May 9, 2012

School board candidates, Happenin' in the Hamlet, AES maneuvers

The Ithaca Journal has a Meet the Dryden School Board Candidates set of articles from Paul Lutwak, Bill Harding, and Lawrence Lyon. There are three candidates running for four slots, so I'm guessing someone out there will be elected through...

Posted by simon at 8:34 AM

February 21, 2012

Dan Lamb for Congress

I'm delighted that Dryden resident Dan Lamb is running for Congress. No one knows what the district lines will look like, thanks to the New York State Legislature's chaos, but it would be great to see Dan in Washington. Dan...

Posted by simon at 6:33 AM

December 29, 2011

Elm Tree Inn for sale

It's just across the Groton line in McLean. Anyone want to buy the Elm Tree Inn?...

Posted by simon at 8:18 PM

January 17, 2011

Hamlet populations, 1895

Posted by simon at 6:59 AM

May 17, 2008

Getting to Nodal Development in Dryden

[Update: I no longer think this is a good idea. See the category listing for more information on why. This piece in particular is a concise summary.] [This is long - it's a complex subject and a couple of years...

Posted by simon at 4:32 PM

March 10, 2008

Fundraiser successful

The fundraiser for Dryden High School student Grasen Alexander raised around $7000, including "a sold-out bake sale, a sold-out barbecue and a silent auction that yielded around $2,000." It's good to hear back on the success of these events. There's...

Posted by simon at 9:40 PM

July 30, 2007

McLean throws a party

This morning's Journal reports on McLean's Happenin' in the Hamlet party, which celebrate McLean with a special focus on Fall Creek, whose waterpower first encouraged the hamlet's development. In broader news, the Tompkins County economy expanded a bit in June...

Posted by simon at 12:37 PM

July 9, 2007

McLean activities, starting tonight

There's a lot going on in McLean this month, with an event every Monday, starting tonight at 6:30pm: McLean Stuff - July 9th, 6:30-8:00pm "A night of tools, implements, and artifacts that were made in McLean, found in McLean, or...

Posted by simon at 12:22 PM

May 25, 2006

County presents on Natural Features Focus Areas

On Tuesday night, the Tompkins County Planning Department gave a presentation on their Natural Features Focus Areas project at the McLean Fire Hall. I'd guess thirty people were there. The session examined eight of the fifteen focus areas, mostly wetlands...

Posted by simon at 6:48 AM

March 16, 2006

Boehlert announcement Friday

Will Congressman Sherwood Boehlert retire? That's been a popular question in political circles for years, but it looks like we'll finally have an answer tomorrow. Boehlert's made a decision and shared it with President Bush, but won't announce it formally...

Posted by simon at 8:45 AM

February 15, 2006

Nature preserve in winter

The last time I posted photos of the O.D. von Engeln Nature Preserve, it was September. It looked rather different Saturday, under a few inches of snow. A spring-filled stream through the snow-covered swamp. Bog in winter. If you'd like...

Posted by simon at 8:41 AM

January 2, 2006

Gramma's Country Kitchen, and much more

Reading the Ithaca Journal lately, I get a sense that Dryden is a very sleepy place. Reading the December 28th Dryden Courier, though, I see a very active community with all kinds of things happening. I'm not positive, but I...

Posted by simon at 7:35 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...

Posted by simon at 12:19 PM

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...

Posted by simon at 7:29 AM

August 7, 2005

Dryden soldier in Iraq

This week's Dryden Courier leads with a profile of Rob Bailey, a US Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel serving in Iraq. The article is largely an interview with his brother, John Bailey, also of Dryden, and echoes Bailey's Memorial Day address....

Posted by simon at 10:00 AM

August 5, 2005

More happenin' in the hamlet

It must be a light news day, but we get some extra pictures in the Ithaca Journal from McLean's Happenin' in the Hamlet last Saturday. There's a big question to be answered about who pays for new equipment to connect...

Posted by simon at 9:30 AM

August 1, 2005

McLean Happenin'; Dryden accident

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on Saturday's McLean Happenin' in the Hamlet, with pictures and descriptions of activities, including a group photo of 203 hamlet residents. There's also a note about a pedestrian hit by a car near Todi's Italian...

Posted by simon at 8:09 AM

June 30, 2005

Dryden school repairs, much more

Since it's all going to vanish in a week, it's probably a good idea to report what's been in the Ithaca Journal for the past few days. The most Dryden-specific story is one on the renovations in progress at the...

Posted by simon at 12:39 PM

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 10, 2005

More flying over Dryden

After having a good time taking aerial photos last month, we thought we'd try it again with today's excellent weather. I tried to make sure we got subjects I didn't capture last time, but there are still plenty of places...

Posted by simon at 6:57 PM

April 13, 2005

McLean afterschool; TC3 tech award

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the evening youth programs at Cassavant Elementary in McLean held each Tuesday and Thursday night. Tutoring and time in the gym give kids academic help, exercise, and social times. There's also a picture of...

Posted by simon at 8:11 AM

February 18, 2005

Hearing on Comprehensive Plan

This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on last night's hearing on the revised Draft Comprehensive Plan. Residents expressed concern, and some hope, about changes that would eventually come to their neighborhood, and as the article notes, the Dryden Lake area was...

Posted by simon at 8:06 AM

January 10, 2005

After school in McLean; tax issues

This morning's Ithaca Journal looks at a new after-school program in McLean, giving kids more to do in the hamlet. Lack of transportation keeps kids in the area after school, and there isn't a place for kids to hang out...

Posted by simon at 8:42 AM

January 4, 2005

McLean activities

With the holidays, I almost missed an issue of the Dryden Courier. Fortunately, I picked one up today. (The new issue will be out tomorrow.) This past week's issue leads with a story about after-school programs for kids in McLean....

Posted by simon at 12:11 PM

December 12, 2004

The Auburn Division, McLean to Freeville

A friend in Potsdam sent me a link to pictures of what remains of the Lehigh Valley railroad between Freeville and McLean, taken in 2003 and 2004 by Joshua K. Blay. It's a very nice collection of pictures with special...

Posted by simon at 1:50 PM

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 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

October 1, 2004

Keeping farms alive; McLean crossing guard

Today's Ithaca Journal explores the many issues around land-use planning and agriculture in Dryden. The article looks at farmers' concerns about disappearing ag land, their financial needs, and different possible ways of addressing the issue. There's also an article on...

Posted by simon at 5:37 PM

July 7, 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...

Posted by simon at 8:44 AM

March 19, 2004

Planning Board meets, modifies Draft Comprehensive Plan

This month's Planning Board meeting had a quorum, unlike last month's meeting, and was able to move forward with changes to the plan, though only two members of the public (myself included) were in attendance. Four planning board members, Dryden's...

Posted by simon at 12:07 PM

March 7, 2004

More hamlet densities

Yesterday I looked at the populations of the Dryden portion of McLean and the hamlet area north of the Village of Dryden. The Draft Comprehensive Plan proposes an average density for these hamlet areas of eight units per acre, like...

Posted by simon at 11:09 AM

March 6, 2004

Partial hamlets census

The Draft Comprehensive Plan actually defines four hamlets within the town, though Etna and Varna are the two most frequently discussed. The other two hamlets are fragments, one being the Dryden side of McLean, which is largely in the Town...

Posted by simon at 12:25 PM

February 8, 2004

McLean and Malloryville

George Goodrich had a bit of a challenge covering the McLean area in his Centennial History, as much of it - like the McLean fire district today - is in Groton, rather than Dryden. This discussion focuses more on Malloryville,...

Posted by simon at 10:00 AM

January 20, 2004

Who plows which roads?

The Ithaca Journal has a piece on the challenges of keeping roads clear in winter, which has been especially difficult with recent cold temperatures and blowing snow. There aren't many Dryden-specific details to the story, but there is a list...

Posted by simon at 8:47 AM

November 13, 2003

Town Council, Malloryville

The Ithaca Journal has a story on last night's town council meeting. While I'm disappointed in the results of the Town Board elections, and can't say I'm thrilled with views of the people now running the place, I can take...

Posted by simon at 1:34 PM