This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that 10 to 15% increases in the cost of materials may force changes in plans for elementary school renovation. The Dryden Central School Board will have to look at a list of options and choose priorities.
In the Our Towns section, Jennie Daley reports on the double festival weekend coming September 11th, with both the Ellis Hollow Fair and Freeville Harvest Festival held that weekend. (I'll be out of town, unfortunately.)
Cathy Wakeman writes about the recent availability of massage services in Dryden, as well as the Southworth Library book sale, which will run from September 16th to September 18th at Neptune Hose Company. The Library is accepting donations through September 11th.
The Dryden Briefs announce that the Recreation Department will be sponsoring girls' field hockey starting September 8th, with practices Monday and Wednesday afternoons. They're also sponsoring a football competition, the Pepsi Punt, Pass, and Kick, on September 11th. The Conservation Board continues to seek a new member as well.
If you're wondering whether the rain we've had lately is a record, it sort of is. The Journal reports that the Ithaca area had a record number of days of rain from June to August, with 49 days. The previous record was 46, set in 1947. The quantity of rain in August, 7.63 inches, is also well above the average which (if I'm reading weather.com right) is 3.61 inches. I'm a little confused by the total rain for June, July, and August being 17.53 inches, when they say the wettest summer was 1935's 15.19 inches, but maybe they're counting summer the season in that paragraph rather than June-August.
In county news, the Journal reports on last night's jail and county executive forum where no one favored either project.
On the opinion page, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton replies to the Journal's earlier disappointment in her work on making TCAT a public authority. Unfortunately, while she believes "this is an instance where the state unions and the Assembly leadership need to be more flexible," she doesn't come near addressing the Journal's question of "So, just who runs the state Assembly?" When the process itself is broken, pointing to a lack of flexibility as the problem isn't much of an answer.
A number of speakers at last night's forum suggested that it would be nice if the energy that went into last night's public forum on changing the county form of government could be directed at our state government. It's hard to disagree with that when introducing bills that have a substantial effect on our public transportation system would be "posturing ... a waste of government resources."
Lifton is apparently still working toward compromise legislation.
Posted by simon at September 1, 2004 8:27 AM in Ithaca Journal , politics (local) , politics (state) , recreation , schools (Dryden) , weather