Archive: News

The Lansing Board Of Education unanimously passed new bylaws Monday that will require voter registration for school district votes.  While reforming the voting regulations has been discussed in past years, it was fast-tracked this year after allegations of voter fraud in last December's library vote.  "It will be handled similarly to a municipal general election," said School Board President Tom Keane.  "The list will already be at the polling place."

The new by-laws require voters to be United States citizens aged 18 or older who live within the Lansing school district.  Voters must also have lived in the district for at least 30 days before the vote takes place.  The school district will work with the Board Of Elections to make sure lists of registered voters are accurate and current.  "The only way to get on the list is to be registered in the general election," said Superintendent of Schools Steve Grimm.  "Or to register with us, or registering on the day of the vote.  But you cannot vote if you register on the voting day -- you're registering for the next election."

Two Lansing boards met Monday to discuss their upcoming budgets, but the discussions couldn't have been more starkly different.  In the Village of Lansing the Trustees were looking at a rosy picture.  Last year they actually lowered the tax rate when they closed out the Triphammer Road reconstruction project.  This year they are keeping their budget in check, even though they'll be adding a new full time position to their Department of Public Works.  "I must say it's nice to be able to keep the tax rate the same," Mayor Donald Hartill said.

But the picture was bleak at the Lansing Board Of Education meeting, where the school district is looking at personnel cuts along with other cuts to take a possible half million dollars out of their budget.  Superintendent Stave Grimm and Interim Business Administrator David Klemm walked the board through a painful process they are going through to make the most sensible cuts with the least impact to students.  "We want to know the implications of each reduction, the effects on students, and on faculty and staff, the effect on facilities, any additional resources we might need, any actions that might be needed that are implications of any of those reductions."

Legislature Makes Recommendations on New York State Budget
In a dozen separate actions, the Legislature took official stands on elements of Governor Eliot Spitzer’s executive budget, weighing in on provisions which will be under review by the New York State Legislature until a 2008-2009 state budget is passed.

Except as otherwise noted below, the measures were approved by unanimous votes of those present (11-0), with Legislators Mike Hattery, Pam Mackesey and Mike Sigler absent and the District 12 seat formerly held by Tim Joseph, vacant.  Legislators approved the following recommendations concerning the budget:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) was named as one of the year’s “Best Representatives for Children” in the Children’s Defense Fund Action Council’s (CDFAC) 2007 Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard, which grades every Member of Congress based on key votes affecting children.

“As the father of three children, it is truly an honor to be recognized for my commitment to the next generation,” Arcuri said. “It is unconscionable that in the greatest nation in the world there are children without adequate health care, children with working parents who struggle to pay for food and rising home heating costs. I will continue to stand up for children in New York and across the country.”

The Sciencenter was transformed Saturday from a children's science museum to a black tie-optional gala celebration in a museum for kids of all ages.  New York State Senator George Winner sponsored a resolution that was adopted February 26th paying tribute to 'an incredible 25 years of science education through interactive learning.'  Purity Ice Cream unveiled a new flavor that they call 'Sciencenter Supernova.'  Champagne was plentiful as guests were greeted at the door. Guests paid $50 each to celebrate and begin to support the next 25 years.  "It was a simple, but a bold idea to create a science center for this community," said Sciencenter Executive Director Charles Trautmann.  "And with your interest and with your sweat equity and with your contributions, here's what you created."

DWIs

At approximately 9:40pm Deputies while patrolling Route 34 observed Jason S. McDowell age 26 of 16 Reach Run, Lansing, New York, traveling northbound on Route 34 following a vehicle at an unsafe distance. Deputies subsequently stopped McDowell and determined that he was intoxicated.

McDowell submitted to a chemical test to determine his intoxication, which indicated a blood alcohol content of .10%.

McDowell was arraigned before the Ithaca Town Court and was released to appear in the Lansing Town Court on February 21, 2008

It's a double whammy.  2008 is the third year in a three-year assessment cycle, the first after many annual cycles.  And everyone in Tompkins County's assessment is being based on 100% of fair market value for the first time, up from 85% from 2007.  So property tax prospects are going to look bad, even when they aren't.  Anticipation a backlash and public confusion, the Tompkins County Assessment Department is taking a proactive approach, reaching out to each community with mailings, public information sessions, an information booklet, an on-line data base , and other outreach initiatives.

"The purpose is to help folks understand the assessment process," says Valuation Specialist Irene Kehoe.  Kehoe was in Lansing last week with information about exemptions, and was prepared to help people fill out applications there.  She also had disclosure hearing applications, and general information about the department and the assessment process.

Legislator Tim Joseph Accepts State Parks Appointment; Legislature Pays Tribute

On his final day of legislative service, long-time legislator and former Legislature Chair Tim Joseph announced he has accepted an appointment as Director of New York State Parks, Finger Lakes Region. He will assume his new state post on March 3rd.

After 15 years representing District 12 (western portion of Ithaca Town) and serving as Chair of the Legislature from 2002-2007, Mr. Joseph had submitted his resignation, effective today, but was not permitted until late today to make public the nature of his new employment. "I'm really excited at the prospect of working with parks," Mr. Joseph stated. "Parks are one of the most treasured assets of our area and our state. It's an honor to be given responsibility for them, and I expect to have a lot of fun in the process."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) praised the enactment of a bipartisan economic stimulus plan after President Bush signed the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act into law this afternoon, providing 8.3 million New York families with tax rebates of up to $1,200 per couple, plus $300 per child as early as mid-May.

"Democrats, Republicans and the President worked together to deliver critical relief for families in Upstate New York as quickly as possible," Arcuri said. "Families across New York have been hit hard by recent economic uncertainly and had their quality of life jeopardized by rising energy prices and increasing costs for food and necessities. The plan signed into law today will provide our economy a much-needed boost, create jobs and make it easier for local families to make ends meet."

The Town of Lansing, including the Village, is divided by into five Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Codes, including the ones for Lansing, Ithaca, Locke, Groton, and Freeville.  While most people consider their mailing address to be the same as their actual address, that isn't necessarily the case.  As far as the  United States Postal Service (USPS) is concerned, you only live in Lansing if your ZIP code is 14882.

The largest number, 1,400, of tax parcels in Lansing are assigned the Ithaca ZIP code (14850).  The Lansing ZIP code (14882) follows with 1,130 parcels.  260 are in Groton (13073), 73 in Freeville (13068), and 66 in Locke (13092).  While it might make sense to at least fold Lansing households with Groton, Locke, and Freeville addresses into 14882, Ithaca Postmaster William C. Hrynko, Jr. says doing so would be difficult.  "That is minimal as far as impact on the number of employees," he says.  "The biggest issue would be territorial.  When the ZIP codes came out in 1983, their purpose was basically for efficiency.  It didn't have any boundaries on maps for counties and townships."

Ithaca's Sciencenter and the Sagan Appreciation Society unveiled a plan Monday to convince the U.S. Postal Service to create a stamp that commemorates astronomer Carl Sagan.  Making their announcement at a table placed below Sagan's plaque on the Sciencenter's Wall of Inspiration, Sciencenter Executive Director Charles Trautmann and Sagan Appreciation Society founder Patrick Fish unveiled four potential stamp designs at a press conference Monday.  "Our involvement is to be the first place where these images are unveiled," Trautmann said.  "And to give people that are participating in our 25th anniversary celebration to be the first ones to have the opportunity to be the first ones to sign the petition."

The petition will be part of the materials submitted to the Postal Service to make a case for a Sagan stamp.  While Fish says that Sagan's contributions to popularizing science in the U.S. are well known, he plans to submit overwhelming materials to support his nominee.  "We're confident that it will be approved, because the merit of Carl Sagan is pretty well understood," he says.

Designed by Greg Mort

Designed by Lisa Hutter and Chris Fix

With deadlines looming for fulfilling the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA ) of 2002, municipalities across the United States have been forced to buy new voting machines.  The initiative has been a mess with some states buying machines that then could not be certified.  New York State held off, and the Tompkins County Board of Elections has finally chosen a specific machine, contingent on it receiving final certification.  But faced with an expensive purchase, the Board of Elections sent Hurf Sheldon to sound out the Lansing Town Board about consolidating polling places in the town to reduce the number of machines they will have to purchase and service.

"Each polling site that we can eliminate by consolidating saves us purchasing one of these units," says Tompkins County Democrat Election Commissioner Stephen M. DeWitt.  "The other side of the equation is finding help that is comfortable in showing people how to use these machines when they come to the polling sites.  You have to train all these people on this unit."

Sheldon noted that the Crash Fire Rescue (CFR) building at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport is small and inconvenient for voters, but that the Oakcrest Road fire station is too small to consolidate districts into.  Further he said that the Board of Elections is worried that they won't be able to use the Bill Cooke dealership as a polling place any more, because its fate is uncertain in the wake of the sale of the dealership.  He also spoke of the possibility of merging the Central Fire Station and Town Hall polling places into the Town Hall.