Archive: Around Town

I just moved into a nice neighborhood a few months ago. There is an optional HOA, which, at this point in time, I haven't joined. The homes are well kept, and all the neighbors seem friendly. However, I have one neighbor that walks his dog past my house at about the same time every day, and for whatever reason, the dog has chosen my yard to 'do his business.' The owner leaves the mess there and continues on with his walk. I don't want to come off as a jerk right off the bat, but I don't want to clean up after his dog on a continuing basis. How can I resolve this without making waves with the neighbor?
Problem with Neighbor

By Doug Scott

Well hello there! Hmm let me guess- you need 70 (extremely handsome) pounds of love and cuddles in your life? And you also want a best friend who loves to play fetch and would rest his head on your lap while you binge your favorite show? Well then, look no further! I'm Lonzo - the dog of your dreams! I'm a strong guy, and I do like some other dogs who have a rough-and-tumble play style.  I'd love to go to some training classes with you, so we can bond and work on my super-sweet skills.

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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Code Red Robotics, Ithaca High School's robotics team, has successfully finished the six-week Build Season, and they're off to their first regional competition in Utica, March 2-4. They will also be attending the Finger Lakes Regional Competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology, March 15-17. You can tune in to the live stream on thebluealliance.com to watch all the action. Results for matches can also be found on this website.

For the first time, the team has built two robots. The official competition robot was bagged up at the end of Build Season on February 20, and can no longer be modified. The other "prototype bot" was used to test ideas before manufacturing the final design. It is now being used by the Drive Team to help them train for the upcoming competitions.

Stressed-out yeast is a big problem, at least for winemakers.

The single-celled organism responsible for turning sugars into alcohol experiences stress which changes its performance during fermentation. For vintners, stressed yeast introduces difficult production dilemmas that can change the efficiency and even flavor during winemaking.

Ok, I never found the cellars, but I DID find Damiani on Rt 414 in Burdett.

It had been several years since I had been there, hosting an opening celebration of my art display and eating lots of cheese – well, the cheese that was left over. The people at Damiani had gone very far out of their way to make me feel at home and welcome as an artist, and it was no difference when Janet and I visited with the intent of tasting some great wines and incidentally, writing this column.

The Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, in partnership with the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, is offering a creative retreat for teachers of the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) teachers and other districts in Tompkins County during the February and March school breaks. The program is designed to provide residency-type retreats for local teachers in the following disciplines: creative writing, photography/film/video, and painting/sculpture/visual art. The program is totally free to attend. Teachers were selected through a lottery system.

February session teachers included: Mary Balfour, a speech and language pathologist in the Dryden school district; Abigail Bokaer, a kindergarten teacher at Fall Creek Elementary; Jon Raimon, a humanities teacher and service learning coordinator at Lehman Alternative Community School; Mihal Ronen, a second grade teacher at Fall Creek Elementary; and Keith Thompson, a social studies teacher at Ithaca High School.

Today may be a white, wintry day, but before you know it Lansing will be warm and ready for outdoor recreation programs to start.  The spring-like days earlier in the week certainly got parents thinking that Lansing Recreation Department's Lansing baseball Program (LBP) and Lansing Softball program (LSP) for kids K-6th grade is just around the corner.

"It's getting to be that time of year already," says Recreation Director Steve Colt. "And it's amazing, because when you get a couple of days like that people start to switch into Spring mode.  They begin to ask questions about programs that are still a ways off, but it makes you think of them anyway."

Lansing will be alive with 'The Sound Of Music' next month, when Lansing high School actors will bring the 1965 classic to the Lansing Middle School auditorium stage. The iconic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is based on the true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, who escaped Austria and the Nazis during World War II.  Performances run from March 7th through 10th.

Lansing schools have a long and proud tradition of excellence in the performing arts – an important component of a well-rounded education. This excellence has even been recognized nationally, as Lansing Central School District was named among the NAMM Foundation's "Best Communities for Music Education" in both 2016 and 2017.

By Doug Scott

Hello there! I am Simba, an 8-month-old brindle boy. Can you believe I was abandoned at a storefront? Everyone here at the SPCA says I am really smart and I get such a kick out of learning manners and tricks. I also love playing with everyone I meet! Sometimes I just get so hyped-up on life - I need enrichment, guidance and exercise! Because I'm so playful, it may be too much for dogs unless we are on the same play level. Do you have time in your life for an active, trainable, and loving companion? Please come meet me!

Visit the SPCA Web Page

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A little splash of summer helps you find all the holes in your boots. When the snow and ice is gone, and the sun is out, it's refreshing to take a walk in the woods. We have lots of woodlands here in the Finger Lakes, and much of it is legal to explore.

After being cooped up in the house since November, the unseasonable warmth drew me outside like moth to flame, and yes, before a minute was up, my feet were soaked. Not letting the water dampen my spirits, I walked back into the woods nearby, just to soak in the world.

The atmosphere at little company I work for is incredibly toxic. There is gossiping, backbiting, and outright instances of staff being cruel to one another. Talking to the employer/owner about this situation hasn't helped. She has her favorites, and I'm not one of them. She states rules of conduct for employees and only enforces them with those who are not on her favorite list. For instance, some can park in premium spots, even though we're told not to, and she doesn't say anything. Some can come into the office late without consequence, but others cannot. This is a small town and there aren't many other opportunities for employment elsewhere. This is starting to impact my home life. What advice can you offer to help me through this?
Sinking Fast

On February 20, Cargill Mine Manager, Shawn Wilczynski, presented Sciencenter Executive Director, Dean Briere, with a check for $100,000 in support of the Sciencenter's Science for All initiative. The Science for All initiative provides free field trips to the Sciencenter for all 2nd grade students in Cayuga County, in perpetuity.

"This generous donation from Cargill greatly expands the Sciencenter's field trip programming to now reach all of Cayuga County," said Sciencenter Executive Director, Dean Briere. "Thanks to Cargill every 2nd grade class will have the opportunity to visit the Sciencenter on programmed school field trips, for free, for as long as the Sciencenter stands. We are incredibly grateful to Cargill for making this possible."