Archive: Around Town

Ask IMO

 Lansing's Advice Column


Dear IMO,

Our daughter will graduate this June. Although she is not an honor student, she is bright and does get solid “B’s” in her school work. She has decided not to attend college in the fall. My husband and I are upset with her decision. What can we do to convince her that college is the best option?

Thanks,

Sheila

Dear Sheila,

You are not alone in your struggles with your daughter. Parents are facing this issue more often than you might imagine. Today’s high school students are less motivated to continue on to college immediately after high school graduation. This does not mean they are choosing to skip college altogether. They are merely exploring other options.

Lansing's "Creating A Safe School" (CASS) program will be presenting "Cyber-bullying: Indecencies on the Internet" for parents and children alike to learn more about this phenomenon that has sprung up on the Internet.  Erika Dauber, the Communications Director of the Ophelia Project that sponsors CASS programs nation-wide, will speak on how on-line bullies embarrass, humiliate, threaten and intimidate, and present suggestions for dealing with such bullying.

"I'm part of the generation that didn't grow up knowing about cyber-bullying, or having anything to do with the Internet," says Middle School Guidance Counselor Margaret Marcoux, who is a leader of Lansing CASS along with High School Psychologist Pennee Barresi.  "As a parent I didn't have anything to do with it, so it is all really new to me."  Indeed cyber-bullying is a relatively new phenomenon that is more and more a part of kids lives who participate in on-line communities.

Home is Lost in Disasterous Fire, But Family is Thankful


Where do I start? Maybe with the two total strangers, who just happened to be driving by at 4:45 AM Saturday morning, just  happened  to be volunteers with the Spencer-Van Etten fire department,  and  stopped to help us keep our heads during those first frantic minutes?

Pet of the WeekHello there! I’m Lucky an adult Pomeranian & Chihuahua mix I am 9 and my family brought me to the shelter because they didn’t want me any more. I am a bit more mature, calm, and won’t chew things as much because I’m older. I am small but very loving so please come and meet me at the S.P.C.A.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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All Saints Catholic Church
347 Ridge Road

Sunday, April 9 Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Friday, April 14 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Saturday, April 15 Easter Vigil for the Cluster

Sunday, April 16 Easter Sunday, 9 am ONLY


Asbury Assembly of God
2978 North Triphammer Road

(Pending)


Faith Baptist Fellowship
1004 Auburn Road

North Lansing

Friday, April 14 Good Friday Combined Service

with West Groton Bible Church

Sunday, April 16, Easter Service @ 11 am with Children’s Choir and

Special children’s program during sermon.


Grace Baptist Church
519 Ridge Road

Friday, April 14, Good Friday service @ 7 pm

Sunday. April 16, Easter Service @ 8 am

Followed by Pot Luck Breakfast

Sunday April 16, Sunday School @ 9:45 am

Sunday, April 16, Worship @ 11 am



Lansing United Methodist Church
52 Brickyard Hill Road

Sunday, April 9, Palm Sunday Service @ 9:30 am

Thursday, April 13, Maundy Thursday Worship @ 7 pm

Friday, April 14, Good Friday Easter Vigil

Sunday, April 16, Sunrise Service in Butterfly Garden @ 6 am

Sunday, April 16, Easter Worship @ 9:30 am and 11 am

West Groton Bible Church
858 Cobb West

Groton

Friday, April 14, Good Friday Combined Service at Faith Baptist

Fellowship, 1004 Auburn Rd, North Lansing

Sunday, April 16, Easter Sunday, Sunrise Service @ 8 am

Sunday, April 16, Easter Breakfast For All, from 8:30 to 9:30 am

Sunday, April 16, Sunday School from 9:30 am to 10:15 am

Sunday, April 16, Easter Morning Worship with special music

If you have a 401(k) plan, you've got a great way to save for retirement. And, as of the first of the year, your 401(k) got even better - because you can now contribute even more to it. The same is true of 457(b) plans (if you work for a governmental agency) or 403(b) plans (if you work for a non-profit group). With all these plans, you can now put more in - which means that, someday, you should be able to take more out.

In 2006, you can put in up to $15,000 to your 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b) plan, up from $14,000 in 2005. And if you are 50 or older, you can make additional "catch-up" contributions of $5,000 to your plan, giving you a ceiling of $20,000. (In 2005, the "catch-up" limit was $4,000.)

Star of the MonthI am pleased to nominate Frankie Lechner as Lansing’s Star of the Month for her 20 plus years of commitment and dedication to the Lansing Community while serving as Treasurer of the Lansing Community Council.

Frankie has served willingly & tirelessly in this role insuring continued funding from the United Way of Tompkins County for local programs that benefit our community. Lansing Community Council has been in existence for over 50 years, and prior to United Way allocations the Community Council raised funds for local programs through telephone solicitation, and their door-to-door campaign. Although participation in the Community Council has dwindled over the years, Frankie has not lost her desire to serve her community.

I have had the privilege of working with Frankie through my role in the Town of Lansing Supervisor’s Office, and have a tremendous amount of respect & admiration for her commitment to our Town. She has always put the interest of others first, and has worked to provide the best for her community; never asking for anything in return. Frankie has determined that it is time for her to “retire” from her role with Community Council, but has helped to insure that the Council will continue on through the process of reorganization. Amy Bonn, Director of Allocations & Community Programming for the United Way of Tompkins County shared the following statement with me: “Frankie has been a stalwart Community Council Leader. She has helped lead the Lansing community Council for over 20 years. In this capacity she has helped allocate over $200,000 to Lansing health and human service organizations. She has assisted in grant writing, programming and coordinating local funding for our community”.


In addition to serving as Treasurer for Community Council, Frankie continues to serve as Secretary/Treasurer for the Ludlowville Pine Grove Cemetery Association.

Lansing residents owe a great deal of gratitude to Frankie for all she has done to help make Lansing a terrific community to live in and raise a family. Her leadership & volunteerism stands as an example for many to follow. Thank you Frankie for a job well done!

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As dragons rise upon the wing each morn’
So shines the dawn, fire of ages past
In the dawning of time ere peace was torn
By dragon kin who earth to darkness cast

Ithaca… The Board of Trustees, staff, volunteers, and of course, animals of the Tompkins County SPCA are proud to announce the hiring of Medical Director Dr. Bridget Barry, who will head the TC SPCA’s new shelter medicine program.

Dr. Barry graduated from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine and has worked in small animal private practice since then. She has been a member of the VMAT disaster response team, and spent two and a half weeks caring for animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to working at Meadowridge Veterinary Clinic, she volunteers at a low-cost vaccination clinic run by veterinary students. Dr. Barry has served on the boards of Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society’s executive board.

"It's absolutely wonderful work," says Middle School Principal John Gizzi.  He is talking about the "Museum of the Woods" project that science teacher Therese Arsenault's class has produced.  Responding to a letter from the Lansing Board of Education the class spent 12 weeks conducting environmental studies of the Lansing schools campus to determine how the proposed capital improvement project will affect the environment.  The students will report their findings to the BOE on April 3, and the Museum event was held last week at the Middle School.


Fifth graders spent 10 weeks in the woods near the Middle School playground taking earth samples and determining what wildlife lives there and how important the sun is as the primary energy source.  They worked out the food chain and food web for the area, as well as the composition of the dirt.  "I'm impressed by the research that was done here by students, especially students at this age level," says School Superintendent Mark Lewis.  I think it's very advanced."

Hope's WayProfile

The place is all ripped up.  Workmen are busy working from room to room, digging trenches for electrical wiring in the concrete floors, removing some walls, putting up new ones.  Meanwhile some quiches are coming out of the oven and will arrive hot at a catered event.  There is constant motion in the dining room, kitchens and all around.  And there is an undeniable sense of excitement as Hope's Way is hurrying to complete a major transformation in time for an April 3 reopening.  

In the middle of the flurry is Hope Rich, directing the construction and her catering business from a crowded office.  She is a bundle of energy, keeping on top of everything from furniture to electrical and plumbing, to a meat slicer delivery to a catering business that continues to operate in the chaos.  "We have always had the cafe as well as an off-premises catering component," she explains.  "What we wanted to do is create a meeting place, not only for catered events on-premises, but also for overflow from the cafe."

Ithaca … Ginger is a beautiful adult lab mix was found wandering the streets all alone. She was brought to the Tompkins County SPCA with no tags or a microchip, nothing that might identify her or reunite her with her owner. An all-around terrific dog who is especially gentle with children, Ginger is now looking for a second chance, a new family to call her own. For Ginger, and the hundreds of strays who find their way to the shelter every year, the Tompkins County SPCA is joining the American Humane Association in celebrating Tag Day on April 1st.

Tag Day is a nationwide campaign to encourage all pet owners to microchip or tag their companion animals. This effort gives animals like Ginger a voice to find her way home.