Living in Dryden

Varna to get $20K for generator

Update: Wow, the overall state data is a snarl. The Journal's Saturday article used old data, making the discussion below into an incredible tangle. Start with the latest article on it, then jump down to Varna.

Saturday's Journal also noted that state legislators were handing out $147 million for community projects, in member-item spending. It's a grotesque system, and the article notes for example that Senate Republicans, who have a 32-30 majority, have $88 million to hand out, while Senate Democrats get $992,000.

Update: There's more on the Assembly spending at The Albany Project. The Assembly Democrats, who have a 106-42 majority, spent $57.3 million on their projects while Republicans spent $4.9 million.It's a mere 11-1 ratio instead of an 88-1 ratio, but only looks better because the Senate numbers are so grossly disproportionate. Update: It looks like the Journal article's numbers were wrong, or maybe for 2007. This piece on the Senate spending suggests that the Senate Republicans have $76.096 million to hand out, and Senate Democrats have $8.983 million. That's more like 8-1 than 88-1, though still pretty awful.

Some of that money, of course, is coming to this area. I haven't managed to sort out Senator Seward's spending yet, but deep inside the barely-organized PDF file of Assembly items (they couldn't make it easy to see the spending, you know!) is this item:

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
VARNA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC.
943 DRYDEN ROAD - P.O. BOX 4771
ITHACA, NY 14852
(607) 272-2658
Name of Project Director:
DAWN POTTER
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 40KW MULTI-FUEL GENERATOR. WORKING WITH TOMPKINS COUNTY RED CROSS, VARNA COMMUNITY CENTER HAS BECOME AN EMERGENCY SHELTER.
Funded Amount:
$20,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

The Varna Community Center also now has a walk-in refrigerator and freezer to support the emergency shelter project, which has had mixed levels of support from the town in past administrations. I hadn't heard that much about this piece of it lately until I stumbled on it in that file.

I've put the rest of the items that were solely sponsored by Assemblywoman Lifton in the extended entry, and I'll do the same for Senator Seward when my patience returns. Search... cut... paste... argh. Feeling impatient? Here's the Senate list of 5,191 items, on 5,191 pages.

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
ZAP (ZERO ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY) PROGRAM
60 CENTRAL AVENUE
CORTLAND, NY 13045
(607) 758-5586
Name of Project Director:
ELAINE LAMBERT
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO TRAIN PEER EDUCATORS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT, HELPING TEENS TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES AND POSITIVE BEHAVIOR.
Funded Amount:
$10,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
CORTLAND DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, INC.
P.O. BOX 224
CORTLAND, NY 13045
(607) 342-6460
Name of Project Director:
LLOYD PURDY
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPLACE AGING PHYSICAL STREET SCAPE; PROMOTE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT; ERECT BUSINESS DIRECTORY MAPS; INSTALL LED LIGHTING AND HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ELEMENTS.
Funded Amount:
$12,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
ENFIELD VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, INC.
172 ENFIELD MAIN ROAD
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 273-8256
Name of Project Director:
SEAN OWENS
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPLACE MALFUNCTIONING THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA.
Funded Amount:
$10,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
ITHACA BREAST CANCER ALLIANCE
612 WEST SENECA STREET
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 277-0960
Name of Project Director:
SHAWN GALBREATH
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPLACE 50 YEAR OLD WINDOWS WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT-UPGRADED, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WINDOWS.
Funded Amount:
$26,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
SPEEDSVILLE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
262 DIAMOND ROAD
BERKSHIRE, NY 13736
(607) 657-8379
Name of Project Director:
DON BARBER
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR UPGRADES TO THE COMMUNITY HALL, INCLUDING FOUNDATION REPAIR AND PLUMBING UPGRADES.
Funded Amount:
$3,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
EAST END COMMUNITY CENTER
46 ELM STREET
CORTLAND, NY 13045
(607) 428-0497
Name of Project Director:
JAMES C. NICHOLS
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO CONTINUE THE “SOUTH END COMMUNITY POLICING DETAIL.”
Funded Amount:
$25,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
TOMPKINS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
101 EAST GREEN STREET
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 272-4557
Name of Project Director:
JANET STEINAR
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE SUNDAY STAFFING FOR LIBRARY HOURS.
Funded Amount:
$18,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
TOMPKINS COUNTY OFFICE FOR THE AGING
320 N. TIOGA STREET
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 274-5482
Name of Project Director:
LISA HOLMES
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ALERT (PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE) MACHINES TO FRAIL, ELDERLY AND DISABLED RESIDENTS OF TOMPKINS COUNTY.
Funded Amount:
$10,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
OFFICE FOR THE AGING

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
FINGER LAKES INDEPENDENCE CENTER, INC.
215 FIFTH STREET
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 272-2433
Name of Project Director:
LENORE SCHWAGER
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED TO REPLACE THE OUTDATED COMPUTERS WHICH LIMIT THE SCOPE AND CAPACITY OF PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE FINGER LAKES INDEPENDENCE CENTER.
Funded Amount:
$6,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
VILLAGE AT ITHACA
P.O. BOX 6776
ITHACA, NY 14851
(607) 256-0780
Name of Project Director:
CAL WALKER
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NETWORK AND REFERRAL DATABASE THAT WILL CONNECT UNDERSERVED YOUTH TO PROGRAMS, SUPPORTS AND SERVICES.
Funded Amount:
$20,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
HISTORIC ITHACA, INC. - THE CLINTON HOUSE
116 CAYUGA STREET, N.
ITHACA, NY 14850
(607) 273-5796
Name of Project Director:
VICTORIA ROMANOFF
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE CLINTON HOUSE, INCLUDING ROOF REPAIR, REPAIR OF FALLING STUCCO, MORTAR JOINTS, ATTIC INSULATION AND CARPENTRY REPAIR TO ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL.
Funded Amount:
$20,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION

SFY 2008-2009 LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE FORM
Legal Name, Address, and Telephone Number:
CORTLAND COLLEGE CHILDREN CENTER
TWIN TOWERS, ROOM 131
CORTLAND, NY 13045
(607) 753-5955
Name of Project Director:
JOHANNA HARTNETT
Purpose of Project:
FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MOVING THE CHILD CARE CENTER, ENABLING MULTIPURPOSE ROOM ACCESSIBILITY FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, SUNY STUDENTS INTERESTED IN PROVIDING CHILD CARE LEARNING TOOLS, LENDING LIBRARY, STAFF DEVELOPMENT, ETC.
Funded Amount:
$20,000
Requested By:
LIFTON
Name of Administering State Agency:
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK