April 5, 2008

Freeville resident reflects on Tibet

Finally catching up with a week or so of the Ithaca Journal -

Freeville resident Rachel Dickinson reflects on her visit to Tibet in July 2006 in the light of recent riots, concluding sadly:

It makes me so sad to think of what is happening in Tibet today. I imagined that China would try to capitalize on Tibet's quaintness and that the trouble between the Tibetans and the Chinese would be postponed until the power struggle that's sure to ensue when this Dalai Lama dies. But how naïve I am. As I sit in my house in Freeville and read news stories about Tibet from all over the world I am sickened by the violence and fear for the country's future as either a sovereign or autonomous region. And I look at the tattered prayer flag I brought back from Tibet and have hanging in my overgrown wintered-over garden and know that whatever happens won't be good.

A fire on Wood Road in Freeville last Saturday morning displaced two people. The Freeville, Dryden, Etna, Cayuga Heights, McLean and Varna fire companies responded.

An article on firefighter training at Pyramid Mall mentions that the Dryden Fire Department has "Firefighter Assist Search Teams, known as FAST".

How They Voted in the Tompkins County Legislature includes unanimous approval for "Sincere appreciation to W.B. Strong Fire Company and Freeville Fire Department" and a 13-1 vote on "Authorization to execute a contract for engineering services for Caswell Road landfill leachate disposal study". They're also still looking for a new county administrator.

The big news at the county level this week is the state's finding probable cause to hear a sexual harassment and retaliation case against Sheriff Peter Meskill based on charges from Ithaca Alderwoman Robin Holtham Korherr. There was a more detailed report on the process, with some skepticism from the County Attorney, and today there's a much detailed report of the allegations against Meskill.

At the state level, I mentioned Don Barber's announcement of a run for State Senate and Jim Seward's scornful comments earlier.

Posted by simon at April 5, 2008 1:56 PM in , , , ,
Note on photos