Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Board of Education unanimously approved three teachers Monday.  Special Education teacher Matt Hartz, Elementary Education teacher Anastasia Mazur will be tenured as of September 1, and Physical Education teacher Miles Levesque begins tenure June 23.

"As you know this is our most important job, hiring quality people," said Lansing Superintendent of Schools Chris Pettograsso. "We are fortunate to have a lot of people interested in working in Lansing, so we get to pick the best.  We have that here tonight."

Two weeks ago I had an unpleasant confrontation with the mother of one of my son's friends. We both said things that, at least, I regret. Mind you, what I said was the truth, I just regret expressing my opinion. Since our sons are in the same grade at school and want to play together, I'm having a difficult time in knowing how to approach this woman. I'm extremely uncomfortable when I see her, and she obviously has hard feelings towards me. We were never the best of friends, but at least we were cordial. I do stress over this situation. How can I make things better, or at least revert back to how they were?
Distraught Mom

At their meeting on June 12, 2018, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Board of Education approved the appointment of various administrators for the 2018-2019 school year.

Keith Harrington has been appointed principal of Enfield Elementary School. Mr. Harrington has served in the ICSD since 2007 as a science and social studies teacher at Boynton Middle School, a district-wide instructional coach, a dean of students at Ithaca High School, and an associate principal at Ithaca High School. Prior to coming to the ICSD, Mr. Harrington was a science and technology teacher in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It was a Friday night, June 1992. My friend Rob and I were just down from the top of Prospect Mountain where we had seen the fireworks and laser light show, the highlight of the Americade motorcycle rally. It was about 45 degrees, raining and we were soaked, cold, nearly drowned rats, disheveled and shivering.

Rob rode us up to the back door of the restaurant – I hadn't caught the name of it, but it looked warm, and that's all I cared about. Hobbling in wearing a rain suit that was every bit as wet inside as out, I thought of several young ladies wearing short shorts and t-shirts we had seen on our ride down the mountain, and wondered if they had survived.

On Wednesday, June 13, the SPCA of Tompkins County began 'Weekly Wednesday Kitten Karnival' at the Dorothy and Roy Park Pet Adoption Center. Kitten Karnival continues Wednesdays through the end of the summer.

This year the Maguire Automotive Group and Subaru representatives join SPCA staff and volunteers to celebrate the start of Kitten Season by presenting its Subaru 'Share the Love' check for $11,300 to the SPCA, the preferred charity of Subaru customers.

United Way of Tompkins County volunteers, donors, and community supporters gathered recently at Coltivare in Downtown Ithaca for the Community Campaign Celebration and Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. The 2017-18 UWTC Community Campaign was led by Volunteer Campaign Co-Chairs Heather McDaniel, TCAD, and John Rudd, Cayuga Medical Center and Cayuga Health System. UWTC volunteers and staff reflected on the challenges and successes of a strong and exciting campaign, and year.

The Celebration began with introductions by current Board Chair J.R. Clairborne and a report from Community Investment Committee Chair Leslie Meyerhoff. She described the excitement and challenge of a new community impact approach instituted during the 2017-18 Community Care Fund grant cycle. She noted the excitement which arose over the more inclusive grant model, noting that 15 new agencies applied to UWTC's Community Care Fund this year.

All senior citizens that are receiving the Enhanced Star Exemption and have not signed up for the Income Verification Program must sign up to continue to receive the Enhanced Star Exemption on the 2019 school taxes.

Included in the 2018/19 New York State Budget Bill, was a provision to require all senior citizens that receive the Enhanced STAR Exemption to participate in the Income Verification Program. In the past, this provision was optional, however New York State is now making this program mandatory.

By Chloe Winter

Hello, my name is Jilson. I'm a very handsome cream and orange Siamese mix male cat. I may be shy at first, but I can be very friendly and affectionate. I arrived at the SPCA because I did not enjoy living with dogs, so I'm looking for a home without any dogs. I would prefer a quiet home without young children, where I can take my time getting used to the new environment. I'm ready to find my home, so please come and meet me!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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I've been divorced for several years. My son wasn't quite two when we split up, so he really has no memory of the mental and physical abuse I suffered during my marriage to his biological father. And I never went into details about it. His father has never really taken an active role in his life. My current husband has always been 'Dad' to him. I've never elaborated on the reasons for the split to my son, and tried very hard not to make disparaging remarks about his father. He is aware there was abuse. Now that my son is in his mid-thirties, I think it's time he knows the truth about the circumstances surrounding the divorce. I feel it's time for full disclosure, and my son is now old enough to handle the events surrounding the divorce. What do you suggest? Isn't it about time my son is made aware of, and be told the truth about, his father?
Full Disclosure

For many years, Janet and I have come to the Americade, a motorcycle rally for touring adults – not Daytona or Sturgis-ish – a little more sedate and oriented for folks like us. There are a few crazies here, but we try to avoid them as much as possible.

Neither are we in to the bar scene or night life. Bed time for us is usually 9PM. Not exactly jet set partiers, but we know what we like. Good food and good rides. Lake George seems to be lined with eateries of all kinds from Japanese to Vietnamese, French, Italian, German and everything in between, especially including American Lumberjack.

The Tompkins County Health Department reports that a bat, a woodchuck, and two foxes captured in Tompkins County were determined to be rabid by the New York State Rabies Laboratory in the month of May.

Rabies is normally transmitted by the bite of a wild or domestic rabid mammal. Exposures can also occur if saliva from a rabid animal enters the body through a wound that bled within 24 hours prior to the exposure, through an older wound showing signs of an infection, or through contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth. Do not handle pets or objects that may be contaminated with saliva from a potentially rabid animal without wearing protective gloves. Wash your hands immediately with soap and water if you do touch saliva from a wild animal. Remember that a cut incurred while skinning a rabid mammal could also result in rabies transmission, as nervous tissue of an infected animal will carry the virus.

Leah Slattery was named as the recipient of the 2018 Lee Strebel Memorial Award for Enthusiasm in the Performing Arts. Leah accepted the award at the Ithaca High School (I.H.S.) Underclassmen Awards Night, June 5, 2018 in I.H.S. Performing Arts Center's Kulp Auditorium. The Lee Strebel Memorial Award is presented each year to an I.H.S. student who has not only participated in performing arts at the high school level, but has shown extraordinary spirit in that pursuit.

The award is given in loving memory of Lee Strebel, an I.H.S. student who died suddenly during his freshman year in February 2006. In his short time at the high school, Lee became a standout in the drama department after playing the leading role of George Gibbs in Our Town.