This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that funding for a $10.6 million expansion at Tompkins Cortland Community College is finally in the state budget, after last year's veto of the money and the slowly unfolding failure to override that veto. As the Dryden Courier noted earlier, there are still sewer issues to work out for the expansion. TC3 also got increases in operating aid and had rental aid restored.
The Ithaca City School District will be having budget information meetings from April 27 to May 14th around the district.
The Journal's editorial questions secrecy around the county's emergency communication network planning, concluding that:
without full public dialogue throughout the process, lawmakers abandon their political responsibility to govern openly and they abandon the genius of the people they serve. How many towers are needed? Where should they be? Will it work? Will it really cost taxpayers no more than $20 million? Is this all headed in the right direction?
All good questions; all impossible to discuss when the only people who know the details meet in a room with the doors closed.
This isn't spring break or Barry Manilow. This is millions of dollars and the safety of 100,000 lives. Hide the specs from the terrorists and the top price from the real estate lawyers, but shed the secrecy for the rest of us.
Otherwise, the only thing you'll build is suspicion.
Finally, though it's not in Dryden, I highly recommend an excursion to the 22nd annual Finger Lakes Railfair, which will be held this Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and this Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm at The Field (map), sponsored by the Cornell Railroad Historical Society. My N scale model railroad stuff is sadly in the attic now (no space, even for N), but the railfair is a great place to find out all kinds of things about railroading.
Also, just west of Dryden, the Cornell Vet School will be having "Feline Follies", a cat show, held Saturday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.
Posted by simon at April 19, 2005 7:51 AM in Ithaca Journal , TC3 , emergency services , schools (Ithaca)