August 28, 2012

Five arrested in Dryden

I was a little surprised to find police activity lighting up my Facebook feed last night, but by the time we drove down West Main Street, everything seemed quiet again. Five men were arrested when what started as a noise...

Posted by simon at 5:31 PM

July 10, 2012

Two years after the arson

There's still no conclusion about the arson fire at Ithaca Police officer Bryan Bangs' Etna home....

Posted by simon at 3:59 PM

December 14, 2011

Holiday happenings and gardening

As usual, go read Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column. This time it's mostly holiday-related, with a bit on the Dryden Community Garden's classes. There's an update on sentencing of a Dryden teen for sexual contact with a 13-year-old. And...

Posted by simon at 12:36 PM

November 14, 2011

Economic development done wrong

Tracy Marisa of the Dryden Safe Energy Coalition (and of the One of Nine blog) has a Guest Viewpoint on how New York's Regional Economic Councils are heading the wrong way. Most of it strikes me as the usual Republican...

Posted by simon at 7:55 PM

November 1, 2011

Stolen Dryden car found in Ithaca

Two teens, one from Dryden, one from Groton, were found driving a stolen Dryden car in Ithaca last week. There's another piece about Thursday's recreation meeting at Town Hall, this one with a lot more detail and some pictures of...

Posted by simon at 8:23 AM

October 29, 2011

A human side effect of gas drilling

When I think about the possible impact of shale gas drilling on my own neighborhood, I certainly worry about the potential environmental impact of a well pad up the hill from my house. For most of Varna, though, that well...

Posted by simon at 10:01 PM

September 24, 2011

Rape case in Dryden?

The Ithaca Independent and Ithaca Journal are both reporting on a rape case involving a Connecticut man and a Town of Ithaca woman that's in Dryden Town Court. It's not clear from the reporting if the alleged crime actually happened...

Posted by simon at 10:06 PM

September 21, 2011

Fort Drum soldier captured in Dryden

I'm way behind on local news, but hopefully this will catch up on some. A soldier from Fort Drum was captured in Dryden. It sounds like he had just been bailed out on burglary charges, when he escaped in his...

Posted by simon at 12:23 PM

July 7, 2011

Still no answers in Etna arson

It's been almost a year since a fire destroyed Ithaca Police Sergeant Bryan Bangs' Etna home, but there's no news yet on who might have done it: "We are still actively investigating the Bangs arson case. It is still open....

Posted by simon at 5:10 PM

July 1, 2011

Heroin arrest in Dryden

And from a storage locker on 366 somewhere... The Ithaca Independent has the story: 638 envelopes of heroin worth $15,950... The arrest of Daniel and Lorraine Pierce were made after Ithaca Police searched an East Buffalo Street apartment and a...

Posted by simon at 7:23 AM

June 27, 2011

Search continues for missing Freeville XtraMart manager

It's been a long time since I last wrote about missing Freeville XtraMart manager Bethanie "Buffy" Dougherty, but a poster looking for her has stayed up at the XtraMart all that time: Looking for Bethany Dougherty. Recently, a donation jar...

Posted by simon at 12:56 PM

May 24, 2011

Virginian arrested in Malloryville

US Marshals came to Dryden early Monday morning and arrested Robert Neil Adlon on burglary, larceny, and fraud charges in Virginia. He apparently was "hiding in a small camper trailer" and found asleep. Local police will be busy this weekend,...

Posted by simon at 5:48 AM

May 17, 2011

State Trooper honored for work on Varna thefts

This month's Office of the Month is State Trooper Seth Littlejohn. His investigation of a Varna burglary led to two arrests and the recovery of more than $1000 of stolen property taken from the Varna Community Association and Habitat for...

Posted by simon at 7:40 AM

March 26, 2011

Arrest in armed robbery; census; who matters?

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on yesterday's arrest of a suspect in an armed robbery on East Main Street last week. The Town of Dryden grew 7% over the last ten years, moving from 13,532 to 14,435. The villages of...

Posted by simon at 11:09 AM

March 19, 2011

Armed robbery in Dryden?

I've heard several times now of an armed robbery in the Village of Dryden, but the Ithaca Journal hasn't had a report and the Cortland Standard didn't choose that article as the one they posted for the day to their...

Posted by simon at 8:07 AM

March 12, 2011

Schickel on prevailing wage laws

Builder Bruno Schickel found some time away from Dryden zoning to write a piece on New York State's prevailing wage laws for municipal construction. I was a little surprised by the comments, expecting the usual conservative cheering commenting squad, but...

Posted by simon at 6:12 AM

March 2, 2011

Dryden school levy to climb six percent?

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden schools' tax levy may climb 6% this year in the face of state aid cuts and Governor Cuomo's proposed property tax cap. Even with that 6% tax increase, the budget's overall size...

Posted by simon at 8:27 AM

February 1, 2011

Not so clearly a kidnapping

The Dryden resident accused of kidnapping a Ithaca man was released: Judge Christopher Clauson released Jason H. Smith, 25, after his preliminary felony hearing in Dryden Town Court Thursday, said Smith's attorney William P. Sellers IV. Clauson found that Assistant...

Posted by simon at 7:58 AM

January 29, 2011

Car stolen at Kinney Drug

I noted earlier that Dryden police warned of thefts from cars, but yesterday someone apparently went further and stole a whole vehicle "containing pharmaceutical and medical items". In other news, the Tompkins County Council of Governments opposes the property tax...

Posted by simon at 6:24 AM

January 24, 2011

Kidnapped to Mineah Road

A 21-year-old Mineah Road resident was charged with kidnapping Saturday for allegedly abducting an 18-year-old at gunpoint. The State Department of Environmental Conservation seems to be moving closer to allowing gas drilling on state forest land. (There's an earlier release...

Posted by simon at 8:28 AM

January 22, 2011

Dryden man indicted for child pornography

The Ithaca Journal reports that the Tompkins County grand jury has indicted a 45-year-old Dryden man with possessing and promoting child pornography. There's an article about property taxes going up across the county that never actually gets to Dryden, so...

Posted by simon at 7:18 AM

January 20, 2011

George Agency resident escapes to Syracuse

The Journal seems filled with crime stories that leave me wondering "I can't figure out how they thought they'd get away with that." The more dramatic one is a fifteen year old's flight Monday from Freeville to Syracuse. He appears...

Posted by simon at 7:22 AM

January 17, 2011

Lock Up in Dryden

The Ithaca Journal reports that Village of Dryden police are asking residents to watch out following a series of break-ins to residences and cars. All have been through unlocked doors, apparently. We talked a bit about this Thursday night at...

Posted by simon at 7:40 AM

January 12, 2011

Dryden school budget; gas drilling conversations

I think most folks figured that this would be an even worse year than last for school budgets, and sure enough, Dryden is looking at a difficult year: "The district will have to cut more than $1.8 million [from $32.9...

Posted by simon at 12:23 PM

December 4, 2010

Pellet gun, pornography, Varna, more

There are lots of Dryden pieces in the Ithaca Journal over the last few days. On the dark side, there's a Dryden student in trouble for bringing a pellet gun to school. A Dryden man was arrested on child pornography...

Posted by simon at 12:00 PM

November 23, 2010

Ancient water line problem grows

An 1890s water line runs from the Village of Dryden along North Road to the TC3 Head Start building, and its slow collapse is causing problems. Because it's outside of the village, the village can't repair it; because there's no...

Posted by simon at 5:54 AM

September 24, 2010

Dryden plays minor role in Ithaca police story

This morning's Ithaca Journal has a long article on Ithaca Police Office Jason Lansing's resignation after evidence grew of his using drugs and associating with convicted drug dealers. Dryden turns up in passage like: Lansing told investigators he had abused...

Posted by simon at 12:18 PM

August 20, 2010

Lots of small Ithaca Journal pieces

The Ithaca Journal's news coverage keeps shrinking, and the paper is looking more and more like a general Upstate paper with stories of local interest. There are still lots of interesting bits, but overall I find it less compelling every...

Posted by simon at 7:26 AM

August 4, 2010

Assault on James Street

Somehow "running his mouth" led to "severe head trauma" in a fight at a home on James Street. Enfield opted to change from collecting their share of sales tax to applying it as a credit to their county tax to...

Posted by simon at 6:47 AM

July 30, 2010

Dog helps detect arson

Fire investigators had a little canine help when they determined that the fire at Bryan Bangs house was arson. His gray coat, inquisitive eyes and friendly disposition invite smiles and pats. But it's that black nose that makes Shadow so...

Posted by simon at 5:08 PM

July 23, 2010

Arson, ash borers, building

Today's Ithaca Journal editorial reflects on the recent arson at the Etna home of Ithaca Police officer Bryan Bangs: This is not the Ithaca we have come to know and respect. A community where differences and frayed feelings, even over...

Posted by simon at 12:45 PM

July 12, 2010

Etna fire ruled arson

That was quick: Fire at officer's home ruled arson. Fire investigators determined a blaze that destroyed an Ithaca police officer's Etna home was arson, state police said Monday.... State fire investigators, with the aid of City of Ithaca fire investigators...

Posted by simon at 1:20 PM

Fire in Etna connected to shooting in Ithaca?

Fire investigators will be working overtime to determine the cause of a fire early Sunday morning at the Etna house of Bryan Bangs, the Ithaca Police Sergeant recently cleared in the February Shawn Greenwood shooting. Officers were trying to arrest...

Posted by simon at 7:44 AM

February 23, 2010

Hydrofracking chemicals discussion Tuesday night at TC3

If you can get to TC3 tomorrow night for a 6:30pm-8:30pm hydrofracking chemicals discussion, please do, or consider watching the live stream or replays the Ithaca Journal website will be hosting. Also in the Journal, sentencings for Dryden burglaries and...

Posted by simon at 12:32 AM

January 11, 2010

Making the most of the snow

The Ithaca Journal reports that Hammond Hill was busy Saturday, as the Cayuga Nordic Ski Club held its 25th annual 10K ski race for club members, as well as a 5K race and a children's race. The night before, the...

Posted by simon at 12:18 PM

October 19, 2009

Bad week for TC3 dorms

I don't remember seeing much about criminal activity in the TC3 dormitories before, but the past week has had a burst. First, a recently-departed student overdosed on mushrooms and later stabbed a nurse in Cortland, and then three students were...

Posted by simon at 4:30 PM

October 7, 2009

Dealing in retirement?

I don't even know what to say about this one: Dryden Police accused Frank B. Sears, 66, for trafficking in several types of prescription drugs, including more than 500 oxycodone, morphine sulfate, opana, vicoprofen and diazepam tablets and pills of...

Posted by simon at 7:13 PM

September 30, 2009

Scam avoidance, weekend activities

This morning's Ithaca Journal has an article on Freeville resident Don Decker's escape from a swindle, and tells the story of a variety of ripoffs. The cashier's check scam, in which someone sends a much-larger than necessary check as payment...

Posted by simon at 7:14 AM

March 2, 2009

From Staff Reports

I noticed Saturday that the Journal seemed behind on reporting the approaching conclusion of the Shirley Kinge case. I picked up this morning's Journal, and noticed the headline at the top of the front page: "Judge to decide damages owed...

Posted by simon at 8:52 AM

February 28, 2009

Local elections an opportunity

I'm not sure why the Ithaca Journal seems to have left this letter off its online opinion page for Thursday, but Village of Dryden mayoral candidate Wendy Martin wrote a piece that feels just right to me: Dragging on my...

Posted by simon at 9:57 AM

May 2, 2008

Dryden school taxes barely climb

Now there's a fun headline. The Dryden schools' property tax levy will climb less than 1% this year. Spending increased 6.48%, but state aid increased 10%. This is a year to be nervous about state aid, however, as the prospects...

Posted by simon at 8:52 AM

April 30, 2008

Vigil for missing woman tonight

There will be a vigil for Bethanie Dougherty tonight in Marathon at 7:00pm. Dougherty, of Killawog, was a manager-in-training at the Freeville XtraMart on Routes 13 and 366 until her disappearance April 1st....

Posted by simon at 8:01 AM

April 14, 2008

More on TC3 security

Saturday's Ithaca Journal had an article on changes to campus security, including TC3 security. There's also a piece that interviews students about it. A Dryden resident was sentenced to probation and restitution for theft committed while managing the Ithaca AutoZone....

Posted by simon at 7:42 AM

April 9, 2008

New Dryden schools superintendent

(There was a lot in yesterday's Journal and today's Journal about Dryden, so I'll post separate stories.) The Dryden school district will have a new superintendent who's familiar with the district: Dryden Elementary School Principal Sandra Sherwood. She'll start July...

Posted by simon at 8:27 PM

April 5, 2008

Convenience store manager missing

The Cortland Standard's ever-smaller web version is easier to catch up with, though not entirely happy. There's an article on a missing manager of a Dryden convenience store, who was last seen at her Killawog home Tuesday night. They also...

Posted by simon at 2:25 PM

March 13, 2008

Spitzer resigns; 25 to life for Manos

Governor Spitzer announced his resignation; Lieutenant Governor David Paterson will be sworn in as Governor on Monday at noon. The Journal looks at the likely minimal local impact, and lets State Senator Jim Seward kick around the Upstate-Downstate theme that...

Posted by simon at 7:07 PM

February 27, 2008

State liable for falsified evidence

This morning's Ithaca Journal has a story on the continuing echoes of one of the darker stories of Dryden's past, the Harris family murders of 1989. The New York State Court of Claims - which pretty much decides which lawsuits...

Posted by simon at 12:20 PM

February 23, 2008

SWAT team called to Sheldon Road

This morning's Journal reports on a standoff on Sheldon Road Thursday night and Friday that led to the SWAT team coming in. Fortunately it was resolved through negotiation. There's also How They Voted in the Tompkins County Legislature. The only...

Posted by simon at 11:03 AM

February 14, 2008

Practitioners moving about

I'm still catching up from a couple of days in New York City, but Cathy Wakeman wrote yesterday about medical professionals moving from practice to practice. She also notes a grant that helped Southworth Library buy 54 new children's books....

Posted by simon at 12:30 PM

February 12, 2008

Diet pill theft

I'm not quite sure why diet pills are so exciting, but it looks like someone been shoplifting them in Dryden and Trumansburg. Looking further out, there's a piece on the county workforce, an article on a consortium including TC3 to...

Posted by simon at 11:32 AM

February 8, 2008

Manos convicted

Last night, the jury found Marie Manos guilty of the second-degree murder of her niece on May 15th. (I'd missed noting yesterday's article on the defense in the trial.) On the opinion page, Maureen Brull of Dryden encourages readers to...

Posted by simon at 8:55 AM

February 4, 2008

More Manos trial news

It's been a busy few days, and I need to catch up with the Journal before it becomes too much to catch up with... Saturday's paper had the latest testimony from the Manos trial, and today's has reflections on the...

Posted by simon at 12:25 PM

January 31, 2008

Varna firefighters testify at Manos trial

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the latest from the Manos trial. Yesterday's testimony focused on Grace Manos' condition after the bathtub incident, and included testimony from the Varna Fire Company paramedics who treated her. There's also a report on...

Posted by simon at 8:51 AM

January 30, 2008

Jazz Knights tonight

Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reminds readers that the United States Military Academy Jazz Knights will be at the Dryden High School auditorium tonight, with a workshop for students at 6:00pm and a concert at 7:00pm. Wakeman also looks at...

Posted by simon at 12:54 PM

January 29, 2008

Manos trial begins

This morning's Journal reports on the start of the Marie Manos murder trial. They selected a jury yesterday, and opening statements are today....

Posted by simon at 12:59 PM

January 28, 2008

TC3 commons, sewer agreement, organic farming

Saturday's Cortland Standard is loaded with Dryden news. There's an article on the opening of the TC3 Learning Commons, an article on the agreement between the Town and Village of Dryden on the Cortland Road Sewer Contract, and an update...

Posted by simon at 8:52 AM

January 16, 2008

Deployment ceremony tonight

Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk in this morning's Journal lists a lot of happenings, including one tonight: There will be a deployment ceremony at 6:00pm tonight for 87 men and women going to Afghanistan for a year. The ceremony will...

Posted by simon at 8:58 AM

January 14, 2008

Drive-by deer shooting in Varna

At the pancake breakfast on Sunday, I heard one of the crazier stories I've heard in a while. One of the women working the breakfast mentioned a "drive-by shooting", and I wondered what had happened. Fortunately, it wasn't against humans...

Posted by simon at 9:13 PM

January 8, 2008

64 on Game Farm Road

This morning's Journal reports unseasonable temperatures, a January spring. It peaked at 62 at the airport yesterday and 64 on Game Farm Road, and we'll see similar temperatures today. There was a closed hearing in the Manos murder case yesterday,...

Posted by simon at 8:50 AM

December 29, 2007

Popular news

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on its most popular stories of 2007, based on website traffic, and has an accompanying reflection on what made a hit. Darkness is clearly a key ingredient, and some of Dryden's darker 2007 moments are...

Posted by simon at 6:20 AM

December 7, 2007

Dryden police officer honored for work against DWI

Dryden police officer Kurt Soderholm was honored at the STOP DWI Awards Luncheon for his work fighting DWI at a small police agency: Soderholm said he made 14 DWI arrests from November 2006 to this November. He believes people who...

Posted by simon at 12:30 PM

October 31, 2007

Manos interview questioned; many letters

The lead story in today's Ithaca Journal focuses on a suppression hearing in the Marie Manos case, examining whether an interview she had with police after the drowning of her niece is admissible in her trial. On the opinion page,...

Posted by simon at 8:12 PM

September 11, 2007

BMX bike theft; politics

This morning's Journal reports something I've seen very rarely: a theft committed by a resident at the William George Agency, better known as George Junior Republic. A BMX bike was apparently stolen from Stewart Park in Ithaca August 13th by...

Posted by simon at 8:17 AM

August 22, 2007

School violence data released

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the latest school violence data. Although the lead article makes a point that New York's data makes it look extremely violent because of reporting standards, an online article on discrepancies within the Ithaca school...

Posted by simon at 12:17 PM

August 8, 2007

Bridges and food

This morning's Ithaca Journal reads a bit like an echo of this blog last night. I worried about 13's bridge over Fall Creek, and there are reports on how the state has diverted money from the highway fund for years...

Posted by simon at 12:40 PM

August 6, 2007

Crimes and misdemeanors

This morning's Journal has little Dryden news, except for some DWI and related charges in the Monitor. The bigger crime news is Ithaca-focused but also mentions Cortland, so I'm guessing they drove through Dryden at times: a federal racketeering indictment...

Posted by simon at 5:31 PM

July 4, 2007

More on the Manos case

This morning's Ithaca Journal expands on yesterday's breaking news piece with articles on Marie Manos' arraignment and fundraising to help the victim's family. Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports on the Dryden Beautification Brigade's work on making the Village of...

Posted by simon at 10:18 AM

July 3, 2007

Helping the Manos family

The Journal's breaking news reports that Marie Manos faces new charges in the death of her niece. Further down in the article, they note ways people can help the victim's family and remember Grace Manos. Donations to help the victim's...

Posted by simon at 12:50 PM

June 30, 2007

Car chase, accidents, summer challenges

A car chase that started in Cortland ended in Dryden yesterday as a woman fled from a court order. Cortland City Police and Sheriff's cars were damaged by ramming, and Dryden Police, Dryden Ambulance, the New York State Police, and...

Posted by simon at 7:21 PM

June 27, 2007

Indictment in Manos case

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...

Posted by simon at 5:14 PM

June 18, 2007

Surveillance camera leads to burglar arrest

This morning's Ithaca Journal Monitor suggests that surveillance cameras can be useful at home when there are burglars around. An Etna man seems to have caught his neighbor on tape in his house, and the man then confessed to an...

Posted by simon at 8:37 AM

June 12, 2007

ATV DWI, with deer

This morning's Ithaca Journal is mostly quiet about Dryden, but the Monitor includes a Mount Pleasant Road man's arrest for DWI and other vehicular charges after hitting a deer while riding an ATV on Pleasant Hollow Road. There is also...

Posted by simon at 5:32 PM

May 17, 2007

A second babysitter tragedy

This morning's Ithaca Journal leads with a terrible story, a a 2-year-old held underwater by her babysitter on Ringwood Road, and the update reports the girl has died. I thought 2007 had started horribly, but it doesn't seem to be...

Posted by simon at 3:21 PM

May 10, 2007

No more routine traffic stops

This morning's Journal looks at the increasing risks of what used to be routine traffic enforcement for the New York State Police, as more traffic stops seem to be turning into dangerous situations. The troopers down the road on 13...

Posted by simon at 8:43 AM

May 2, 2007

Dryden residents on county issues

This morning's Journal looks at the County Legislature's disagreement over budget goals, highlighting two Dryden legislators, Martha Robertson and Mike Hattery. Somehow the Journal lost track of party identification, and lists Hattery as a Democrat when he's definitely a Republican,...

Posted by simon at 7:59 AM

April 28, 2007

Journal looks for feedback on Carter coverage

Managing Editor (and Dryden resident) Bruce Estes asks readers for feedback on their coverage of the Jacob Carter case, which recently concluded. There's also a link from that article to the original felony complaints about Carter, which are graphic. There's...

Posted by simon at 11:44 AM

April 24, 2007

More on Carter sentencing

There's a lot more in today's Journal about Jacob Carter's sentencing for assault, sexual assault, and abuse in attacks on two children in October and January. District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson asked for 43 years to life, and Judge John Rowley...

Posted by simon at 8:12 AM

April 23, 2007

Carter gets 25 to life

Jacob Carter was sentenced to 25 years to life for assaulting two children earlier this year. (Also in breaking news, a fire in Etna ruined a mobile home.)...

Posted by simon at 5:03 PM

April 20, 2007

Borrowed car leads to firearms arrest

This morning's Ithaca Journal has an odd report in The Monitor. An Ithaca woman complained that her car had been borrowed for too long and not returned. Next: The woman also said Cannady was armed with a handgun. Deputies located...

Posted by simon at 12:31 PM

March 13, 2007

Carter pleads guilty

I've had a hard time getting online today, so this is kind of late, but the big news in this morning's Ithaca Journal is the guilty plea from Jacob Carter for the assault and abuse of two 3-year-old children he...

Posted by simon at 9:54 PM

March 8, 2007

Online Monitor differs

Reading the print edition of this morning's Journal, there's no sign of the many Dryden citations that seem to have gotten into trouble in the online edition of the Monitor. A burglary at TC3, an assault, and a second-degree rape...

Posted by simon at 8:43 AM

March 3, 2007

Former Dryden resident being evaluated

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on Larry Brown, a convicted Collegetown rapist, and former Dryden resident, who has been released from Attica after a fourteen-year prison sentence, but is now (apparently) at a state mental health facility. The county government...

Posted by simon at 1:52 PM

February 22, 2007

Indictment in home invasion

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that a grand jury has indicted a Dryden resident for several counts of robbery in last month's home invasion robbery. On the opinion page, the editorial congratulates the county for their budget process, and mentions...

Posted by simon at 5:02 PM

February 20, 2007

Protests on plea

Not everyone is happy with Jacob Carter's proposed guilty plea, which would get him a sentence of 43 years to life for charges including predatory sexual assault. Dawn Potter, spokeswoman for Project Dryden Child, is quoted: Those children weren't allowed...

Posted by simon at 8:01 AM

February 17, 2007

Arcuri speaking in Lansing this morning

This morning's Ithaca Journal notes that Congressman Michael Arcuri will be speaking on energy issues in Lansing this morning. (I can't make it, unfortunately - I'd agreed to be at the History House as a docent this morning.) There's more...

Posted by simon at 9:15 AM

February 16, 2007

Child abuser likely to plead guilty

While much of this morning's Journal focuses on snow cleanup, the Journal's breaking news reports that Jacob Carter's attorney reports that he has decided to plead guilty to assault, sexual assault, and sexual abuse charges in a plea deal. It's...

Posted by simon at 12:11 PM

February 3, 2007

Lotteries, drugs, power

The front page of this morning's Journal has three articles that strike me as important to Dryden, if not focused on it. There's a set of articles on the New York State Lottery, with one on lottery scholarships and one...

Posted by simon at 11:07 AM

January 20, 2007

Town and Village

A perceptive reader noticed that I'd missed a key letter to the editor today. I'm afraid that I read the names and locations of readers, and didn't notice a letter about Dryden from Wendy Yager, a Groton resident. Yager, who...

Posted by simon at 7:13 PM

January 18, 2007

North Road man arrested

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that a 51-year-old North Road man was arrested for first-degree sexual abuse, "alleged to have forcibly touched a female in a sexual way without her consent" on Tuesday. An article on a cancelled Trumansburg skate...

Posted by simon at 7:20 AM

January 13, 2007

Rural Internet Access

Today's Ithaca Journal covers an issue that's a problem for much of Dryden: the challenge of rural Internet. Michael Ludgate, who lives near the Caroline-Dryden line, reports that: he does most photo and music work on a high-speed connection at...

Posted by simon at 10:33 AM

January 10, 2007

Which court?

I'd like to highlight a comment from Groton Town Justice A. D. Dawson, who wrote about a question I had a long time ago on Town Courts and their jurisdiction: According to the Criminal Procedure Law of NYS, if a...

Posted by simon at 8:27 AM

January 9, 2007

Arrests in home invasion

The news in Dryden in 2007 has not been too good. Today's Ithaca Journal reports on a home-invasion robbery and related puppy theft. The invasion was on Lake Street in the Village of Dryden, and the puppy theft on Harbor...

Posted by simon at 8:10 AM

January 8, 2007

Violence mars New Year

I'm back, physically if not yet mentally, and it seems like I missed a fair amount in the Ithaca Journal. Unfortunately their archive only goes back a week, but here's what's happened so far in 2005 2007. The worst story...

Posted by simon at 6:11 PM

December 20, 2006

Life with cancer

There's actually so much Dryden news today that picking a headline was hard, but a new column on the front page gets it: Dryden resident Barbara Lang writes about her experiences with colon cancer, in what will be a monthly...

Posted by simon at 12:46 PM

December 19, 2006

Wilcox Press becomes Vanguard Press

The question of what would happen to Wilcox Press has been solved: it's transforming into Vanguard Printing, following a buyout by a company co-owned by a former Wilcox Press CEO. There's no word on the impact on jobs, for better...

Posted by simon at 6:27 PM

November 30, 2006

Poisoning sentence

Henry Hanson was sentenced to time served for poisoning his landlord's milk in July. Police and prosecutors originally thought there was intent to murder, but the poison turned out to be oxybutynin chloride, a bladder-control drug. The court also issued...

Posted by simon at 12:22 PM

November 21, 2006

Changes to Town Courts

It's not specific to Dryden, but will definitely affect Dryden - changes to the ways Town and Village courts operate: (Registration required for link) The plan, announced here by the state’s chief judge, Judith S. Kaye, included some measures that...

Posted by simon at 5:04 PM

October 7, 2006

News 10 remembers 10 years ago

NYCO points out that News 10 Now has a piece on the 10-year anniversary of an infamous set of murders....

Posted by simon at 3:29 PM

October 4, 2006

A bladder-control drug?

Remember the tenant accused of poisoning his landlord? It's now alleged that he had a strange choice of drugs to use for poisoning, and he was indicted yesterday for attempted assault rather than attempted murder....

Posted by simon at 8:22 AM

September 8, 2006

Thanking Gadabout

This morning's Ithaca Journal editorial recognizes Gadabout, the local bus system that "provides on-request, door-to-door transportation services to elderly and disabled residents of Tompkins County." The editorial encourages readers to donate to support this - "as we swell with pride,...

Posted by simon at 8:05 AM

September 7, 2006

12 years for Dryden rape

This morning's Ithaca Journal leads with the 12-year sentence handed down yesterday to Karel "Ricky" Westerling for his conviction on rape and kidnapping charges following an incident last December. There are two articles on the Ithaca schools, one in the...

Posted by simon at 12:45 PM

August 31, 2006

Katrina's impact

This morning's Ithaca Journal follows up on a New Orleans resident who evacuated to Dryden after last year's Hurricane Katrina as well as a number of volunteers. The editorial notes that Freeville has some good news, as one of two...

Posted by simon at 12:35 PM

August 24, 2006

Electric delivery rates to fall; rebate

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the New York Public Service Commission rejected NYSEG's proposals for electric delivery rates hikes and instead ordered a reduction and a rebate: The state Public Service Commission ruled unanimously that the Binghamton-based utility has...

Posted by simon at 10:05 AM

August 11, 2006

Journal: D. A. Wilkinson delivers

This morning's Ithaca Journal editorial reflects on the promises District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson made in the last election, and how that worked out: One week ago today in Tompkins County Court, Wilkinson's promise paid its first dividend for the residents...

Posted by simon at 8:29 AM

August 5, 2006

Westerling convicted

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Karel Westerling was convicted of kidnapping and rape yesterday, and now faces up to 25 years in prison. An early-morning fire at Wilcox Press Friday was the result of machinery friction in a scrap...

Posted by simon at 9:21 AM

August 4, 2006

Deliberations begin

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the jury began its deliberations in the Karl Westerling rape case yesterday. I don't see any news updates on the Journal site announcing a verdict, so I'm guessing it's continuing. There's also an editorial...

Posted by simon at 5:46 PM

August 3, 2006

Westerling trial continues

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on Karel Westerling taking the stand in his own defense at his rape trial. Closing arguments are expected today. There's an article on a new farmers' market in Brooktondale; it would be great to have...

Posted by simon at 12:57 PM

August 2, 2006

Eating food from right here

I noted Local Food Week earlier, but Cathy Wakeman goes one step further and explores the local food options in the Town of Dryden itself. I've wished for a while that there were more ways to enjoy food that's produced...

Posted by simon at 5:04 PM

August 1, 2006

August heat

This morning's Journal warns of a hot couple of days to come, with temperatures in the 90s today and tomorrow. They also provide advice on keeping cool. Karel Westerling's ex-girlfriend testified against him in his ongoing rape trial, stemming from...

Posted by simon at 8:08 AM

July 29, 2006

4-H Fair in progress

The 4-H Fair runs until 3:00pm today on Lower Creek Road, as this photo of Freeville resident Brian Lampman notes. There's also a report from the rape trial of Karel Westerling. On the opinion page, Dryden Sertoma has a large...

Posted by simon at 8:05 AM

July 28, 2006

Suozzi comes to Tompkins County

It's not all Eliot Spitzer for Governor, however much the press calls that a foregone conclusion. He has plenty of opposition in his race for Governor of New York. His Democratic primary opponent, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, opened an...

Posted by simon at 1:32 PM

July 27, 2006

Empire Zone to arrive in Dryden; 4-H Fair here

It looks like Dryden will soon have two Empire Zones, places where businesses creating new jobs can get tax cuts. I believe one of them will be near the NYSEG building, and another north of the Village of Dryden. The...

Posted by simon at 2:03 PM

July 18, 2006

Dryden teacher on testing

Freeville resident and Dryden High School teacher Charles J. Hanley has a guest column on the impact of testing on education, A few excerpts: Do we teach for the test? Of course we do. At some level we have no...

Posted by simon at 8:16 AM

July 15, 2006

More on that milk

The Ithaca Journal reports on a press conference about an alleged murder attempt in Dryden: “We charged him with attempted murder,� said Lt. James E. Barnes, of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “We weren't guessing. We're certain.� Hanson,...

Posted by simon at 7:04 AM

July 13, 2006

Rebuilding Ellis Hollow Road

The print edition of this morning's Ithaca Journal has a brief mention of last night's meeting about Ellis Hollow Road reconstruction, and the online edition describes the meeting in detail. About sixty people showed up - not as many as...

Posted by simon at 7:53 AM

June 20, 2006

Dryden-Freeville Trail progress

This morning's Ithaca Journal includes an editorial congratulates the Town of Dryden and Board member Dan Tier for advancing the trail from Dryden to Freeville, finally sorting out a long negotiation with landowner Warren Van Pelt. The Monitor reports on...

Posted by simon at 12:53 PM

June 19, 2006

Berry season in Freeville

This morning's Ithaca Journal visits Freeville's Brookside Berry Farm, which just opened for the season a few minutes ago,in an article on U-Pick Strawberries. There's another article about the disaster training at Holy Cross Church that was held this past...

Posted by simon at 8:10 AM

June 14, 2006

Brooktondale men arrested for Dryden robbery

Two Brooktondale men were arrested for a robbery and burglary committed in Dryden on May 31st, during which shots were fired. Briefly in Dryden reports: The Dryden Swim Team will be raising funds for a new scoring and timing system...

Posted by simon at 8:36 AM

June 1, 2006

Contra dancing at Bethel Grove

This morning's Ithaca Journal includes photos taken at Bethel Grove Community Center in an article on contra dancing, which also notes that contra dances are held at 8:00pm every Friday for $5 at the Community Center. The Monitor reports that...

Posted by simon at 12:10 PM

April 12, 2006

Camp Farthest Out

This week's Dryden Town Talk seems to be the Easter Week edition, as Cathy Wakeman focuses on church activities. She reports on the Camp Farthest Out activities that will be at the Reach Out for Christ church on April 21st...

Posted by simon at 8:36 AM

April 1, 2006

School aid increased in state budget

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the legislature's state budget. It's not a final budget for the state - the governor and his line-item veto are yet to come. It looks like among the winners and losers, Dryden schools came...

Posted by simon at 10:11 AM

March 21, 2006

Man arraigned for $50,000 cemetery theft

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the arraignment of a man for allegedly stealing $50,000 from Lakeview Cemetery in Lansing. The arraignment itself was in Dryden - and I think was this one, disrupting a Planning Board meeting - but...

Posted by simon at 8:23 AM

March 11, 2006

Sex offenders in Tompkins County

This morning's Ithaca Journal has an article on the Sheriff's sex offender registry website and talks with a Freeville man on the registry. On the opinion page, John Bailey of Dryden writes that "It's time America's free press practice due...

Posted by simon at 8:29 AM

February 28, 2006

Big changes coming to TC3

It's time to stop sneezing and report on what's happened in Dryden for the last few days. Fortunately, it's not all that much. Saturday's paper had a detailed look at TC3, with multiple articles looking at its past and present....

Posted by simon at 5:04 PM

February 21, 2006

Rape charges repeated

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that a Dryden man has been charged with 1st degree rape. I'm not entirely sure why this is in The Monitor now, as the same story was reported on February 4th. [Comments turned off because...

Posted by simon at 8:25 AM

February 18, 2006

Helping the Dominican Republic

A group of teenagers from Dryden, Ithaca, Lansing, and Trumansburg will be traveling to Monte Plata in the Dominican Republic this week to deliver supplies and paint houses. Peter Mattingly, a Dryden High School freshman, collected 300 Spanish-language books for...

Posted by simon at 7:21 AM

February 10, 2006

Town Hall progress, budget, timeline

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on progress toward a new Town Hall. Jennie Daley reports on progress on contracts with architects and engineers, as well as a current cost estimate from $2 million to $2.4 million. (The 2002 estimates were...

Posted by simon at 8:32 AM

February 4, 2006

More rape charges

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on rape charges filed against a Dryden man after a party on Midline Road. Two other adults who hosted the party are charged with providing alcohol to juveniles at that party. Also, another Dryden man...

Posted by simon at 9:14 AM

January 16, 2006

Syracuse man arrested in Dryden for meat theft in Lansing

There isn't much in this morning's Ithaca Journal about Dryden, but The Monitor reports the arrest of a Syracuse man along Route 34B. Speeding led to a check for outstanding warrants, and there was $400 in meat reported stolen from...

Posted by simon at 8:39 AM

January 13, 2006

3-year dog license - if rabies shots are current

This morning's Ithaca Journal notes a change in the dog licensing rules. In Dryden, you'll be able to get a dog license for as long as your dog's rabies vaccination is current, up to three years. However, your dog's license...

Posted by simon at 5:39 PM

January 12, 2006

Newfield men arrested for Dryden robbery

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that three Newfield men were arrested yesterday for an October 24th incident in which a Mineah Road residence was robbed of several items, including an antique .22 caliber rifle. A similar rifle was retrieved when...

Posted by simon at 12:25 PM

January 6, 2006

Crime and the cost of punishment

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that yet another Dryden resident has been accused of rape, this time in Caroline. I believe that's the fourth incident in just a few months, and have no idea what could explain this strange surge...

Posted by simon at 6:46 PM

December 7, 2005

Slinky Slithertail slithers again

Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column reports on Margaret Brownell Lorenzen's donating her latest book, Petunia Patchpockets and the Golden Locket, to the Southworth Library. As Wakeman tells it: Her latest book offers a human main character that interacts with...

Posted by simon at 6:21 PM

December 6, 2005

Abuction, rape; flying car causes fire

There's lots of Dryden news in today's Ithaca Journal, little of it good. The lead story on the front page is about an abduction and rape on Bone Plain Road yesterday, in violation of an order of protection at that....

Posted by simon at 12:16 PM

December 4, 2005

Dryden crime reports

Yesterday's Ithaca Journal is unfortunately not the happiest news Dryden has seen in a while. There's an article on the arrest of a Dryden resident for rape. The man arrested had had a prior two-hour standoff with police in Freeville...

Posted by simon at 2:48 PM

October 17, 2005

A troubling correction

I'm extremely late getting to today's paper, but the Journal does something unusual, issuing a correction to letter to the editor, one with sad relevance to Dryden. The letter stated that: Dentes has prosecuted successfully a decade of criminal cases,...

Posted by simon at 10:13 PM

October 1, 2005

Dryden and Ithaca still have JV Football

I hadn't realized it, but the Dryden and Ithaca school districts are among the few in the county that still have a junior varsity football program. Lansing also has one, and Trumansburg's closed this fall. The pictures with the article...

Posted by simon at 1:33 PM

July 28, 2005

4-H Fair kicks off

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the 4-H Fair running through Saturday, to be held at 4-H Acres (map). The schedule looks packed, with animal shows, all kinds of contests, and plenty of food including a pancake breakfast and barbecue....

Posted by simon at 9:57 AM

July 19, 2005

DWI on Upper Creek

The only Dryden-specific story in today's Ithaca Journal is an article on a DWI arrest on Upper Creek Road at 4:25am Sunday morning. There's also an article on Danby's negotiations with Time-Warner over a cable franchise agreement, which echoes some...

Posted by simon at 8:07 AM

June 24, 2005

Kalandros running for Totman's seat

This morning's Ithaca Journal lists four new candidates for county legislature, including one in the Groton seat that includes parts of Dryden and Lansing. Athena Kalandros, a co-owner of the Red Door Coffee House in the Village of Groton, will...

Posted by simon at 8:56 AM

June 20, 2005

Bringing Lakeview Golf Course back to life

This morning's Ithaca Journal looks at a group of volunteers - and donors - who have worked together to reopen Lakeview Golf Course, repairing it, running it, and paying its taxes while its long-term future remains a question. The pictures...

Posted by simon at 8:50 AM

June 15, 2005

Dryden swim team captain killed in crash

This morning's Ithaca Journal leads with sad news: Christopher Ackley, a Dryden High School and BOCES student, was killed in a car crash yesterday on Lake Road. 13-year-old Scott Adams was also injured. In happier news, there's an article on...

Posted by simon at 2:23 PM

June 13, 2005

Dairy Day, road repair

This morning's Ithaca Journal devotes a lot of ink to Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman's surprise resignation, but gets off campus long enough to take a look at Dairy Day, with an article and photos. Briefly in Tompkins highlights three arrests...

Posted by simon at 7:27 AM

June 9, 2005

Looking forward to Dairy Day, road repair

This morning's Ithaca Journal has an introduction to Dairy Day complete with a schedule for Saturday's events. (Brenda Carpenter and Tricia Edgecomb were also on WHCU this morning discussing the festivities.) There's also an article on summer road repair, largely...

Posted by simon at 8:23 AM

May 26, 2005

County jail fixes

It's another quiet day for Dryden in the Ithaca Journal. The County Legislature approved spending $160,000 for repairs to the County Jail after a request by the New York State Commission of Correction, which had originally insisted the county build...

Posted by simon at 7:02 AM

May 11, 2005

Jail, probation for Freeville DWI

The Ithaca Journal reports this morning that Jason Kelly was sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation for a DWI last June that cost the lives of two friends riding in the car. Dryden Town Talk reports...

Posted by simon at 8:08 AM

May 7, 2005

Indictment; SPCA Walk-a-thon

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Gary Reid of Staten Island was indicted on two federal charges related to his contacting a Dryden Middle School seventh grader over the Internet and taking her away from school on April 15th. He...

Posted by simon at 9:00 AM

May 5, 2005

Dryden Town Hall site selected

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden Town Board decided where to put the new Town Hall in a meeting yesterday afternoon. There were several locations on the 47-acre parcel they purchased, and the board chose the easternmost site....

Posted by simon at 8:08 AM

May 2, 2005

Thefts stopped in Freeville

The Monitor reports a stolen Land Rover in Freeville, though it was stopped by a state trooper and its passengers ran off. A stolen laptop and bank papers were inside the car. A Dryden man was also arrested for marijuana...

Posted by simon at 8:04 AM

April 21, 2005

Arrests; county legislators' plans

A Dryden and a Freeville resident appear in today's monitor, one arrested for forgery and the other for possession of marijuana in violation of parole. The Journal has a roundup of county legislators' plans to run for re-election, including news...

Posted by simon at 7:44 AM

April 18, 2005

Golf course bidding questions; child endangerment

Reverberations from the golf course auction continue in today's Ithaca Journal, with an article on who knew what and when about the price the town was going to bid. Course owner George Szlasa seems to have stepped back a little...

Posted by simon at 8:12 AM

March 29, 2005

Two-car accident on Yellow Barn Road

Last night's fog seems to have contributed to a two-car head-on collision that sent six people to the hospital last night on Yellow Barn Road. Dryden firefighters had to extricate both drivers, and a MedEvac helicopter couldn't help because of...

Posted by simon at 7:59 AM

March 28, 2005

A few arrests

The Ithaca Journal is mostly quiet on Dryden news today, but reports the arrests of two Dryden men, one for DWI in Groton and one for breaking windows in Ithaca. In news just outside the town, there's an article on...

Posted by simon at 8:03 AM

March 20, 2005

School report cards, freedom of information

Yesterday's online edition of the Ithaca Journal was late, and it looks like I got caught up in other stories, so it's time to catch up with yesterday's paper. The Journal starts a six-part series on school report cards with...

Posted by simon at 8:32 AM

March 17, 2005

Etna man faces steeper charges

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Timothy Troy of Etna, accused of leading police on a chase through Collegetown and Dryden, may face more severe charges as his case is referred to a grand jury. The SPCA will be having...

Posted by simon at 8:43 AM

March 11, 2005

Etna man in high-speed chase

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that an Etna man faces 25 charges after a high-speed chase through Collegetown and along Route 366 Saturday night. Timothy Troy allegedly hit multiple vehicles, including a head-on collision, and was arrested the next day...

Posted by simon at 8:41 AM

March 10, 2005

Wind power on Mount Pleasant?

This morning's Ithaca Journal includes a first look at Cornell's plans to put up to eight wind turbines on Mount Pleasant, near its current observatory. Cornell is "still in the study phase of this," and has put "a 50-meter weather...

Posted by simon at 8:53 AM

February 17, 2005

Lane proposes three-year assessment cycle

Dryden County Legislator Mike Lane is cited in this morning's Ithaca Journal as saying "he wants the Legislature to vote on changing the cycle to every three years, a move he proposed twice last year but was shot down both...

Posted by simon at 8:46 AM

February 3, 2005

Final suspect convicted of kidnapping

This morning's Journal reports that Mao-Sheng Lin was convicted of kidnapping in a robbery of the Song Tao restaurant in November 2003. Lin had disappeared after posting $200,000 in bail and was returned from Texas in November 2004. Two other...

Posted by simon at 8:18 AM

January 26, 2005

Horses killed in accident on 38

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on an accident which killed two horses which wandered on to Route 38 Sunday night. The Dryden Fire Department replied, and the vehicle involved was towed away, but the people involved weren't injured. Briefly in...

Posted by simon at 8:47 AM

January 22, 2005

Dryden quiet as storm approaches

There's not a lot of Dryden-specific news in today's Journal, though there's plenty of news that affects us. We'll be sharing in the weekend forecast of snow and cold, and the current winter storm warning claims: SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS...

Posted by simon at 8:42 AM

January 1, 2005

Car chase in Dryden

This morning's Journal reports on a car chase that started near the intersection of Route 34B and Sheldon Road when the Dryden Village Police tried to stop a white Toyota pickup, which turned out to be unregistered. The driver took...

Posted by simon at 9:58 AM

December 23, 2004

Pipe leak damages Dryden Hotel

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden Hotel, rebuilt after a 1995 fire, suffered significant damage when a sprinkler pipe froze and leaked. The sprinkler system's apparent evacuation called Dryden firefighters, who turned off the sprinkler system and evacuated...

Posted by simon at 9:50 AM

December 7, 2004

Dryden resident arrested at Pyramid Mall; jail vote tonight

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the quick thinking of an off-duty sheriff's deputy that led to the arrest of a Dryden teen for the theft of $53 from the Santa Claus photo booth at Pyramid Mall. The County Legislature...

Posted by simon at 8:51 AM

December 4, 2004

Drug busts, wood stove safety, jail

The Monitor reports on two cocaine busts in Dryden, one tied to an arrest earlier this week, and one marijuana arrest. The Journal has an article on the fatal fire in Slaterville this past week, exploring safety measures needed to...

Posted by simon at 9:34 AM

December 3, 2004

Passing schoolbuses; school assault

There's not a lot of Dryden news in this morning's Journal. Dryden school bus driver Becky Colbert writes about a large problem on her route along Route 13 from Irish Settlement Road to Pinckney Road. Motorists keep driving through her...

Posted by simon at 8:21 AM

December 2, 2004

Education money questions

The announcement earlier this week that a court-appointed panel would require the state spend $23 billion more on New York City schools has created all kinds of questions, including where the money will come from and whether poor rural districts...

Posted by simon at 7:42 AM

December 1, 2004

Nearby trains

Wednesdays are usually pretty busy days for Dryden in the Ithaca Journal because of the Our Towns section, but this week's news there is mostly of Groton and Caroline. There is a piece on trains in Caroline, including some discussion...

Posted by simon at 8:36 AM

November 25, 2004

Indictment, outage

Today's Ithaca Journal reports on the indictment of a Lower Creek Road man for DWI and vehicular manslaughter in an accident last June on Fall Creek Road. A power line break along the Town of Dryden/Town of Ithaca line blacked...

Posted by simon at 7:40 AM

November 23, 2004

Suspect returned to Dryden

There's lots of news about Dryden in today's Journal. As they alluded on Saturday, the Journal reports that robbery suspect Mao Sheng Lin has been returned from Houston to Ithaca to face trial for a November 2003 robbery at the...

Posted by simon at 8:38 AM

November 20, 2004

Thanks for flu clinic; suspect returned; inspiration

There are two Laurels in today's Journal about the flu clinic that Tompkins County held at the Hanshaw Road Armory on November 10th. Joan Hogan of Trumansburg thanks Alice Cole of the county health department for the clinic, while Cole...

Posted by simon at 8:25 AM

November 17, 2004

McLean activity

Today's Ithaca Journal has lots of news about McLean, a hamlet that crosses the Groton/Dryden town line. McLean residents are working on new activities for youth, preferably run by teens themselves. There's also an article on Turtle Dreams, a bed...

Posted by simon at 9:13 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...

Posted by simon at 8:05 AM

October 4, 2004

Selling anti-depressants in school

This morning's Ithaca Journal is pretty quiet about Dryden, with the first mention of Dryden in the Monitor. A 15-year-old girl at Dryden High School was selling prescription drugs to other students, and she and a 14-year-old customer were arrested...

Posted by simon at 8:23 AM

August 30, 2004

Dryden Veterans Memorial Home robbed

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home was robbed last weekend. Thieves broke into a video lottery machine and an empty safe, and cut phone lines. Farm disaster aid is available for farmers whose crops were...

Posted by simon at 8:37 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...

Posted by simon at 12:53 PM

August 5, 2004

Congressman Boehlert in Freeville

Congressman Sherwood Boehlert held a forum at Freeville's W. B. Strong Fire Company yesterday, addressing a program, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which is set to expire at the end of this year. Boehlert is working on its renewal,...

Posted by simon at 9:24 AM

August 1, 2004

Early transportation and crime

I'm not sure what George Goodrich would think of Dryden's current road network, but I'm sure he'd appreciate its general lack of mud, especially on the Bridle Road, now Routes 13 and 366 (and maybe 392 as well, though I...

Posted by simon at 12:12 AM

July 30, 2004

4-H fair; assault at George Jr.

Today's Ithaca Journal has pictures of the 4-H Fair in progress on Lower Creek Road. The Monitor includes news of an assault on a George Jr. Republic employee as well as a DWI. There's also a notice of a poker...

Posted by simon at 11:59 AM

July 23, 2004

Brong pleads guilty; new SPCA leader

The Ithaca Journal reports that former Town of Dryden bookkeeper Liva Brong pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny for depositing an $8,993.42 forged check. The Town is still reviewing its books for last year. Brong will be sentenced October 22nd,...

Posted by simon at 8:36 AM

July 22, 2004

Jail questions, sign-stealing

After yesterday's burst of stories, today's a quiet day for Dryden in the Ithaca Journal. County Legislator Martha Robertson is quoted in a story on whether boarding in prisoners could help finance a larger jail, discussing the risks of the...

Posted by simon at 8:03 AM

July 19, 2004

Fishing, opinions

This morning's Ithaca Journal has a picture of nine-year-old Brandon Elia fishing at Dryden Lake as part of the Wal-Mart Kids All American Fishing Derby that was held Saturday. The State Police seem to have been busy along Dryden's borders,...

Posted by simon at 8:02 AM

July 15, 2004

School budgets, boards, lots of small news items

The Ithaca Journal has lots of news stories on Dryden today, though Dryden plays only a small part in many of them. On the schools front, Tricia Edgecomb is resigning from the Dryden school board a year into her term....

Posted by simon at 8:27 AM

July 14, 2004

Farm walk, abuse charges, more

If you read this in the next hour, you have time to get to a dairy walk at 9am this morning exploring how Lewie and Steve Stuttle "have successfully combined pasturing with high milk production on their farm in Dryden."...

Posted by simon at 8:02 AM

June 23, 2004

Revised Dryden budget passes 3-2

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the revised Dryden Central School District budget was approved by a 1287-860 vote, avoiding a contingency vote. The original budget failed on a 718-718 tie. On a related note, the Our Towns section focuses...

Posted by simon at 8:42 AM

June 4, 2004

Guilty plea in robbery; school testing results

Today's Ithaca Journal reports that one of the three men accused of robbing the Song Tao restaurant in Dryden in last November, Cam B. Quan, has pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary. Two other accomplices, also from Texas, have not yet...

Posted by simon at 7:37 AM

June 1, 2004

Alumni dinner, creek training

Catching up on yesterday's Ithaca Journal, there was an announcement for the Dryden Central School District all-year reunion dinner, which will be on Saturday, June 12th, at the McLean Fire Station. Festivities start at 4pm, with dinner at 6pm. Today's...

Posted by simon at 8:40 AM

May 30, 2004

Superintendent retirement, county legislation

Yesterday's Ithaca Journal has an article on Dryden Superintendent Patricia Archambault's upcoming retirement, looking over her last five years in Dryden as well as a career that went from South Seneca to Newfield through BOCES and around the state to...

Posted by simon at 10:07 AM

May 28, 2004

Indictments and opinions

The Ithaca Journal reports on the indictments of two Dryden residents, one for rape and another for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon tied to an incident in Ithaca's Stewart Park. There's a story on Alan Chaffee, who's visited cemeteries...

Posted by simon at 7:35 AM

May 20, 2004

Courier on golf course

This week's Dryden Courier takes a long look at Lakeview Golf Course, the course the Town of Dryden has been considering buying. While it opens with the prospect of the town buying the course, it spends most of its time...

Posted by simon at 10:13 PM

May 13, 2004

Wage fraud, redistricting

Today's Journal looks at $107,000 in unpaid wages by a Dryden employer following a guilty plea by the firm's former owner. There are also articles on possible state pension fund changes that might ease the county budget, and Ithaca school...

Posted by simon at 8:58 AM

May 4, 2004

Draft, abuse prevention, schools

The only Dryden-specific item in today's Ithaca Journal is a letter to the editor about the prospect of a draft from Ellen Schmidt of the Town of Dryden. In broader county news, the Journal covers a presentation by Meredith Wiley,...

Posted by simon at 8:32 AM

April 20, 2004

Rape charges, bridge staying closed

Today's Ithaca Journal is especially unpleasant reading. The most prominent Dryden story is about a 16-year-old charged with raping a 4-year-old, after investigation of a February 4th incident. Elsewhere in the Journal, Freese Road bridge will stay closed until the...

Posted by simon at 7:59 AM

April 19, 2004

High-speed chase in Dryden?

I don't typically report from The Monitor, the Ithaca Journal's crime reporting. Lately it seems to have had some stranger entries, though. Today's Monitor reports on a Cortland man who was: driving east on Fall Creek Road in Freeville when...

Posted by simon at 8:34 AM

April 16, 2004

Lane challenges annual assessments

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that County Legislator Michael Lane is proposing legislation to shift from annual assessment to a three-year cycle., though it isn't clear how much support there is for that in the legislature. A simultaneous combination of...

Posted by simon at 8:33 AM

April 14, 2004

Former bookkeeper indicted, Freeville police reduction, more

Liva Brong, former bookkeeper for the Town of Dryden, has been indicted on multiple forgery-related counts connected to accusations of writing $17,900 in checks to her boyfriend's business, reports this morning's Ithaca Journal. Because it's a Wednesday and their new...

Posted by simon at 8:33 AM

April 3, 2004

Memorial, lawsuit remind area of deaths

Today's Ithaca Journal has two stories which are reminders of very different but very sad moments in the Dryden area's history. Members of communities surrounding Eglin Air Force Base, in Florida, have built a memorial and a road in memory...

Posted by simon at 9:31 AM

March 8, 2004

The Dryden Lake area in the 19th century

The Dryden Lake area today has farms, parks, trails, and a golf course, but it used to be a lumbering and milling area before settling down to farming and (long since gone to refrigeration) and ice-making. George Goodrich explores the...

Posted by simon at 8:04 AM

March 2, 2004

Tech classes, indictments

Today's Ithaca Journal reports that Tompkins-Cortland Community College is planning to add associate's degree programs in computer support and Web design. The New York State Education Department must approve the proposal. Also in today's Journal is news of two indictments...

Posted by simon at 8:36 AM

February 6, 2004

Former Dryden bookkeeper appears in Town Court

The Ithaca Journal reports little action at last night's court appearance of Liva Brong, former Town of Dryden bookkeeper. Brong stands accused of forgery and grand larceny. Brong's attorney and the District Attorney's office are "still discussing the case and...

Posted by simon at 7:39 AM

February 5, 2004

Town audit by state delayed

The Ithaca Journal has a follow-up story on the state auditing the Town of Dryden's books in response to accusations of forgery against a former town bookkeeper. They quote former supervisor Varvayanis, current supervisor Trumbull, and town attorney Mahlon Perkins....

Posted by simon at 8:05 AM

January 14, 2004

Former Town Bookeeper accused of forgery

Former Town bookkeeper Liva Brong pleaded not guilty to charges of forging $17,900 in checks. Her predecessor, Dianne McFall, has "returned from retirement to fill the position until a permanent replacement can be found." This probably explains some of the...

Posted by simon at 9:13 AM

December 25, 2003

Robbery suspects indicted

Just in time for the holiday, the three men apprehended after a robbery in Dryden were indicted....

Posted by simon at 6:01 PM

November 25, 2003

Dryden robbery details

A business dispute seems to have driven last week's robbery of the Song Tao restaurant in Dryden. It seems very strange - demand $150,000, take $500, end up in jail facing felony charges....

Posted by simon at 8:30 AM

November 22, 2003

Crimes

It seems to be a busy time for police in the Village of Dryden. After yesterday's robbery, whose suspects are facing a hearing Monday, there's now a cocaine seizure and related arrests....

Posted by simon at 10:57 AM

November 21, 2003

Dryden robbery suspects caught in Cortland

The Ithaca Journal reports this morning that police captured three Texas residents at a seat-belt check in Cortland shortly after a robbery at the Song Tao restaurant in the Village of Dryden. No one appears to have been injured, but...

Posted by simon at 8:16 AM