October 30, 2005

Cleaning up Hammond Hill trails

It was a perfect day for a hike, and a perfect day for a Hammond Hill trail fixup day. This one ran a little differently from last year, so I followed a crew around and took pictures of them, though there were at least five other crews out there. Removing fallen trees and clearing brush were the main duties of...

Posted by simonstl at 10:41 PM

October 29, 2005

Town Board approves budget

The Town Board approved the budget on Thursday night with minor corrections (which I've added to the list). The budget has a property tax rate of $1.436410 per thousand, down from $1.477628, for a decrease of 2.8%, while the tax levy climbs from $912,241 to $958,525, for an increase of 4.8%. At the meeting they also approved the special permit...

Posted by simonstl at 05:23 PM

October 28, 2005

Hammond Hill trail repair update

Ann Leonard sends an update on Sunday's Hammond Hill trail repair: Update for Hammond Hill Trail Work and Dish to Pass October 30 8:30am There has been a tremendous response to the call for action from our terrific trail enthusiasts! Thank you, one and all, who have responded so far and welcome to all you who haven't stepped up to...

Posted by simonstl at 05:26 PM

October 23, 2005

$50,000 for firefighters; working for better math scores

This week's Dryden Courier leads with a picture of last week's press conference at which County Legislator Mike Lane and Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton announced $50,000 in funding for firefighting equipment at Dryden's Neptune Hose Company and Freeville's W.B. Strong. $35,000 at Dryden will pay for an emergency generator to let the fire hall operate as an communications center in case...

Posted by simonstl at 08:55 PM

October 22, 2005

Another trail repair day next Sunday

After the success of last year's trail repair day and party, Ann Leonard is hosting another repair day at Hammond Hill State Park: Hammond Hill Trails Fix Up Day and After Work Dish to Pass Lunch There will be trail work party/pot luck lunch on Sunday October 30. We will meet at Ann Leonard's house (46 Hammond Hill (map) ......

Posted by simonstl at 10:06 AM

September 25, 2005

Town Board meeting conflicts

I was planning to spend this weekend catching up on a number of stories, but instead wound up resting (for the first time in too long), painting and fixing storm windows, and replacing my windshield wiper blades after a chunk of what appears to have been wet cornbread came flying across Route 13 by the airport. Fraternity prank? Fortunately, the...

Posted by simonstl at 08:46 PM

September 15, 2005

The O.D. von Engeln Preserve

The Town of Dryden has a small but beautiful nature preserve, one that so far as I can tell relatively few people have discovered. The O.D. von Engeln Nature Preserve, owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy, includes 1.75 miles of trails and a kiosk explaining why the area is so special, tucked away off West Malloryville Road (map). Photos...

Posted by simonstl at 12:19 PM

Comprehensive Plan vote tonight

This evening's Town Board meeting includes a vote on the Comprehensive Plan, and one aspect of that plan gets a letter in the Ithaca Journal this morning from Robin Hadlock Seeley, who writes: Municipal trails proposed for private land violate traditionally recognized property rights and the basic need of individuals and families for privacy. A new state law placing a...

Posted by simonstl at 08:44 AM

August 18, 2005

Work on Varna railbed

The Comprehensive Plan definitely gives priority to the old railbeds for use as trails, with a vision of connection Dryden Lake to Dryden (done), Dryden to Freeville (in progress), Freeville to Varna, and Varna to the East Ithaca Recreation way. I hadn't heard of anything happening presently on the western end of this, so I was surprised to see heavy...

Posted by simonstl at 08:32 AM

August 12, 2005

Too little water, too much traffic

Jennie Daley reports on last night's Dryden Town Board meeting, highlighting problems residents reported with their water systems and traffic. Cathi Calori and Art Berkey presented their work on a possible water district for Ellis Hollow Road from Game Farm to Turkey Hill Road, as wells in the area are faltering. They'll be collecting signatures on a petition and asking...

Posted by simonstl at 08:21 AM

August 10, 2005

Youth Conservation Corps at work

There's all kinds of Dryden news in this morning's Ithaca Journal. They have a story on the Dryden Youth Conservation Corps' work on trails in the area, including a bridge at 4-H Acres, signs at the O.D. von Engeln Preserve in Malloryville, and information for a kiosk on the Jim Schug trail. The Town of Dryden Youth Commission oversees the...

Posted by simonstl at 07:29 AM

July 17, 2005

Comprehensive Plan debated at public hearing

Thursday night's public hearing on the proposed Town Comprehensive Plan demonstrated residents' concerns and hopes for these guidelines for future development in the Town of Dryden. The first speaker, after Supervisor Steve Trumbull had opened the hearing, noting that this process had been in the works for at least seven years, was Ken Miller, a farmer who has spoken at...

Posted by simonstl at 10:35 PM

July 06, 2005

Dryden Methodist pastor retires

Cathy Wakeman writes about Dryden United Methodist Church pastor David Nicholls' retirement in today's Ithaca Journal. Nicholls retired on Sunday after ten years at the church, and he and his wife Maxine plan to stay in the area. There's also an article on the planning for the Dryden-Freeville trail, which generally sounds to be moving forward except for this bit:...

Posted by simonstl at 07:42 AM

July 04, 2005

Graduation, trails

This week's Dryden Courier leads with the Dryden High School graduation, as well as congratulations given to the Dryden school board and superintendent. Inside the paper, there are articles on the plans for a Freeville-to-Dryden trail and one on the walk Rebecca Elgie and Bernie Fetterly took, including a stop at Dryden's Time Square park, to highlight health care issues...

Posted by simonstl at 04:07 PM

June 23, 2005

Dryden-Freeville Trail open house

My pictures didn't turn out particularly well, but there was a fascinating open house at Dryden Town Hall tonight, looking at what's involved in creating a Freeville to Dryden trail extending the current Jim Schug Trail. Creating this trail involves a complex set of players - the landowners, the town, the villages of Dryden and Freeville, George Junior Republic, the...

Posted by simonstl at 10:42 PM

April 11, 2005

Dryden Lake Trail not for snowmobiles

This morning's Ithaca Journal is quiet on Dryden except for one letter from Leslie Fladd of Dryden, who writes about snowmobiles on the Dryden Lake Trail when they're not supposed to be there. As Fladd puts it: The Dryden Lake Trail, particularly the portion running adjacent to the lake, is a tranquil oasis of beauty and peace, that is until...

Posted by simonstl at 08:14 AM

March 19, 2005

Planning Board recommends Comprehensive Plan

The Planning Board sent the Draft Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board on Thursday night, voting 6-0 to send it forward. Unlike the public hearing, the board didn't take public input this time, instead focusing on earlier comments. Apart from some minor language changes, the largest issue was a concern about the trail map. The board had previously removed lines...

Posted by simonstl at 04:40 PM

February 27, 2005

Catching up on the Februrary Town Board meeting

I've been slack in covering the February Town Board meeting, and the minutes are now available if you want full details on what happened. Some key moments stand out in the meeting, so here are some highlights. I've bolded subjects for easy looking around. After a long search, the Town Board appointed Kimberly Gazzo, a Village of Dryden resident who...

Posted by simonstl at 09:13 AM

February 06, 2005

Dryden's future? New comprehensive plan draft published

The Town of Dryden has posted a revised version of its Draft Comprehensive Plan. This is the one document I'd encourage everyone interested in the future shape of Dryden (including the villages, even though they're not included) to read. The Planning Board will be having a public hearing on this document February 17th at 7:15pm at Dryden Town Hall (map)...

Posted by simonstl at 01:31 PM

January 30, 2005

Hiking the Jim Schug Trail by Dryden Lake

Tracey and I went hiking today with friends down the very snowy Jim Schug Trail, mostly along Dryden Lake. It was a beautiful winter day, the snow lit by bright sun. Skiers on the Jim Schug Trail People were snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, and icefishing out on the lake. Icefishing on Dryden Lake It was a wonderful way to spend an...

Posted by simonstl at 08:43 PM

November 30, 2004

Dryden-Freeville trail update

Today's Ithaca Journal provides an update on plans for the trail from the Village of Dryden to Freeville. Environmental Planner Debbie Gross talks about hiring a contractor and the early planning. Trail landowner Warren Van Pelt talks about his concerns, and contractor Rick Manning talks about the engineering challenges involved and the possibility of interpretive signs. To the west of...

Posted by simonstl at 07:32 AM

November 12, 2004

Etna Fire Company issues

The Ithaca Journal reports this morning on last night's Town Board meeting, focusing on board members' growing concern with the reponse times of the Etna Fire Company. The board approved contracts for other departments, but not for Etna. The article also notes the appointment of a consultant for the Freeville-Dryden trail. A Lower Creek Road resident has been charged with...

Posted by simonstl at 08:05 AM

October 12, 2004

Hammond Hill trail restored

Ann Leonard, who organized the Hammond Hill Block Party in August wrote to report that the work is now finished: The work on Yellow One is complete! The DEC has finished spreading gravel where we agreed it needed it, and now, all we need to do is exercise a small amount of patience for about a week to let the...

Posted by simonstl at 08:00 PM

October 03, 2004

Monkey Run, nature preserve

I went for a hike today with friends down the south side of the old Monkey Run Road (coming off Route 366 above Varna) and then west along a trail above Fall Creek that went through the nature preserve to the Cornell research fields along 366, then along the old railroad bed to the start of the hike. Here are...

Posted by simonstl at 05:53 PM

September Town Board minutes

The minutes for both the September 9th and September 24th Town Board meetings are available. I missed the September 9th meeting, so it's good to catch up. Highlights include: A very quiet public hearing on increased costs for upgrading the Bolton Point water works, which were eventually approved. Neptune Fire Chief Ron Flynn introduced a new Director of Operations for...

Posted by simonstl at 05:46 PM

September 27, 2004

Trails category

Trails seem to be a constant issue in Dryden lately, so I've added a category to reflect that. If you want to see what's happening with trails, visit the trail category archive....

Posted by simonstl at 08:30 AM

September 26, 2004

Planning Board on subdivisions, trails, agriculture

The Dryden Planning Board met Thursday night, first approving a subdivision and changes to an existing subdivision, and then focusing on two of the more difficult parts of the Draft Comprehensive Plan, agriculture and trails. The first item on the agenda was a public hearing about a proposed subdivision at approximately 200 Hunt Hill Road (map). Kent Moore wanted to...

Posted by simonstl at 02:32 PM

September 16, 2004

Catching up with the Courier

I was away last week, so I'm covering two issues of the Dryden Courier in one article. Both issues focus on farming issues and the start of the school sports seasons. In the September 8th issue, Courier reporter Tony Hall looks at the difficulties caused by increasing costs on the Dryden elementary school renovations and the challenges of extending the...

Posted by simonstl at 05:38 PM

September 09, 2004

More trail work on Hammond Hill Saturday

As exciting as the Hammond Hill block party August 21st was, wet conditions kept them from finishing the trail work. There's a bit left to do, if you're looking for something good to do on Saturday morning. Ann Leonard writes: Charlie and I spread almost all the remainder of the gravel on the trail this Monday and Tuesday evenings, hurrying...

Posted by simonstl at 11:00 AM

September 04, 2004

Schools watch roofs; county transportation

Dryden appears briefly in this morning's Journal, mentioned once in an article about schools inspecting their roofs after a collapse in Washingtonville, and once in an article on the start of football season. The county is working on a long-range transportation plan. There will be a public meeting on the plan from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Thursday at the Tompkins...

Posted by simonstl at 10:11 AM

August 21, 2004

Hammond Hill block party

Wow. Ann Leonard knows how to throw a great party. Start with a few hours of shoveling mud in the rain, then head back to a camp area where barbecued chicken is waiting, people are playing music (including bagpipes), orienteering and history information is available, ornithologists are trying to capture birds, runners are getting ready, and riders on horseback come...

Posted by simonstl at 04:50 PM

Events today

If you're looking for something to do today, I know of at least two events worth visiting: Varna is having a collection of yard sales from 9am to 3pm. I helped set up last night at the Varna Community Center, where a highlight is Art Berkey's lovely refurbished hand tools, and there will be other sales throughout the hamlet. I...

Posted by simonstl at 08:22 AM

August 12, 2004

Accused restaurant robber skips bail

This week's Dryden Courier has a lot of detail on Mao Shen Lin, who failed to show up to his trial for kidnapping and attempted grand larceny last week after posting $200,000 bail. Mao Shen Lin was arrested in connection with an attempted robbery at the Song Tao restaurant in the Village of Dryden last November. In brighter news, the...

Posted by simonstl at 12:53 PM

July 21, 2004

Principal, roads, 2-for-1 cats

Wednesdays are often busy Dryden days in the Ithaca Journal, but today's issue is overflowing. Doug Premo, Dryden Intermediate School Principal for grades three through five, is leaving for a job in Ballston Spa after fifteen months in Dryden. He'll be departing July 30th, and the board is looking for an interim principal and a replacement. In happier news, the...

Posted by simonstl at 08:29 AM

July 12, 2004

Environmental issues at July Town Board meeting

The Environmental Planner's report examined the need to revise the Town Hazard Mitigation Plan and a kiosk on the Jim Schug Trail. Debbie Gross reported in a letter (247KB PDF) that while "Dryden chose not to participate in [the county hazard mitigation plan] process because Dryden already had a recently developed plan... Dryden needs to go through an update process......

Posted by simonstl at 07:30 PM

July 08, 2004

Supervisor Trumbull on golf course

This morning's Ithaca Journal includes a letter from Dryden Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull about the Lakeview Golf Course. It doesn't say that the town is buying the course. Instead, "We want to dispel the notion that the town board is blocking private enterprise in order for the town to take over the course. Rather, the board wants to encourage those...

Posted by simonstl at 08:41 AM

July 07, 2004

Nature preserve, Supplies for Success

This week's Our Towns section in the Ithaca Journal takes a look at the creation of the O.D. von Engeln Preserve in Malloryville, which hosts pitcher plants, carnivorous sundews, and native orchids. Its two miles of trails are attracting a "steady stream" of visitors. In this week's Dryden Town Talk, Cathy Wakeman talks about Adam Pamel's Eagle Scout project, the...

Posted by simonstl at 08:44 AM

May 21, 2004

Golf course discussion at Town Board

Posted by simonstl at 12:45 PM

March 19, 2004

Cayuga Trails Club hike Sunday

The Cayuga Trails Club will be hiking on Sunday at 1pm, starting from the Liddel Laboratory on Freese Road, between Varna and Hanshaw Road. It's a "Walk, look, and learn" hike, and contact information is available on their site. This reminds me that I'm working on building an events calendar for activities in Dryden; if you have events you'd like...

Posted by simonstl at 10:03 AM

February 27, 2004

February Town Board meeting minutes

I didn't make it to this month's Town Board meeting, so I was especially interested to see the minutes which recently appeared. As a number of issues were discussed at different points in the meeting, the summary below attempts to cluster information by subject rather than time. Citizens question the town The meeting started with Robin Seeley's question about actions...

Posted by simonstl at 08:37 AM

February 25, 2004

Traffic calming meeting in Varna

Last night's meeting on "Speed Control on Rural Roads" at the Varna Community Center was very different from a similar meeting in West Danby, but brought up lots of issues specific to the Town of Dryden, especially Varna, Etna, and the Ellis Hollow area. About twenty people attended, mostly from southwest Dryden, though Bruce Brittain of Forest Home was there,...

Posted by simonstl at 05:20 PM

February 18, 2004

Jim Schug Trail groomed for cross-country skiing

The Ithaca Journal reports that the Jim Schug Trail from Dryden Lake to the Village of Dryden has been groomed for cross-country skiing. The Dryden Caroline Drifters Snowmobile Club has volunteered to groom it weekly during the winter. (Elizabeth Gutchess has posted a year-round tour of the Jim Schug Trail, and general trail information is available from the New York...

Posted by simonstl at 08:33 AM

January 16, 2004

January Town Board meeting reflections

After nearly a day, the Town Board meeting last night seems to have had four main Dryden-related themes: More interest in efficiency than public input Sewer pump with problems Storm water a growing issue Recreation and trails as important services The first one, of course, is the most troubling, though hopefully things will improve as the board settles in. On...

Posted by simonstl at 05:48 PM

December 28, 2003

When Route 13 moved

Whenever I look at a map of Tompkins County, I look for the distinctively-shaped intersection of Routes 13 and 366. Even if a map doesn't have road labels, it stands out pretty clearly. It wasn't always that way, however - Route 366 through Varna and Ithaca used to be Route 13, until they built the new road through Lansing. I...

Posted by simonstl at 09:56 AM