This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on last night's public meeting to discuss the possible annexation of an area north of Dryden to the Village. Dryden Mutual Insurance has applied to be annexed to the Village, and there are large questions about sewer and water service in the area. Annexing parcel by parcel is a slow process that costs a lot and makes planning and infrastructure difficult. The Town and Village Boards will have a joint meeting on March 2nd to discuss the Dryden Mutual petition.
The Journal profiles the Rhythm and Blues BBQ in Dryden, where owner Chrystal Goodband serves ribs, burgers, and BBQ. The decorations are more interactive than they are at most restaurants:
Working musical instruments hang on the wall and a piano is tucked in the corner. Goodband finds music an essential ingredient to any dining, or working, experience. Patrons are welcome to grab any of wall decorations and serenade patrons. On a recent Friday, a group of Dryden teachers tickled the ivories after a week of work and brought along a trumpet for a duet.
Parents are unhappy about Ithaca elementary school redistricting, though only a sliver of the western edge of Dryden near Varna is affected.
The county is looking into the possibility of an income tax to offset increasing property taxes. While I'd much prefer to see taxation based on income rather than property (and suspect retired residents and farmers would as well), I have to agree with County Legislator Martha Robertson that:
"Every decision on tax policy has winners and losers," said Martha Robertson, D-Dryden. She asked for such a list to be prepared when a study committee gives another report.
I'm glad they're going slowly, in any case. If all the counties in the area went for this, it could be a good thing, but it may not make sense in the context of surrounding areas with different tax policies.
Speaking of tax policy, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton will be having a teach-in on federal and state tax policy on Saturday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Women's Community Building (map). Meanwhile, State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is looking for "$7 or 8 billion" in revenue.
The Journal's editorial suggests that healthy food may be a way forward for New York farming.
Dryden Town Clerk Bambi Hollenbeck is among the signers of a letter criticizing the state for making decisions about voting equipment without any consultation with the towns and the possible centralization of voting machine ownership at the county level.
Posted by simon at February 9, 2005 8:14 AM in Ithaca Journal , Village of Dryden , agriculture , politics (local) , politics (state) , public finance , schools (Ithaca) , water and sewer