|
Feb
24
2006
|
by Dan Veaner
|
|
Friday, 24 February 2006 |
Lansing Town Board Considering Tompkins County's First Sex Offender Law
On July 29, 1994 seven year old Megan Nicole Kanda, of Hamilton Township in New Jersey was raped and murdered by her neighbor, a twice-convicted sex offender who lured her into his home with the promise of a puppy. Three months later New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed the first state "Megan's Law," which mandates active community notification of the presence of sex offenders who pose a risk to public safety. Governor George Pataki signed it into New York law in July of 1995, and a federal law was also passed requiring states to release information to the public, but did not mandate active notification.
Last week Lansing Town Councilman Bud Shattuck proposed that Lansing enact its own sex offender law. The new law would set limits on how close convicted sex offenders could be to schools, parks and places where Lansing children typically go. If enacted, it will be the first such law in Tompkins County.
|
|
|
Feb
24
2006
|
by Dan Veaner
|
|
Friday, 24 February 2006 |
Funding Threatened Unless Lansing Community Council is Rejuvenated
The Tompkins County United Way funds programs in local towns by partnering with eleven area community councils. These councils act as clearing houses for grants, forwarding requests to the United Way and distributing the money when it is granted. In Lansing the Community Council has existed since before the United Way was here, and currently supports the Lansing Drop-in Center for toddlers and preschool children, Lansing Youth Services, the Recreation Department, Lansing Older Aldults Program (LOAP) and an emergency aid fund. Funding must come through the Community Council, because the United Way can not grant it directly to municipalities.
As participation on Lansing's council has dwindled, this funding is in jeopardy. "It's not hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it does make a difference," says the Town's Bookkeeper and Personnel Officer Sharon Bowman. She says Town officials want to reinvigorate the council by getting new people interested in volunteering. "The hope is that within the next few weeks that we can rally some people who will step up to the table. If we can make that happen that allows the groups that want to apply for funding to do the shortened version, with a lot less paperwork and a less cumbersome process."
|
|
|
|
Feb
24
2006
|
by Dan Veaner
|
|
Friday, 24 February 2006 |
The Town of Lansing is getting closer to realizing its dream of developing Salt Point to its full potential as a plan develops to clean up the area, create walking trails and make it what Town Supervisor Steve Farkas calls "a quiet place" where residents can enjoy its natural beauty. The Town has signed a lease with the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that permits Lansing to manage the area. "The DEC has been working very closely with us," says Farkas. "Everybody can come out looking good. DEC didn't have the manpower and dollars to do what they envisioned doing. We've got the volunteers and a lot of community interest, not just in Lansing, but in the surrounding areas, to make it what it can be."
|
|
|
|
Feb
17
2006
|
by Dan Veaner
|
|
Friday, 17 February 2006 |
While the Lansing Board of Education (BOE) has decided not to bring their Capital project resolution to the voters this Spring, the project is alive, if not well. Superintendent of Schools Mark Lewis told the BOE that he will be meeting with the King & King Architects design team to begin planning where to go next. Lewis said King & King were encouraging that a revised project could be ready for a December 2006 referendum, but the BOE was not anxious to speed forward again.
Board member Dan Brown said that the board needs to involve the community in redesigning the project and then take the time to mount an effective information campaign before presenting the project to the voters. "We need a time line that reflects an appropriate amount time for each piece of that," Brown said. "For me it's more important for that to be the case than to necessarily have a vote in December versus February."
|
|
|
|
Feb
17
2006
|
by Dan Veaner
|
|
Friday, 17 February 2006 |
About a half dozen Lansing residents came to Wednesday's Town board meeting to learn when the Algerine Road water district extension proposal will be put to a vote. The $777,200 project is controversial because many Algerine Road residents have good water and can't afford the $569 per household annual debt load payment it may incur, while Lansing Station Road homeowners are in need of reliable, safe water. Town Supervisor Steve Farkas told them, "We're getting all the answers about the election laws. It will be no later than the fourth of April."
The Town is scrambling to make sense of election laws that are clearly laid out for elections, but not at all clear-cut for referendums. "The election law is not particularly clear, because it is technically not an election," explained Town Attorney Guy Krogh. He said that the law is clearly stated for elections of public officials, but he has been scrambling to get t long list of requirements clarified by State election officials.
|
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Next > End >>
|
| Results 487 - 495 of 583 |
Archive News 
