Archive: News

School Board Workshops Prepare for Capital Project Vote

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 20, 2005 |

In mammoth back to back sessions the Lansing Board of Education (BOE) conducted two workshops Monday night (10/17) before their regular school board meeting. The workshops included architects and engineers, project managers and financial consultants who are involved in developing the proposed phase II Capital Project. Also attending was Interim Superintendent Tiffany Phillips as well as the newly appointed Superintendent Mark Lewis.

Phase II addresses many needs the district has identified. Most urgent among them are new High School science classrooms and safety and security updates. As it stands the price tag for the base project will be about $32 million, depending on what the BOE decides should be included in the final package, which is subject to approval by voters. Also on the drawing board are a High School auditorium and a district-wide IP based security and phone system, both being considered for separate referendums to allow voters to decide whether they want to support these items.

Water Stirs Passions

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 20, 2005 |

Tensions ran high at a public hearing on extending the water district in Lansing Wednesday (10/19) night. Residents of Algerine and Lansing Station Roads nearly filled the Town Hall to address the proposed town water project. Nearly 20 residents spoke passionately on both sides of the issue.

For	Against
"I don't know how you can deny us." -- Jack MacNamara	"If you add that $574.00 to my property tax I'm going to lose my house." -- Penny Rogers

Town Engineer David Herrick began the hearing by giving a brief explanation of the proposal and what it will mean to residents. This was followed my Town Attorney Guy Krogh's explanation of the process that will be used in creating the district extension.

Reach Run Plane Crash

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 13, 2005 |

10/07 - Around four o'clock in the afternoon a small plane crashed into a neighborhood on Reach Run, off of East Shore Circle. The small Mooney aircraft was attempting to land at Tompkins-Ithaca Regional Airport after flying over the lake in heavy fog. It came in too low, clipping a tree with one wing, which broke off the plane. The other wing hit the Mirrsepassi home, and then the fuselage, with only the pilot on board, came to rest in the front yard.

Waiting For Water

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 13, 2005 |

"It's the calm before the storm." So says Lansing Town Supervisor Stephen Farkas, referring to the upcoming public meeting on the Algerine / Lansing Station Road water district extension. The controversial proposal pits less affluent residents along Algerine Road against their Lansing Station Road neighbors who want town water.

In fact some of them may need town water as the Health Department found evidence of crypto sporidia in at least one area well. When crypto sporidia contaminates a well you can get food poisoning-like symptoms from drinking the water. That is the bad news.

Plane Crashes in Lansing Neighborhood

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 7, 2005 |

10/07 - Around four o'clock in the afternoon a small plane crashed into a neighborhood on Reach Run, off of East Shore Circle. The plane was coming in for a landing after flying over the lake in heavy fog. It came in too low, clipping a tree with one wing, which broke off the plane. The other wing, or something hit a house, and then the fuselage, with only the pilot on board, came to rest in the front yard of a house there.

School Superintendent Appointed

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Oct 6, 2005 |

Dr. Mark S. Lewis

The Lansing School Board appointed a new Superintendent of Schools in Tuesday's (10/4) special school board meeting in the High School library. Dr. Mark L. Lewis, currently Superintendent of the Brewster Central School District was appointed in a 6-1 vote, the culmination of a four month "Fast Track" search.

Dr. Lewis has been in education for about 30 years. He began as a Middle School and High School teacher in Pennsylvania. In 1981 he became Assistant Middle School Principal in Canandaigua, then went on to become a Principal in the Jefferson-Youngville Central School District.

Preparing For Disaster

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 29, 2005 |

On Wednesday night (9/28) victims of air disasters were rescued from planes at the Tompkins-Ithaca airport in Lansing. At least seven fire departments responded, as well as several ambulance services. All units were coordinated by the Airport Fire Department, a ten man department whose jurisdiction extends to the airport and planes that land there.

This was all part of a disaster drill. The FAA mandates that airport fire departments conduct a full scale drill every three years. Volunteers play the role of victims, while the responders test their readiness, coordination and ability to rescue passengers in a disaster.

Progress on Triphammer

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 29, 2005 |

Triphammer Road has been undergoing a major renovation throughout the summer, and there is a lot more to be done. With Winter getting closer, "What you see is what you get," says resident engineer Byron Hall of Fisher Associates. "We're about 35% done with the project according to the monies that have been paid to the contractor so far."

It looks like the construction will be completed at the end of next summer. Work was held up for a while because the utility companies did not do their work when scheduled. Other work depended on the utilities being moved. But the project would have finished nest year anyway. "We had a late start to begin with," says Mr. Hall.

Village Sewer Struggles

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 22, 2005 |

Village officials struggled with the sewer problem in their Monday (9/19) evening meeting in the Village Offices on Triphammer Road. The Town of Lansing is committed to bring sewer service to the southern part of Lansing, roughly including everything south of Buck Road. In order to get sewage to the Cayuga Heights treatment plant the main trunk line must go through the Village. Three possible routes have been suggested by the Town's engineers, and the Town has asked the Village's input before choosing a route.

The Town favors a route (knows as Alternate Route B) along the old Ithaca Auburn Railroad line which runs roughly parallel to East Shore Drive to the East at a higher elevation. Engineers have identified this route as the least expensive, in part because it would be run by gravity. A gravity system would not need pumping stations and the attendant ongoing maintenance. (Alternate A goes along Cayuga Heights Road and down Cedar Lane. Neither the Town nor the Village favor this route.) The Village favors Alternate Route C, which follows Route 34, because it would be lease intrusive to village residents during construction and maintenance. This is the most expensive alternative.

Village Codifies Laws

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 22, 2005 |

What does a village do when it's codes and ordinances are stuffed into a notebook? That question was answered for Ithaca High School students who observed the regular Village of Lansing Board of Trustees meeting Monday (9/19) night. Mayor Donald Hartill explained to the four visiting students that Codification is putting all of the village's codes and laws into a standard format, indexed to make rules easy to find.

The Village has been working on codification for over five years to try to get all ordinances and village rules into a form that is easily accessible. This will make it simpler for village officials and residents to figure out what is allowed in any given circumstance.

Water, Water, Everywhere

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 22, 2005 |

"Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere
Nor any drop to drink."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who penned these lines in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," must have been haunting Wednesday's Lansing Town Board meeting, which was dominated by discussion of water district proposals. The Town Hall was nearly filled with residents concerned about the Algerine Road/Lansing Station Road water extension proposal, a proposal for Drake Road, and one on Lake Ridge Road. When Town Supervisor began the meeting by quoting Coleridge he wasn't kidding.

Drought Bad, But Crops OK

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 15, 2005 |

This summer whenever people around town talk about the weather, they say, "I really feel badly for the farmers." It has been a hot, dry summer. The drought has reduced our rainfall to less than 25% of the average, and it has been hot. "For our farm it was the worst drought that we've had since my father started farming in 1951," said Skip Hardie of Hardie Farms, Inc. in North Lansing.

But the year hasn't been a bad year for crops. "Not as bad as you would think," he added. Farmer Lin Davidson said, "They're looking for groceries for their animals. How that's going to work out, by reducing animal numbers or trucking feed in -- that's the split that people are going to have to make a decision on." But he added, "People run two to six to eight months ahead on their food, so there is some buffer in there."

Superintendent Selection Concerns

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Sep 15, 2005 |

As the "Fast Track" search for a new, permanent school superintendent is drawing toward a conclusion this month, committees from various aspects of the school and overall communities have participated in the interview phase. But the process isn't complete yet, and resident Pat Conlon presented his concerns to the board in their regular meeting last Monday (9/12).

Mr. Conlon read a prepared statement to the board. First he asked why the board has not publicized the names of the final three candidates. He noted that with many people participating in the interview process the names are not a closely held secret.

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