Archive: News

August Emergency Calls High Due to Storm

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 6, 2007 |

The Lansing Fire Department responded to 24 calls in a three hour period when the storm hit Lansing on August 24th. That storm dramatically snapped five utility poles near the school campus and Lansing United Methodist Church, and downed trees and power lines all over town. Those calls raise the total for the month significantly in a month that already tallies a high number of calls. "For the month of August we had a total of 143 calls, 24 of them were storm calls on August 24th in a three hour period," says Chief Scott Purcell. "77 were responses to fire, 63 Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and 3 EMS not responded to."

When a 911 call comes into the Emergency Response Center on Brown Road, dispatchers signal Lansing fire fighters and EMS volunteers to respond. Those who can leave their jobs or who can make themselves available respond to the calls, often working in tandem with Bangs Ambulance, or other emergency response agencies such as fire departments from neighboring towns. The 911 dispatcher will send a second call to Lansing if there are no responses, and then, if there are still no responses, call a neighboring agency.

Hanshaw Road Reconstruction Project Moves Ahead

: By Marcia E. Lynch; News; | Sep 6, 2007 |

By a vote of 13 to 1, the Legislature authorized the design and right-of-way plan for the reconstruction of one-and-a-half miles of Hanshaw Road. (Legislator Dooley Kiefer voted no; Legislator Tyke Randall absent.) The project will rehabilitate pavement from the intersection with Pleasant Grove Road in the Village of Cayuga Heights to the approach to Sapsucker Woods Road in the Town Dryden, with nearly all the work taking place in the Town of Ithaca .

The nearly $4.8 million dollar project will be 80 percent-supported by federal funds, and possibly eligible for an additional 15 percent state funding support. The reconstruction is scheduled to be completed during the 2008-2009 construction season.

Arcuri Returns From Iraq

: By Marion Read; News; | Sep 6, 2007 |

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) issued the following statement upon his return from Iraq with a bipartisan Congressional Delegation mission led by fellow U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL). Below is also an overview of Arcuri's itinerary in Iraq.

"In Iraq, I saw first-hand what I already knew, that the brave men and women who are fighting in Iraq and risking their lives are the very best that this country has to offer and incredibly good at what they do. Their courage and determination is inspiration to all of us. If the Iraqi government were half as determined to make the present government work as our troops are, the job would be done today and all of our combat troops would be on their way home.

High School Regulations Keep Servicemen From Playing

: By Matt Devane; News; | Sep 6, 2007 |

Michael Nozzolio
Albany - New York State Senator Michael Nozzolio is calling upon the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) to revise current regulations so that high school football players who join the armed services are not unfairly punished when their military requirements keep them from participating in summer football practices.

Current regulations state that high school athletes must sit out the first three games of the football season if they do not participate in a minimum number of summer practices. Senator Nozzolio is calling for the NYSPHAA to make an exception for all high school students who have joined the National Guard and other armed services and whose duties to their country require them to miss summer practice.

Higher Construction Cost Still Means Lower Water Payments

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 6, 2007 |

The main order of business at Wednesday's special Town Board meeting was a public hearing on Consolidated Water District Extension #1, the district that was formed over a year ago to encompass Algerine Road and part of Lansing Station Road. The hearing was made necessary because construction costs have gone up dramatically over the past year, causing the project to rise from $777,200 to $970,000.

But Town Attorney Guy Krogh says that the cost to property owners will still be less than the $592 annual payback over a 30 year period that they approved last year. The Town has qualified for a 20 year 0% interest Environmental Facility Corporation loan that will mean residents will initially pay $427 annually. As others join the district extension that cost per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) will go down. And Krogh says it is unlikely that residents there will pay the fee for the entire 20 years. "At some point the amount that they owe will be equal to what they would pay if they joined the Consolidated District," Krogh explained.

Hinchey Blasts Bush at Chamber Briefing

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Aug 30, 2007 |

Ithaca August 27 -- In a briefing to Ithaca Chamber of Commerce members Monday United States Congressman Maurice Hinchey compared President Bush to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, arguing that both leaders govern by fear. "Having set up the Axis of Evil in a State of the Union Address, the most important speech that any president ever makes, they attack one third of the Axis of Evil," Hinchey said. "If you were living in a country that is part of the other two thirds, what are you going to do? You're going to say, 'They're going to be coming after me next. We've got to do something.'

"What did the Iranians do? They elected the Iranian version of George W. Bush. Ahmadinejad, somebody who is out there whacking, running around, creating a culture of fear within his own country. So the administration has been focussed on attacking Iran to get the pressure off of them with regard to Iraq. And expanding this culture of fear.

Over $1 Million For Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport

: By Marion Read; News; | Aug 30, 2007 |

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport a total of $1,285,779 for safety enhancements.

“I am pleased to announce this grant to help Ithaca Tompkins Regional make sure that runways are safe and free of obstructions,” said Arcuri, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which is responsible for authorizing funds through the FAA. “These funds will help make sure the airport can continue to serve as a point of growth and development in the region. I am glad to see federal funds coming back to the area to improve necessary transportation infrastructure.”

Storm Trashes Lansing, Postpones Festival

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Aug 30, 2007 |

After a mild summer Friday that made the prospects for Saturday's Lansing Harbor Festival look good, Mother Nature struck Lansing with a vengeance. A thunderstorm struck with hurricane winds, hail larger than nickles, and solid sheets of rain causing white-out for drivers along Ridge Road. Five utility poles between the school campus and the Lansing United Methodist Church snapped in half, plunging 1200 homes into darkness. And the park was trashed. "In less than a couple of hours time it went from being absolutely immaculate to a disaster," says Park Superintendent Steve Colt. "It was a nasty mess. Had it occurred when we had 1500 people in the park it would have been very dangerous."

A camper at Myers Park was damaged when limbs plummeted from above (Photo by Jodi Dake)

Search Begins for New Superintendent

: By Lansing Central School DIstrict; News; | Aug 30, 2007 |

The Lansing Board of Education has begun its search for a new Superintendent. The vacancy occurred when Dr. Mark Lewis recently announced his retirement. The Board has dedicated itself to finding an outstanding replacement that will be committed to the district and the outstanding education it offers.

The Board has selected the search consulting firm of Castallo and Silky from Syracuse. Dr. William Silky and Dr. Lucy Martin will be working directly with the Board as well as an interview committee. The Board met with Dr. Martin and Dr. Silky on August 21^st. At that time, the Board established the interview process as well as the advertising, recruiting, and interview timeline.

Lansing Justice Survives Ocean Attack

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Aug 23, 2007 |

Ocean City, MD -- Lansing Justice John Howell has probably seen his share of legal sharks. But on a recent trip to Ocean City, MD with his wife Carol, he encountered a shark of a different kind. Or, if not a shark, some kind of hungry fish. "I was in the water out in front of Braemar, standing up, facing out to sea, watching for the next wave, when I felt the jaws and teeth of a fish on my right leg just above the thigh," Howell says. "This was the first ten minutes of the first morning of the first day of my vacation, (one in 8 million odds, I'm definitely playing the lottery this week!)."

The attack occurred August 7th at about 10:15 in the morning. Howell had just gone into the water. Other swimmers were also enjoying the low tide, only 20 feet away from the Judge. Suddenly he felt pain, looked down and saw the head of a fish biting his leg. "I am used to nudging stuff at the beach -- crabs, jellyfish, etc. -- but this was different," he says. "Imagine 10 sharp pointed knives going into your leg"

Costing the Village Deer

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Aug 23, 2007 |

As the clock ticks closer to the start of deer hunting season Village of Lansing officials are working fervently to finalize a deer population control program. The deer control program dominated Monday's Trustees meeting, with key items including sending an official Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) application to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), finalizing an agreement with the owner of Murray Estates, and making sure the Village has insurance that covers the program. "The program is being initiated because there has been no hunting on any of the Village properties for three or four years," explained Trustee John O'Neill. "Consequently the deer herds have increased in number greatly. Deer are beautiful, but unfortunately they bring along with them some problems that people need to consider."

If this year's program can be finalized in time it will serve as a test case for both the Village and the DEC to see whether a controlled bow hunt can be successfully managed. While Village officials admit that the small-scale hunt they plan for this fall will not do much to reduce the deer population, they hope to continue and expand the program once they have a feel for how to make it work. "This is not going to be a holocaust of deer," Trustee Frank Moore said. "It's going to be a small number, and more in the nature of an experiment than anything else."

Tompkins County Legislature Highlights

: By Marcia E. Lynch; News; | Aug 23, 2007 |

Legislature Extends Recreation Partnership Agreement
The Legislature, by a vote of 12 to 3 adopted an extension of the intermunicipal Recreation Partnership Agreement, from January, 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012. Through the partnership, the County, the City and Town of Ithaca and eight more of the county's municipalities collaborate to plan, finance and provide recreation programs for county youth. (Legislators Mike Koplinka-Loehr, Mike Sigler and Kathy Luz Herrera voted no.) Under the agreement, the County and the City and Town of Ithaca each pay one quarter of the net operating cost of the partnership, at a projected County cost for 2008 of just under $56,000, with the remaining municipalities paying the remaining quarter by an established formula. The County Youth Services Department also provides significant program support.

School Board Sets Superintendent Search Schedule

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Aug 23, 2007 |

Lansing's Board of Education nailed down a plan for finding a new school superintendent in a special meeting Tuesday. Meeting with William Silky and Lucy Martin of the education consultant firm Castallo & Silky, the board was faced with a closed search that would bring the best candidates in a short time period or an open search that would attract a less experienced pool of applicants and take longer to complete. "The best candidates are typically interested through the recruitment process," Silky explained. "Regardless of how we go about the search, we have to do that today anyway."

Education Consultants (at end of table) Lucy Martin and William Silky

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