Coming back from California has left me even more exhausted than usual, so updates are slow. Sorry about that! The regular flow of stories should resume shortly.
The biggest (though certainly not brightest) Dryden news of the day comes as breaking news: Marie Manos was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the May 15th drowning death of her niece.
I think this motorcycle accident took place in Dryden, though it doesn't specify. Whoops. Yesterday's article does, and has more detail on what happened.
Route 366 heading into Ithaca will be closed for much of July; I guess I'll be using Route 13 more often.
Anyone interested in the administration of local justice should read this article on yesterday's Ithaca hearing of the the Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts. Yesterday's editorial also looked at local courts.
Also, the consolidated administration of economic development funds in TCAD. The Journal hopes that the Empire Zone here will work out, despite the record of corruption they've left across the state.
Jay Gallagher has a depressing look at New York's continuing approach of three men in a room. The painful part for me is:
It's not as though actually making decisions in public is an alien concept in the country. Congress and most state legislatures have open meetings where panels of lawmakers "mark up" bills - making changes that they agree to be considered by their respective houses. They seem to get things done all the same.
Albany has a pale version of these "conference committees." Four have been meeting for weeks here to try to resolve differences over issues large (making it easier to build power plants) and small (limiting junk food in schools.) But it's clear to anyone sitting in on even a few of these meetings that they are authorized to do only what the leaders tell them. There have been some interesting discussions, but calling them "negotiations" is a stretch.
Somehow our legislature lacks imagination and willingness to look at how things get done elsewhere.
And NYSEG looks like it's becoming a Spanish company. Will that improve their awful relationship with regulators?
Posted by simon at June 27, 2007 5:14 PM in Ithaca Journal , crime , politics (state) , roads, traffic, and transit