Archive: Around Town

by Ashley Fleming

Small, sweet, and gentle Noel was brought by a Good Samaritan to the Cornell Animal Hospital after being hit by a car. Thankfully she was not injured badly, and was transferred to us the next day. We had her spayed, micro-chipped, and vaccinated up-to-date. She is described as an attention seeking chatter box who would be best suited in a home with children over the age of 12 and no other feline brothers or sisters. You can visit her and all her other friends at the main shelter today!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Bella Robson, Abby Overstrom (right)A Lansing Middle School student recently received a perfect score in the first of three meets for this year's WordMasters Challenge™—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 150,000 students annually.

Competing in the difficult Blue Division of the WordMasters Challenge™, eighth grader Abby Overstrom earned a perfect score of 20 in the recent meet.  Nationally, only 19 eighth graders achieved a perfect score.  Other students at Lansing Middle School who achieved outstanding results in the first meet include Iris Boerman, Jack Collins and Bella Robson, each scoring 19.  The students were coached in preparation for the WordMasters Challenge™ by Cathy Moseley.

Lansing School Superintendent Chris Pettograsso said last week that the district's High School graduation rate has met the district's goal of 90% as of August's graduating ceremony.  As of the commencement ceremony in June 86% of seniors in their four year cohort graduated, with 40% achieving 'Regents With Advanced Designation'.  Three students graduated at the end of August, which brought the rate up to 90%.

"Our goal was to have a 5 year graduation rate of 90%," Pettograsso said.  "We're hoping to increase that, but that was our goal and we did meet it with a four-year outcome as of August."

The Ithaca Rotary Club wrapped up its 22nd annual Share the Warmth campaign in mid-December. Donations of new or gently used winter clothing were gratefully collected, sorted, and distributed across the area by volunteers from a number of sponsoring partner organizations: Ithaca Rotary Club, Trumansburg Rotary Club, Cornell University, Ithaca College, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Finger Lakes Re-Use, and the Samaritan Center of Catholic Charities.
 
Ithaca Rotary announced Wednesday that 548 Tompkins County households – 841 adults and 557 children – were received donations made to Share the Warmth. More than 4,000 items were picked up, collected, and sorted by volunteers for distribution through the Samaritan Center of Catholic Charities. The donated clothing was then distributed by Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga free of charge to individuals who needed such items for the winter months.

	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don't want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I've learned.

I used to sell eggs at Ithaca Farmers' Market. Every market day, I had to give some ignorant but well meaning person the Egg Talk. These earnest folks had been misinformed by misinformed doctors and other health professionals and writers. As in politics, if you repeat an untruth long enough, such as the voter fraud “problem,” it becomes popular truth. In the Egg Talk, I tried to counter the 'truth' that you shouldn't eat eggs because they're loaded with cholesterol. It was an uphill battle, but years later, it looks as if the facts are making headway.

Saying don't eat eggs because they contain cholesterol is like saying don't eat whole grains because they contain fattening carbs. Just as the fiber content in whole grains vastly reduces the effect of the carbs,  the lecithin in eggs yolks almost cancels out the effect of the cholesterol by preventing its absorption.

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A few weeks ago an article about bone broth benefits was published in the New York Times. Shots of fresh prepared, slow cooked bone stock have been served at several trendy places as an 'on the go meal' in the City. Grandmother's spirits from various cultures all over the world couldn't be more pleased with the fact that centuries old preindustrial food is gaining popularity outside of chef's kitchens and lifestyle's of whole food enthusiasts.

What is so magical and special in that simple traditional meal that challenges habits of consuming industrial and processed foods so dominant in an average American diet? Are you ready to face the facts and mineralize and enrich your meals with this simple and affordable potion?

Hundreds of Cornell alumni and students participated this January, at 37 sites across the world to connect and make a difference as part of the Public Service Center's Cornell Cares Day.
 
Each year early in January students and alumni work together on service projects in their hometown while Cornell is on break. The Cornell Public Service Center (PSC) works with Cornell regional alumni clubs to implement the program.
 
This year The Cornell Club of Ithaca, held its event at Foodnet Meals on Wheels. They packed 29 Breakfast bags of good, nutritional food items for distribution. Nine Cornellians, mostly grad students and two alums, including event organizer C.J. DelVecchio and Cornell Club of Ithaca Board member Aaron Godert helped out.

The Tompkins County Human Rights Commission (tcHRC) has elected officers and is moving forward with several new initiatives for 2015. Now chairing the Commission is Pat Pryor and Vice Chair is Jamila Walida Simon. Continuing officers include Talyse Hampton in the role of Secretary and Amos Malone as Treasurer.

The new Commission Chairperson, Pat Pryor, was an educator for over 30 years in Tompkins County, with a focus on Special Education; she retired in 2000 and spends her time working on human rights issues.  Pat has garnered awards for her work in the community such as a Certificates of Appreciation from GIAC, Ithaca High School African-Latino Club, AIDSWork of Tompkins County as well as past Human Rights Commission Awards.  She is a founding member of the Working Group on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Aging.  Pryor has also served as a Legislator for Tompkins County and an Alderperson for the City of Ithaca.

On Saturday, January 3, Ithaca High School's FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Team 639 Code Red Robotics began its annual build season with the release of the 2015 FIRST game animation.  Each year on the first Saturday of January, FIRST releases a video animation describing a game that each of the 3,000 teams in FIRST will build a 120-lb robot to play.  Over the six weeks following the exciting kickoff event, Code Red Robotics will be working from 5:00-9:00 p.m. on weeknights and 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays to build a robot that will play this year's game called 'Recycle Rush'.

'Recycle Rush' involves stacking recycling totes and bins, and placing pool noodles (representing 'litter') on top.  The robots will compete in 2.5 minute matches, starting with a fifteen second autonomous period (robots drive based on pre-programmed instructions). Unlike previous years' games that have involved extensive defensive strategy, this game features each three-team alliance constrained to one side of the field.  This requires robots to be very skilled at offensive strategies, specifically working efficiently with their teammates to maximize the alliance’s score.

The Groton Middle School 6th grade class recently had the chance to experience what it feels like to be working and managing modern day business operations. The class visited a site designed by WCNY's Education Center in Syracuse, NY called Enterprise America. Students prepared for the trip beforehand with classroom instruction that focused on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) as well as financial and civic literacy skills.

"The curriculum was quite challenging for our students. We were extremely fortunate that Mr. Rhoads, Mr. Felko, Mr. Conner, Ms. Cummings and Mr. Allen were extremely cooperative and allowed us to use some of their valuable class time to support the Enterprise America curriculum," said lead teacher Mark Triolo. "Mrs. Downs played a key role in making sure there was enough time allotted to allow the program to be a success."

Lansing Town Historian visited the Village of Lansing last week to talk to the Village trustees about how they can take advantage of the town historical archives.  A key Village asset in the town archive is the The Rita Smidt archive, six boxes of research that Smidt used when writing her book 'Lansing at the Crossroads', a unique, detailed history of the creation of the Village of Lansing.  But Bement said that the one file cabinet currently used for Village records will not be enough as more material is found.

"Anybody in the Town or Village can come to our archive building and do research," Bement said.  "You are very welcome to use any of the resources that we have."

by Ashley Fleming

Hello! My name is Cookie and I'm just as sweet as my name suggests. I came to New York from across the country, hoping to find a new family. I'm a senior dog, but I have enough spunk and energy to make you forget that as we set off on our adventures. I love cuddling in laps, eating tasty treats, and going for wandering, exploring walks. I love humans, but don't care to share my house with other dogs or cats; I want my family all to myself! I would like to live in a household where the kids are at least school-aged, since I'm so tiny and these old bones don't stand up to as much rough handling as they used to. I'm potty-pad trained, so unlike a young puppy, you won't have to worry about trying to get me housebroken. I've made a long trip to get here, and I'm hoping that you might be the right person to take this California Girl home.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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