Four Town Board members met with the Lansing Sewer Committee Wednesday to be brought up to date on the proposed sewer district project.  The project is at the point where the Board has to decide on whether to support the project both in concept and tangibly, and to begin planning public information sessions that Lansing Supervisor Kathy Miller says could begin as early as June.  Committee member Andy Sciarabba said that it is time for the board to get behind the sewer proposal.

"You represent us.  We elected you," Sciarabba said.  "We want you to show leadership and take a position on some of these things."

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to approve a proposed $26 million Lansing School District 2012-2013 budget.  Additionally voters will elect two school board members.  Incumbents Anne Drake and Aziza Benson are being challenged by Michelle Uhl-Stark, Julie Boles, and Max Rogan.  Superintendent Stephen Grimm presented the budget in a public meeting Monday, and met informally with taxpayers Thursday.

"Funding the general budget has been a great challenge," Grimm said.  "It's one of the most challenging years in the history of New York State education.  The revenue loss is staggering.  Wall street, the overall economic decline.  It also hits us with the AES Cayuga power plant as they're struggling, and they're our largest taxpayer."

Village of Lansing trustees passed a resolution to allow a permissive referendum to use $549,651 from a general capital reserve fund to help pay for a new $740,000 village hall.  The 2,662 square foot office building will include offices for the Village Clerk, Code Enforcement Office, and DPW, and will include a public meeting room and an office for the Trustees and Mayor.

The rest of the money will come from the unexpended fund balance from last year's budget.  Mayor Donald Hartill says the building will not require additional taxes, and that saving for building projects is part of the Village's 'pay as you go' plan.

The place to be in Lansing tonight (Friday, May 10th) is the East Shore Festival Of The Arts (ESFOTA) opening at the Lansing Town Hall.  The show features 40 local artists whose work will be on display in the Town Hall and the Lansing Community Library today through July 21.  It's the third annual exhibit.  Organizer Robin Schuttenberg says that each year the show adds new features.

"One of the things that is fascinating this year is to see the change in the work of artists who have been in the show before from one year to the next," she says.  "Mary Schuler has some interesting work this year, and Michael Wills, and Karen Veaner's work is totally different than it was last year."

The Lansing Baseball team improved their record to 17-0 following wins over Divisional rivals Trumansburg and Dryden. At Trumansburg the Bobcats won 19-5 behind the four hit pitching of Sean Streb who benefited from a solid 15 hit attack. Streb aided his own cause going 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI's, while Benji Parkes was 3 for 6 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI's.

The big hit of the game came in the first inning as Kevin Howell hit a grand slam home run to extend the lead to 6-0 essentially putting the game out of reach. Ellington Hopkins also was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's.

To protect the property taxpayers in the Town of Lansing and the Lansing School district, Senator Michael Nozzolio announced today he is sponsoring legislation (S.6842) that will enable the AES Cayuga plant to reopen, and once again contribute to the local tax base.

“Up until very recently, hundreds of local residents were employed at the AES Cayuga plant and the facility generated millions of dollars in revenue to support our property taxpayers,” said Nozzolio. “Unfortunately, the loss of tax payments from the AES Cayuga plant requires the property taxpayers of Lansing to assume enormous tax consequences.”

The Federal House has graced Ludlowville since 1815.  For much of the time it has been a private home, but in recent years it has been a popular Bed & Breakfast. The house was sold last fall, and at the end of this month it is reopening under the proprietorship of Donna and Mike Wilson.

"The house has great bones and we both got a greet feel from it," Donna says.  "Mike said to me one day, 'You've always wanted to run a Bed & Breakfast, right?'  It seemed like the right thing.  I think Ithaca is the kind of place where people just go for it.  They experiment with their talents, so I figured I would try it."