Archive: News

Lansing's new farmer's market will open for the first time on Saturday, July 11th from 9am to noon.  The market will feature produce and crafts from local craftspeople.  It will be held on the lawn to the west of Lansing Town Hall, across the square from the Lansing Community Library.

"It's mainly local produce and local crafts," Says Lansing Deputy Supervisor Connie Wilcox.  "It has to be crafts that people make, not something they buy from Oriental Trading and set up a vendor's booth.  There are quite a few quilters interested in having a booth, and there are some people that do floral arrangements and things like that.  I think we'll have a good mix."

On 06/16/09, at approximately 11:49 PM, deputies were dispatched to Dick's Sporting Goods at the Shops at Ithaca, 40 Catherwood Road, for an alarm activation.  Upon arrival, fire was observed coming from the roof top above the store.  Lansing Fire, Cayuga Heights Fire, and the Ithaca Fire Department responded to extinguish the fire and aid in the investigation.

The investigation revealed that the fire had originated from two three-ring binders that had been lit upon the buildings roof top.

Village officials say the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to reduce the speed limit on East Shore Drive (Route 34) to 45 miles per hour between Burdick Hill Road and the bottom of Esty Hill.  That will lengthen the 45 mile per hour speed zone that already exists from the bottom of Esty Hill to near the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, just north of Route 13.

Village officials have long worked with the state to get the speed limit reduced for safety reasons and to try to reduce the noise caused by trucks using 'Jake brakes.'  "Jake Brake' is actually a brand name of a system that uses engine compression to slow a vehicle.  That form of braking can be quite loud.  There is no word yet on when speed limit signs will be erected.

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The Pit Stop convenience store on the corner of East Shore and Ridge Roads stopped selling gasoline when their underground tanks failed a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) inspection.  The Town Code Enforcement Office received Underground Facilities Protective Organization (UFPO)notification that the tanks will be excavated and removed.

"I don't have any proof that they are leaking," Town of Lansing Engineering and Planning Coordinator Jeff Overstrom told the Lansing Town Board Wednesday evening.  "I was told that they have gone beyond their life expectancy.  DEC is requiring them to be removed.

An $82,000 grant for a county study of water and sewer infrastructure may have been thwarted Wednesday when Lansing's Town board failed to vote to support it. With four of five Town Board members saying that the study is a duplication of past efforts by individual municipalities in the county, and a waste of money, the motion to approve of the grant was not even seconded. 

Town and Village officials say that one dissenting municipality will prevent the money from being released by the State.  And it is not all clear that the Village will get onto the bandwagon.

Ithaca, NY 14850 (June 8, 2009) – The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) lab confirmed one additional case of H1N1 influenza in Tompkins County. This brings the total of confirmed cases to three.

The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) as reported earlier is no longer sending individual tests of suspect cases of H1N1 for laboratory confirmation. However, the two suspect cases reported last week by TC3 were considered a cluster and therefore were sent for laboratory confirmation. A cluster is defined as two or more people who have the illness who are in close proximity but not related. Only one of the two suspect cases at TC3 tested positive, and the student is recovering at their residence.

County Legislator Mike Sigler (R-Lansing)  announced  that he will be running for reelection to the sixth district, Town of Lansing, at the Republican meeting at the Royal Court Restaurant where petitions for this year's candidates were handed out.

"It’s been an honor serving the residents of Lansing for the past four years and being an independent voice on the County Legislature," Sigler said.  "When you are in the minority it’s important to be able to defend your positions and defend the residents of your town;  it would be easy to acquiesce to the majority and go along with the spending hikes that have been suggested by many in the majority.  I’ve consistently held the line on spending, recommending difficult cuts while prioritizing spending."

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri (NY-24) continued his support of statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation which holds Congress and the President accountable for every federal dollar spent.

“Even in a time of economic hardship, we need to be fiscally responsible in our spending plans,” Arcuri said, “We have asked the American people to tighten their belts and we need to do the same in Congress by maintaining accountability for each federal dollar we spend and effectively move towards balancing the federal budget through statutory PAYGO.”

Fire Commissioners gave a final public presentation of plans for an addition to Lansing Central Fire Station Wednesday.  Commissioner Jeff Walters had polished his presentation of the $2.3 million capital project that will add an equipment bay, address safety problems, and add a bunking facility to the districts primary fire station, with no additional taxes to Lansing property owners.

"We have $1.2 million already reserved for this in the capital plan," Walters said.  "The rest (annual bond interest payments) is budgeted.  With soft goods and all it is roughly $2.3 million for the whole project.  We're planning on financing about $750,000, which is in the budget for the capital plan.  So there will not be a tax increase.  The tax rate should stay at 99 cents with no problem.  That also leaves us with money in the reserve so that if a roof blows off a fire station we still have money."

The Town of Lansing is accepting applications for the Part-Time position of Recreation Assistant in the Drop-In Program. Position requires strong interest in working with pre-school age children 2 - 3 mornings per week September through June. Applications available at Lansing Town Hall, Supervisor's Office, 29 Auburn Road. Application deadline July 8, 2009.

The Village of Lansing Department of Public Works reports a large sewer main break in the area behind the Shops at Ithaca Mall. The Department of Environmental Conservation and the Tompkins County Health Department have all been notified.

"We have taken corrective actions to expedite the repair of this main," reports Deputy Mayor Larry Fresinski in an email he sent to Village residents yesterday (Thursday).  "The process of sewage bypass has been installed.  As a precaution, please keep children out of the streams in your area."

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Matt Christopher loved sports when he was growing up in Lansing.  He played baseball, football and soccer at Ludlowville High School, and then radiated his love for sports to millions of children with more than 130 books totaling more than 36 million copies sold that he wrote over his lifetime.  Since he passed away several more books have been released by other authors under the Matt Christopher brand.  That legacy will move to a new medium next year when the first movie based on his books is released on DVD.

The deal between publisher Little, Brown and Company, NEHST Studios, and the Christopher family is the culmination of years of negotiating, at first by Christopher, and after his death by sons Dale and Duane.  "After Dad passed away and the four kids got together," says his oldest son Marty.  "Dale and Duane in particular talked about following up and continuing the legacy."