Archive: Around Town

The first day of school is an exciting time for children and their families alike.  But prior to that some families are confronted with sticker-shock -- the cost of school supplies.  Lansing Superintendent of Schools Chris Pettograsso says her leadership team has been looking at how the price of school supplies is impacting Lansing families and ways the School District can mitigate it.

"We're hearing there is a growing concern about the cost of materials and supplies for families, for students on a yearly basis, particularly K-6," Pettograsso told the Board of Education Monday.  "One of the frustrating things, especially for families, is when they do go out and extend themselves and buy these supplies, and then, come June they get a lot back.  So they become frustrated with the process.  The biggest impact is at the elementary level.  In the high school you're looking at when they need a specific calculator.  That's pricey, but there are resources for that as well."

The Rotary Club of Ithaca introduced seven individuals who have recently joined the service club. These community members volunteer in Tompkins County and bring professional experience from the business and not-for-profit sectors. Ithaca Rotary's motto is "Service Above Self." Membership is open to all who share in this belief; new membership applications are accepted year-round.

"The Ithaca Rotary Club is delighted to welcome these individuals," said Rotary Membership Chair Ron Provus. "Our members come from all walks of life and have a wide variety of interests to match those of Rotary. As members of Ithaca Rotary, individuals give of their time and skills to positively impact the needs of our community."

By Doug Scott

Hello, my name is Reba! I am a very sweet, but nervous girl. I came to the SPCA as a stray from the City of Ithaca. I was in pretty rough shape then, but they cleaned me up and cut my matted hair. Do you have room for a big, sweet, feline, in your home? I like attention, but can only take so much, and I certainly don't like being picked up. You wouldn't either if you weighed 16 pounds! Please come meet me today. Maybe we can besties for life!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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When Dr. Marguerite Uphoff was appointed medical director of the Lansing School District in 1992, school districts across the state didn't know how to treat and manage children who suffered a concussion while playing sports.

Even before the state passed a law in 2012 setting guidelines for treating children with concussions, Uphoff gave presentations to athletes, parents, teachers and school officials in Lansing explaining how to recognize the symptoms of a concussion and how to address the problem.

On December 17, 2017, the Lansing-Ithaca Rotary Club held its second Grocery Store Run at Lansing Market to benefit the Lansing Food Pantry. Debbie Ebemo was the winner of the raffle and she ran straight to the meat section.

"We raised about $2180 for the Lansing Food Pantry thanks to the generosity of the folks of Lansing," said Lansing-Ithaca Rotary Club Kathryn Mapes. "Debbie also donated part of her winnings.

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The Lansing Community Library had a particularly successful 2017, with 36,000 visitors to the library and 25,000 visits to the library Web site.   Councilwoman Andra Benson shared statistics with the Town Board at the December Town Board meeting.

"Our library is less than ten years old," she said.  "It is one of the newest libraries in the State of New York, and to have over 8,000 people come into the library (to attend 426 programs)  last year and take out 81,115 items, I think, is just incredible.  I hope everybody who lives in our town has visited the library.  It's a place to hang out, and also if you do not have a good Internet connection it has many free computers."

Dear Margaret: One of my sisters is always calling me to help her with challenges I know she should be able to take care of by herself. It's like she's forever in need of rescuing. She's locked her keys in her car, can't seem to pay her bills on time without reminders, and needs me to pick her kids up from school because she's forgotten about an appointment or meeting requiring her attendance, and on, and on. I'm tired of being her go-to person for every dramatic 'crisis' in her life. I also don't want to see her fail if I can help her out of a predicament that she could have avoided with some careful planning or forethought. Any ideas on how I can extricate myself from being her rescuer?
Reluctant Knight in Shining Armor

When we were young parents, finding a place to go out to dinner with our children (seven of 'em) was always an issue. First, we were broke as church mice, second, our kids were just beginning to choose their food on their own, and frankly, we didn't want to be embarrassed by their behavior (or lack thereof).

And burger joints got really old, really quickly. The Chinese restaurants were always a treat, so we became first, acquainted with the Asiatic Garden across from the State Theater where kids were welcome and the bill didn't break Mom and Dad.

Code Red Robotics, Ithaca High School's FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team, is gearing up for Kick-Off '18, coming up this Saturday, January 6! At Kick-Off, the team will find out what this year's game, FIRST Power Up, will involve, and will begin brainstorming ideas for the design of their robot for the 2018 competitions. This marks the beginning of the six-week 'Build Season', the time frame in which all FIRST teams must design, prototype, build and program their robot.

Each year, Code Red members work together to create a 120-pound robot, carefully designed and built to play a complex game against other robots. FIRST is the worldwide organization sponsoring competitions for the 3,000+ teams around the world that are designing and building robots. Teams that win regional competitions then advance to the FIRST World Championships. The World Championship is dividing in two for the first time this year; one competition will be held in Houston, TX and the second will be held in Detroit, MI.

By Doug Scott

Greetings, my name is Ramsey! The first thing you should know about me is that I'm a sweet ball of love.  The second thing you should know is that I love head scratches, so I'll be expecting them when we meet.  I'm pretty sure you're going to fall in love with me on account of how awesome/handsome I am!  I'm not a fan of other cats because I think I'd do very well as the king of the house! If I seem right for your home, please come visit me at the Annex at the Shops at Ithaca Mall, today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Toys are an often-overlooked source of resource waste and resource inequality – bought and discarded in large quantities by some families, prohibitively expensive for others. Toy libraries, found across the nation and world, use lending collections and community play spaces to address these issues while fostering a culture of sharing and social connections.

"What an environmentally friendly way to provide new toys/experiences for our children without cluttering our homes up with things that our children have lost interest in and that might just end up in a landfill somewhere," says parent Katie Feather.