- By Dan Veaner
- News
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The Lansing Central School District will begin charging facility usage fees this year. The move has been prompted by the poor economy and the severe cuts in state aid and other district revenues. Swirling at the center of this issue like the eye of a hurricane is a controversy involving the Lansing Community Aquatics Team (LCATS). Last month Sue Dean, whose daughter Kali swam on the Lansing varsity team for five years and qualified for state championships each of those years, slammed the team in a school board meeting.Dean charged that the team violates a school policy on the use of district facilities, saying that it is exclusive, that swimmers are subjected to verbal abuse, and that coaches discourage participation on the kids' school teams. She asked the Board Of Education to look into her charge of exclusivity, which is forbidden in the 'Community Use of School Facilities Policy,' and charged that other parents had urged her to speak for them because they feared reprisals. She said Kali had been denied the opportunity to rejoin the team before going to college, and she urged the board to charge the club for pool and facilities use.
Now that the revolving door to the Lansing School Superintendent's office seems to have finally stopped spinning, the district is working on long term strategic planning that is long overdue. While a long term plan was developed during Mark Lewis' short tenure, a successful strategic plan requires consistent leadership to see the plan through. This year school officials are working on a new strategic plan to be developed with input from all the different stakeholders. In the Spring students, faculty and staff were surveyed to determine their perspective on the district's strengths and weaknesses. Now it's the community's turn.
WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) voted to reduce waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars by cutting out improper and excessive payments from federal agency spending. The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act will help identify, reduce and eliminate improper payments, as well as recover lost funds that federal agencies have spent improperly.
The Legislature’s Budget and Capital Committee today recommended the award of capital contracts to implement a new integrated public safety voice and data system, the final phase of the County’s Public Safety Communications capital project.
State Senator Mike Nozzolio today announced that the New York State Senate has enacted his legislation to designate a portion of state route 96A, in Seneca County, as the "Sampson Veterans Memorial Highway". Nozzolio was the prime sponsor of the legislation (S.5743-B) in the New York State Senate which passed unanimously.
Continuing its review of the County’s long-term capital needs, the Legislature’s special Capital Plan Review Committee took a first step in looking toward the future of the Old County Library and reviewed County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommendations on how the County should approach assessing the costs and benefits of a possible Center of Government building.
Arcuri Says Amendment Will Strip Sweetheart Deal
Local Cooling Centers Open 
Three longtime public servants were honored as they left Village of Lansing service. Deputy Mayor and Trustee Larry Fresinski, Codes Officer Ben Curtis, and former Planning Board Chairman Ned Hickey were given a sendoff with a cake and informal reception during a joint meeting of the Village Trustees and Planning Board Tuesday.
Village of Lansing Trustees gave final, conditional approval to a PDA (Planned Development Area) that will brings an 80,000 square foot retail building, 12 senior housing units, and a wetlands/bird sanctuary closer to being realized. Local residents voiced concerns about noise, traffic and light pollution on Oakcrest Road during a public hearing, but Village officials noted that the development will provide a better atmosphere for neighboring homes, because the senior housing portion along that road changes the zoning from commercial to residential.