Archive: News

Ed LaVigne decided early that he would be running for Lansing Town Board, and he hit the ground running.  He was handing out campaign buttons as early as May.  He is running as a fiscal conservative with the twist that he will blend community volunteerism with municipal goals to make the community better and stronger.

He grew up in Lansing and has lived here most of his life.  He and his wife Debbie have two children and five grandchildren.  He is a pharmacist at Tops Market.  As president of the Lansing Community Council he has been a leader in countless initiatives that have resulted in the reconstruction of the North Log Cabin, the Myers Park Playground Project (which he dubbed MP3), a successful appeal to raise money for the Lansing Food Pantry, and many other such projects, some of which are in the works now.  He has also been very active at Lansing United Methodist Church, heading up the bi-annual rummage sale for many years, coordinating Red Cross blood drives, co-chairing crop walks, and acting as a lay minister.

For the second year Lansing's Raymond C. Buckley Elementary School has been teaching single-gender classes in some of its grades.  While most classes in the school are coeducational, there are three single-gender classes this year.  Principal Chris Petograsso says that splitting boys and girls into separate classrooms allows teachers to tailor the classroom to the ways each gender learns, and has helped even out boy-heavy coeducational classrooms.

"Last year we thought we would do this for the year," Petograsso says.  "We had such success with it we decided to go further.  We let families decide whether they wanted this to continue.  It was clear that families wanted it to continue, so we found ways to make it happen and also continue to have some great coed classes."

Washington – Last week U.S. Representatives Richard Hanna (R-NY) and Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) introduced a bipartisan bill that will improve air quality around infrastructure projects by making it easier and more cost-effective to upgrade construction equipment to meet diesel soot emissions standards. The legislation will help states reduce pollution within their borders and beyond, and will create jobs in the environmental technology industry.

Under the “Clean Construction Act of 2011” contractors working on federal transportation infrastructure projects in regions of the country that are not in compliance with federal air quality standards will be allowed to use a portion of the budget to reduce pollution from their older diesel-powered equipment.  The bill aims to achieve a priority set in the last surface transportation authorization by expanding access to federal dollars under existing transportation programs for diesel engine upgrades.  Diesel fuel powers most heavy machinery and vehicles used on construction sites.

With the snip of a ribbon displaying examples of the many things that can now be recycled, last Friday representatives of Tompkins County and its private partners ReCommunity and Casella Waste Services celebrated the grand reopening of Tompkins County’s new and improved Recycling and Solid Waste Center.

All parties agreed that the $2.5 million capital project, and the innovative public-private partnership that brought it to fruition, are truly “groundbreaking,”will enable the County to meet its ambitious goal of 75% waste diversion by 2015, and will make it easy for everyone to recycle.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna tonight voted in favor of legislation that aims to stem the rising unemployment rate among the nation’s veterans.

Hanna voted ‘yes’ on H.R. 2433 the Veteran Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act of 2011, legislation that he co-sponsored. The bill incorporates education, training, protections and eliminations in the system to provide veterans with the opportunity to compete in a 21st century economy.

In the latest step of a process that has taken more than a year, the Legislature’s Health and Services Committee today recommended the firm HCR, based in Rochester, NY, to purchase the operating certificate of the County’s Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA).  The recommendation came by a 4-0 vote, with Legislator Will Burbank excused.

HCR was one two firms to respond to the County’s Request for Proposals to take over the CHHA, issued following the Legislature’s decision earlier this year to divest of the agency, operated by the County Health Department.  HCR offered to purchase the agency for $850,000, and was the unanimous choice of the special committee appointed by County Administrator Joe Mareane (made up of Health Department staff, County Legislators, members of the Board of Health, and County Administration) to develop and review responses to the RFP.  The review committee concluded that HCR was the appropriate choice for Tompkins County.

I've been thinking about the Town budget meetings, and how their big problem is whether to reduce the town tax rate 44.15% or 33%.  I know that board members have expended a lot of thought over this, and have seen them express a lot of emotion.  Should they reduce it the full 44.15%?  How about a safer 33%?

Lansing Community Council President Ed LaVigne put this in perspective for me when he commended the board for reducing the taxes drastically at a time when they can, but don't have to.  He said most people would be thrilled with a zero percent rise.

On 10/5/11 at 5:53 AM, deputies responded to to the intersections of Hanshaw Rd, and Salam Dr for a report of a car, bicycle accident. The investigation determand that 2009 Subaru, driven by Clarence Seal of Ithaca, was stop at the stop sign on Salem Dr, waiting to turn onto Hanshaw Rd.

The bicyclist John Lampman of Freeville was traveling West on Hanshaw Rd. The 2009 Subaru pulled out onto Hanshaw Rd, the bicyclist struck the Subaru. The bicyclist was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital for his injuries. The other operator was not injured.

In recognition of his continued efforts to help New York State farmers grow and create jobs, State Senator Mike Nozzolio has once again been honored by the New York Farm Bureau with its “Circle of Friends” award.  The “Circle of Friends” award acknowledges Nozzolio’s active support of New York agriculture and the New York Farm Bureau.

“In the Finger Lakes region, agriculture is the backbone of our economy. Virtually every business, family and individual in our region directly or indirectly depends on agriculture, the single largest job producing enterprise in New York State,” said Nozzolio. “It is an honor for me to receive this recognition from the New York Farm Bureau and I commend them for their continued advocacy on issues important to our farm families in Upstate New York.”

The Tompkins County Legislature has retained the option of considering an override the State property tax cap, if it so desires, when the time comes to adopt the 2012 Tompkins County Budget.  After nearly an hour of thoughtful discussion, the Legislature, by a 9-6 vote, approved a Local Law that authorizes the Legislature to exceed the cap for the 2012 fiscal year, if it decides that is appropriate.  (Legislators Kathy Luz Herrera, Pam Mackesey, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, David McKenna, Frank Proto, and Peter Stein voted no.)  The nine-member majority was the minimum margin needed to meet the support level required under the State’s tax cap law, which authorizes the Legislature to override the levy limit by adoption of a local law approved by 60% of the Legislature.

Legislature Chair Martha Robertson paid tribute to former legislator and legislative chair Harris B. Dates, who died September 26, after a short illness.  Mr. Dates served 29 years on the Tompkins County Board of Supervisors and the Tompkins County Board of Representatives (both predecessors to the current County Legislature), between 1957 and 1985, and as Chair of the Board of Representatives for nine years. 

He was the Board of Representatives’ first chair, in 1970 and 1971, then returned to the chairmanship in 1979, and continued as Chair through 1985.

Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Representatives Richard Hanna (NY-24), Kathy Hochul (NY-26) introduced a bill to help Northeast dairy farms hire legal workers, which would allow for more production of local food rather than imported food, and keep farms in business to support Upstate’s overall economy.

Hanna and Hochul introduced H.R. 3024, the Access to Agricultural Labor Act of 2011, to help farmers secure a reliable and legal workforce.