The students trekked across the hemisphere sitting down, connected by computer to other classrooms and Yanayacu in eastern Ecuador Rancho La Liebre in Sinaloa, Mexico New Jersey Audubon's Nature Center at Cape May Alberta Park's Boreal Bird Center at Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta.

Girl Scouts moved to the next level of scouting Monday evening, with their annual bridging ceremony at Myers Park.  An enormous line formed for a dish-to-pass feast, and the ceremony began with scouts traversing a bridge.  At the other end they met scouts from the level they will be joining next year, who welcomed them to the new level.

Pet of the WeekHi! I’m Jasper, a coon hound. I was found as a stray and brought to the S.P.C.A. I am very sweet and loveable. Also I can sniff out all sorts of things with my super duper sniffer. Please come and visit me at the S.P.C.A.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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