Archive: News

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist recently discovered hydrilla, a highly invasive aquatic plant, in the Erie Canal in North Tonawanda, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. Experts at a symposium on hydrilla in Syracuse last week confirmed the identification.

This latest discovery creates a very high threat of infestation in New York and beyond the state’s borders through the Niagara River and the Erie Canal system by natural flow disbursal and to many more waters by recreational boating. Recreational boating is the highest risk vector for spreading this plant to other waters. DEC urges boaters to take steps to prevent the spread of this and other aquatic invasive species.

Tom ReedNate ShinawagaCongressman Tom Reed announced this week he will participate in three regional debates against Democratic challenger Nate Shinagawa leading up to the Nov. 6th election for the 23rd Congressional District. The debates are scheduled for October 26th at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, October 28th with the Jamestown Post Journal and November 1st in Elmira. The debate in Elmira will be aired live on WETM television. WETM broadcasts into five counties in the 23rd district.

But Shinagawa says Reed is locking out opportunities for all three western counties of New York’s 23rd Congressional District a chance to view a debate with his opponent over television, in person, or over the radio. 

“This is a big problem for voters looking for information about this race.  Congressman Reed is denying voters in Tompkins, Seneca, Yates, Ontario, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties any chance to hear both sides of the issues,” says Shinagawa.

Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee reviewed the proposed budgets of six more County departments, as their review of County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2013 budget entered its third week.

Presenting tonight were Weights and Measures, the Personnel Department, Mental Health, Planning, the Office for the Aging, and Information Technology Services (ITS).

Information Technology has submitted more than $200,000 in over-target requests, nearly all recommended by the County Administrator as investments in technology needed to provide a diminished staff with the tools needed to maintain the current level of service, and recognizing the importance of technology in connecting the government with its citizens.

Next Wednesday the Lansing Town Board is expected to approve a public interest order approving a South Lansing sewer project that will make a town center possible.  Economic Development Committee chairman Andy Sciaraba says that starts the clock ticking for a process that, if successful, will hook up the first homes and businesses as soon as late Fall of 2014.

"The time frame for the sewer formation process would be about 75 to 80 days, which brings us close to the end of the year," Sciarabba says.  "If a permissive referendum is held it could delay the process a couple of months, assuming there is a positive vote."

As the Lansing sewer district comes closer to formation discussions about the Town Center have also heated up.  Some town officials and the Lansing Sewer and Economic Development Committees are supporting two proposed senior housing projects that will insure the number of dwelling units needed to keep a sewer project affordable.  But beyond those two projects, the Town Center project is up for grabs.

In March NRP Group's Chris Dirr presented a comprehensive plan for a Town Center that included the two projects plus future projects that would transform 156 acres of what is now a huge field the Town acquired for the purpose of building a town center.  NRP specializes in tax-incentive funded affordable projects.  It's first project is an 80 cottage-style senior homes.  Calimar has proposed a 110-unit senior apartment building.

Legislature Urges State Ban on Synthetic Drugs
The Legislature is urging New York State to ban the manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of dangerous unregulated synthetic drugs.  The vote was 11-3, with Legislators Dooley Kiefer, Will Burbank and Carol Chock voting no and Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera excused.

Maintaining that the sale, use, and abuse of these synthetic “designer drugs’’ such as those commonly known as “bath salts,” pose “a significant and immediate public health threat and danger to public safety,” the Legislature urged the State Legislature and Governor to “pass and sign further meaningful and effective legislation criminalizing manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of these substances, and their future derivatives, by anyone of any age in New York State with the intent of protecting the health and safety of all citizens of New York State.”

Six more County departments presented their proposed budgets tonight, as Legislators acting an Expanded Budget Committee, conducted their second review session of County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2013 County budget.

Presenting tonight were the Legislature office, Human Rights Commission, Highway Division, Department of Emergency Response, Health Department, and the Sheriff.

The Lansing Town Board agreed to support a grant application Wednesday that could bring high speed Internet access to most of Tompkins County, including 'dead' areas in Lansing.  Local Internet provider Clarity Connect has been working on a plan with towns in the Tompkins County and southern Cayuga County to bring fixed wireless Internet service to almost all unserved areas.

"It's a great opportunity for Lansing," said Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins.  "We have somewhere in the range of 200 households that have no access to a robust Internet connection.  If this grant were awarded we estimate there would be very few Lansing households left out of the intended coverage."

About 20 people came to the Lansing Town Hall Tuesday see a presentation and ask questions about a proposed sewer district.  Sewer Committee members made a presentation and solicited questions, especially from residents who live within the proposed sewer district.  The meeting attracted about half the number of people an August meeting did.  Committee members made their case for why sewer is necessary in Lansing.  Councilwoman Andra Benson moderated.

"Geographically the Town of Lansing is quite similar to what the Town of Ithaca was forty years ago," said Sewer Committee member Noel Desch, who is a former Town of Ithaca Supervisor.  "Geographically the Town of Ithaca surrounded the city.  There was a natural potential development area.  If we didn't get public sewer in some of those areas you'd have much bigger lots.  You'd have suburban sprawl and it would chew up a lot of land.  Now is the time for the Town of Lansing to seriously look at public sewer."

The Tompkins County Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal (CSMD) launched its new 'Med Return' program Monday at the Public Safety Building in Lansing.  The coalition has been conducting twice-a-year events at which county residents could drop off unused medications for safe disposal.  Now you can dispose of unused medications all year 'round, 24/7.

The program is the brainchild of Ed Gottlieb, industrial pretreatment coordinator at the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility.  Gottlieb says he read about strange effects like male fish becoming feminized and beginning to produce eggs.

"I was reading literature about contaminants and pharmaceuticals  are a major imerging contaminant," he says.  "We're not required to do anything about it.  It's not regulated, but it was clear it is an issue, and I thought 'what can we do?'"

Tom ReedCalling the viability of family farms “critical to the Upstate economy,” Congressman Tom Reed has introduced the Family Farm Relief Act in the House of Representatives.  He introduced the bill in a bipartisan manner with Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY20) and Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY23) as original co-sponsors.

“Agriculture is the number one industry in New York,” Reed observed. “Our towns rely on farmers not just for food, but the economic activity generated by the farms. Our purpose with the Family Farm Relief Act is to streamline and improve the H-2A program so that our farmers have more time to do what they do best: grow and produce the food and commodities we need.”

Over the past three years Lansing school enrollment has fluctuated in a fairly level range.  Last year enrollment was down by 17 students from 1184 this time in 2010.  This year the number has gone up by six students to an overall total of 1173 as of last Monday, when Acting Superintendent Chris Pettograsso shared enrollment statistics with the Board Of Education.  There are greater fluctuations within grade levels, and these directly impact the number of teachers needed in each grade.  In these troubled budget times monitoring the number of teachers absolutely needed has become vital, but it is far from an exact science.

The bottom line this year is that the elementary school is significantly up, the high school is markedly down, and the middle school is about the same, although fifth grade enrollment is alarmingly down to 69 students from 97 last year.