When Lansing Community Council President Ed LaVigne stood up to give community input at Monday's Board Of Education (BOE) meeting, he had a surprise for the school board. "Tonight I am here to say that I am going to give a $500 check to each of our principals," LaVigne told the board. "They may do what they please with it. We understand that the Lansing School District is under some duress now as far as finances go. Without knowing all the details of what you need -- it was brought to my attention today that there is a fourth grade field trip that might be canceled and a third grade trip also."
The Lansing Community Council has been in existance for many years, and
for many of those years has acted as a funnel for United Way monies
that help fund the Lansing Recreation Program, Lansing Youth Services,
Lansing Older Adult Program (LOAP), and the Lansing Drop-in Center, as
well as providing relief for people in need. Two years ago the group
was revitalized with the next generation of members, who wanted to
continue the funding to these groups, but also to do more. The group
has 8 members with three serving on its board of directors.
Now that the Lansing Board Of Education has approved a $22,838,912 budget for the 2008-2009 school year, Superintendent Stephen Grimm is taking it to the public to explain a budget that includes over $1 million of cuts and how it will impact the community, the schools, and the kids. This week he reached out by speaking to local groups such as the Lansing Lions, and reaching out to newspapers including this publication, as well as mailing a copy of the budget to all district residents and holding a budget hearing at Lansing High School last night. He hopes this outreach will convince the public to vote to pass the budget on May 20.
Former Superintendent Raymond Buckley and current Superintendent
Stephen Grimm. Grimm went to Monday's Lansing Lion's Club meeting
to fill them in on budget cuts and how they will impact taxpayers.
In next week's issue we will share our interview with Harold and Cindy VanEs in which they share some of their experiences visiting Kenya over the holiday break last December, and how their family traversed a war zone to see the school and meet the community they have partnered with.
An earthquake strikes Lansing, demolishing the elementary and middle schools. The next day roads are closed and children are forced to walk to school, at least those who live within four or five miles of the campus. Once they get there they are put to work building mud and dung huts, hauling the dung from nearby dairy farms. There is no lunch or snacks available. Days or even weeks later they have constructed enough of a facility to hold classes again. But all the computers have been destroyed, as well as books and all other teaching aids. After a year of this Lansing learns that some wealthy people from a community in Africa have taken an interest in the town and want to build classrooms that won't melt away every time it rains here. And then we learn that some of this blessed donation is coming from African kids.
If you can imagine this you can begin to imagine what it has been like at the Mbaka Oromo school in western Kenya. In 2006 Lansing students did try to imagine it by living a day as their Kenyan counterparts do. It wasn't easy. A remarkable part of this story is that Lansing kids don't have to imagine it -- they have actually exchanged letters and school projects with the kids their age in Kenya. By doing so they have explored and shared their little world here, and broadened it in a unique and personal way by hearing about another culture from the people they really listen to -- other kids.
The Cornelius / Cargill Library and classrooms at the Mbaka Oromo school
that don't wash away in the rain are among the accomplishments of PALS
In what has been an up and down past few weeks for Lansing Track and Field, a stellar performance was soon to happen to regain some confidence. They got just that, Friday night at the “Legends of the Night” Invitational, hosted by Odessa-Montour High School.
Lansing Girls easily outdistanced 9 other IAC and Section 5 teams including rivals Elmira Notre Dame and Trumansburg, scoring 132 points and doing it with authority. Every single Lansing athlete turned in a huge scoring day or a personal best on the track or in the field.
ITHACA, NY - At the annual mangers meeting of Saga Communications, parent company of Ithaca's Cayuga Radio Group, General Manager, Susan Johnston, was honored with the new title of President/General Manager.
CEO, Ed Christian said, "Our mission, as a company, is first and foremost, localism. Do creative things to serve the public and people will listen. If we work to understand the needs of our local clients, the advertising will work. Susan Johnston and the staff of Cayuga Radio Group have demonstrated a long history of service to the Ithaca/Cortland community. We are very proud of their accomplishments."
In what has been an up and down past few weeks for Lansing Track and Field, a stellar performance was soon to happen to regain some confidence. They got just that, Friday night at the “Legends of the Night” Invitational, hosted by Odessa-Montour High School.
ITHACA, NY - At the annual mangers meeting of Saga Communications, parent company of Ithaca's Cayuga Radio Group, General Manager, Susan Johnston, was honored with the new title of President/General Manager.
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