I've missed a few articles in the Ithaca Journal worth noting: An amazing examination of Dryden's first murder Girl Scouts grow vegetables for the Dryden and Freeville Food Pantries More on the greening of Ellis Hollow Road's expanded shoulders A...
The Dryden Safe Energy Coalition held an informational meeting in Owego, New York, this week. See? Energy in Depth is good for something - helping me keep track of what a supposedly Dryden organization is doing in other counties! (They...
Answer one question, get asked another. Was it just turnout? Did Democrats show up at the polls, while Republicans stayed home? Definitely not. Turnout in 2011 Dryden election, by party grouping DistrictDescriptionDem + Green + WFRep + ConBlank, Ind, OtherTotal...
The 2011 Dryden election results startled me. Partly it was the 3-2 Democratic majority, and partly it was the Democratic victories in so many election districts. The final results moderated things a tiny bit, with Republicans reclaiming their utterly solid...
Freeville's non-partisan races are usually uncontested, with vote counts in the teens. This year was different, with a challenge to the Mayor from Ron Szymanski. Preliminary results show incumbent Lotte Carpenter beating Szymanski 62-33. In both the villages of Dryden...
The villages of Dryden and Freeville are having elections today. Polls are open from noon to 9:00pm at both village halls. Freeville has a contested mayor's race and two uncontested trustees' races, and Dryden has two uncontested trustees' races....
and the Ithaca Journal has guest viewpoints from incumbent Mayor Lotte Carpenter and challenger Ron Szymanski. Most of both pieces is pretty classical muncipal issues, but Szymanski really pushes the doubletalk envelope with: My ability to work with all interests...
Yes, it's still just the first round, but it's nice to see an in-depth story on Dryden's resistance to hydrofracking....
and minimal steering, you're bound to hit walls sometimes. When I checked in yesterday at Energy in Depth Marcellus, the PR mouthpiece for the gas companies, to see what their response to the Dryden lawsuit ruling might be, all I...
This morning's Ithaca Journal asks Has New York missed the hydrofracking boom? and concludes sort of maybe. Over two years ago, I suggested that there were good economic reasons for drilling to come later if it came at all, and...
Lots and lots of small pieces, in no particular order: Dryden Town Talk offers history, chocolate Saturday in Etna, and a link to this great piece about the proposed Etna post office closing. Dryden nurse Jamie Otis made it to...
It's time for Village of Dryden elections again, or at least time to prepare for them. The 2-year terms of Trustees Charles Becker and Don Norman are expiring. The election is in March, but the caucuses to select candidates will...
Two weeks after a 7-7 deadlock that withstood nine separate votes, a slightly different set of 14 legislators voted Martha Robertson chair by a 9-5 vote over fellow Dryden legislator Mike Lane. The county's press release tells the story: The...
While redistricting seems unlikely to make a drastic difference in Dryden, two Dryden County Legislators are making competing cases about how the Legislature should run and came to a deadlock at the beginning of the year. This morning's Ithaca Journal...
Much to my surprise, I got a couple of questions over the weekend about the redistricting for the Tompkins County Legislature. I'm guessing they both originated with this article in the Ithaca Journal. As that article notes, the Independent Redistricting...
Last night's race for Chair of the County Legislature ended without a chair, as legislators deadlocked 7-7 between current Chair Martha Robertson and contender Mike Lane, both legislators from Dryden. Every once in a while a press release tells a...
Retiring Town Councilman David Makar offers thanks to Dryden, and talks about the many good things that happened in the last five years....
I've made this point before at the state level, and have to agree with it at the county level: The Democrats' caucus meeting is legal, thanks to a mischievous change approved by the New York state Legislature in 1985. Caucuses...
Maybe those signs about deficit spending cost more than planned? No? Recent Town Supervisor candidate Bruno Schickel had run a $1364 deficit on his first campaign finance report and closed it up a bit on the second to $1166. His...
Successful Dryden Town Board candidate Linda Lavine wrote a thank-you letter in today's Ithaca Journal: Every workday, as I drive 12 miles through the back roads of Dryden, I give thanks for the beauty of this land. I pass homes,...
The Town Board will open the public hearing for the proposed zoning law Wednesday night at 7:00pm, at Dryden Town Hall, 93 East Main Street. I won't be able to be there, so I'll be sending written comments. Most of...
I don't run infographics here very often because I'm not very successfully graphic. However, this amazing one just turned up in my mailbox, thanks to Michael Rider. Dryden Supervisor's race, results. If you click the picture, you'll get a PDF...
Peter Mantius of the DC Bureau has an overview of where the fracking battles are after Friday's court hearing and Tuesday's elections....
When I first started writing this blog in 2003, Republicans had just locked up a 5-0 hold on the Town Board with a roughly 3-2 victory. People on the west side felt hopelessly locked in because the east side was...
Back at the public hearing in July, I asked Dryden Republican Committee Chair why they were pushing so hard against the ban. "Candidates", he said, before we were shushed. I was actually trying to give him some advice - I...
I never thought I'd see a Democratic win in Dryden this, well, crushing. PositionCandidateVotes Town SupervisorMary Ann Sumner2198 Bruno Schickel1469 Town CouncilpersonJoseph Solomon2215 Linda Lavine2124 James Drew1474 Deborah Shigley1431 That's roughly a 3-2 margin across the board in unofficial results,...
Today is Monday was the last day to return absentee ballots for tomorrow's elections in Dryden. If you're mailing one, it must have today's postmark on it. That means it's best to take it into the post office counter and...
Don't let the Republicans frighten you. When I first followed a Dryden budget closely, I thought I was really going to be able to nail the then-Republican Town Board. True, they weren't raising taxes, but they were appropriating huge amounts...
It's definitely been a busy week for Dryden. Here are pointers to some of the latest election pieces: Incumbent Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner's Ithaca Journal piece on the biggest issue facing Dryden. Video of the last candidates' forum is...
When I last reported on campaign finance, Bruno Schickel's campaign was running a $1364 deficit and the Dryden Republicans hadn't yet filed their 32-day report at all. The Dryden Republicans did catch up on the 32-day report (they had $7092...
Yes, I've been kind of focused on this coming Tuesday, but not everyone is. The Tompkins County Independent Redistricting Commission had built sixteen maps of possible new districts for 2013, but they've narrowed it down to four. One has 15...
I took today off so I could watch my town get sued. I suspect the best summary of this morning's proceedings came at its end, from Judge Phillip Rumsey: It's wonderful to have such excellent work from everyone. It makes...
I'm about 20 stories behind on pieces I wanted to write before the election, with little sign I'll get them done. Still, there's lots popping up, so... There was a piece on Dryden's fracking ban on NPR's Morning Edition this...
Yes, completely. If you still want more conversation, though... The Ithaca Journal has a pro-ban anti-drilling piece from County Legislator Martha Robertson and a pro-drilling anti-ban piece from Dryden Safe Energy Coalition spokesman Henry Kramer. I'm very happy to see...
These are the counts of voter registered to vote this November 8th. PartyNumber (May 2011)Number (October 2011)Change Blank (Independent)17831809+26 Conservative70700 Democratic32853265-20 Green5864+6 Independence407411+4 Liberal32--32* Libertarian54-1 Other1157+46 Republican25652556-9 Right-to-Life13--13* Working Families2630+4 Total82558266+11 * - lost ballot status Most of that looks...
The Ithaca Journal ran viewpoint pieces from both candidates for Dryden Town Supervisor, asking them the fairly generic: "What is your assessment of the actions the Town of Dryden has taken or should take to regulate gas exploration within its...
Retiring Town Councilman David Makar's latest Advice to Natasha is a response to the latest Republican scare tactics (which they've now scattered across the countryside on bright yellow signs). I guess the Republicans have realized that their stance on hydrofracking...
I posted some handheld video after the debate, but here's a much better presentation, thanks to Shaleshock Video....
Today's Ithaca Journal front page has lots of Dryden. Dominating the page is a great picture of 5-year-old Brock Reed: Thursday night, Brock had a surprise party -- he thought he was going grocery shopping -- at the Ithaca Central...
In which the Democrats support the Town's efforts to regulate hydrofracking, and the Republicans can't imagine anyone but the state regulating it. Jim Drew (R) Linda Lavine (D) Deborah Shigley (R) Joseph Solomon (D) Do the Republicans say they won't...
Perhaps the most impressive feature of tonight's candidate forum at the Dryden Fire Station was the turnout. I'm guessing that 200 people were there, far far more than came out to the forum two years ago. Yes, a large group...
You can hear incumbent Democratic Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner and Republican challenger Bruno Schickel on WHCU podcasts. One minor point - I'm pretty irritated with Dave Vieser for badly summarizing this piece, and making it easy for Schickel to dismiss....
The Ithaca Journal reports on the upcoming candidates forums, but oddly leaves out the date of the second one. The Dryden Democrats and Dryden Republicans will jointly sponsor debates on October 26th (Dryden Fire Station) and November 1st (Varna Community...
And the Journal also has pieces from the Supervisor candidates: Bruno Schickel (R) Mary Ann Sumner (D)...
Some wisdom from departing Town Board member David Makar about standing up for the Town....
I have a certain sympathy for doom-sayers. I've been called a Cassandra myself, for example. Henry Kramer, though, is a prophet of a different sort. Cassandra was a prophet of doom, yes, but one who was always ignored, always powerless...
The Ithaca Journal prints brief statements from the four candidates running for the two Town Board seats this November 8th: Jim Drew (R) Linda Lavine (D) Deborah Shigley (R) Joseph Solomon (D)...
Thanks to the 2010 census, it's time to re-examine our county legislature districts. I'm happy that the county created an independent commission instead of New York State's grotesque approach of letting legislators draw their own districts. Want to take a...
I've always wanted to write a headline like that, and I can thank the Town of Dryden Republican Committee for giving me the opportunity. Why? Because they wrote this in their Shopper insert: Negatitve effects of the proposed Zoning and...
There were a lot of strange Republican claims in the recent Innovation Trail piece at WSKG, but I think the one that really hit it out of the park was this: Schickel is critical of town Democrats for putting Dryden...
When I first got involved in Dryden town politics, one of the perpetual battles was over recreation. Projects that benefited the east side often received attention and funding from the Republican Town Board, while other possibilities used more by west...
One of the stranger complaints I heard about the gas drilling ban was that "no one talked about this at the last election." Now, I recognize that not everyone made it to the Dryden Grange's Meet the Candidate event, but...
I need to write a piece unpacking the various strange claims Republicans make here, but it'll take a while. I trust you - go read and listen to it yourself. (And if you're catching up, here's the earlier piece they...
In campaign season (and out), the New York State Board of Elections financial disclosure pages for Dryden are interesting. Last Friday was a deadline for a filing 32 days before the November 8th election, and I see two mysteries: The...
I can't remember the Ithaca Journal ever publishing about political committee elections before, except maybe when there was a change, but they published on both the County and Dryden Republicans and the County and Dryden Democrats. Yes, I'm the Dryden...
Via One of Nine's cranky commentary, I find Republican Town Board candidate Deb Shigley's comments to the New York Times on the gas drilling ban and more: Opposing candidates like Deb Shigley, a Republican, said the town "moved too quickly"...
it's compatible with what the oil and gas companies want to do with it. That seems to be the message of the career of Thomas West, the "Super Lawyer" who announced that his firm would be bringing a lawsuit against...
While I suspected that the gas companies would eventually sue to try to overturn Dryden's drilling ban through a zoning clarification, I'd also thought such jousting would wait until after the DEC finished the review of the sGEIS, came up...
They haven't actually filed it yet, so I'm guessing they bravely led with a press release, but apparently a gas company is stepping up to sue over Dryden's ban on gas drilling (Update: expanded article): Anschutz Exploration Corp. plans to...
It gets harder and harder to report on the Dryden Safe Energy Coalition's continuous claim that they're the middle way, since it's so excruciatingly obvious that they're the local representatives of the industry line. The piece, written by Henry Kramer,...
The Ithaca Journal noticed "developer and Republican candidate for town supervisor" Bruno Schickel and has an article discussing his claims and the response from incumbent Democratic Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner. It's been a few years since I watched the...
I'm more than a little wary of "neutral" projects run by people with agendas lately, but I'm intrigued by VoterVillage.com, run by Herald-Examiner publisher, 2009 County Legislature Candidate, Dryden Republican Committee Chair, and VillageSquared creator Jim Crawford. The site describes...
It's "the second in their series of public education meetings", though the first was invitation-only and in Binghamton, so I'm not really sure what this series is supposed to be. Anyway: The second forum is on "Water and Energy Development,"...
While they may have tried to present themselves as the middle ground in that strange Ithaca Journal article a month ago, the Dryden Safe Energy Coalition is stepping up its industry affiliations and its rhetoric: about sixty leaders came together...
It may seem like an obscure issue, but the lines drawn for the County Legislature districts may well have a dramatic effect on how county government works for you. The county appointed an Independent Redistricting Commission to come up with...
The Ithaca Independent has two stories about activity at the county level that Dryden residents may want to watch: The first, Tompkins Politicos Debate Size of Future County Legislature, looks at the challenges of redistricting after the 2010 census. The...
I'm not sure how many people came. The parking lot was full at 6:45, and the room was overflowing, with lots of people in the hallway. I stood in a corner that didn't make for great pictures, but you can...
The Dryden Safe Energy Coalition has put up a site, as well as a slightly broken ad in The Shopper. It doesn't seem to have anyone claiming credit for posting it, but it does have the same domain registration information...
I was still getting around to posting audio, but now there's video available from Shaleshock. It looks like the video is in several parts, capturing the discussion specific to the ban. If you put your mouse cursor over the video...
This Ithaca Journal article feels like a strange collision of this Saturday's Dairy Day and Dryden Republican Party press releases, but it does list the Republican candidates for town offices: Bruno Schickel - Town Supervisor Christopher Clauson - Town Justice...
It's not even petition season yet, and builder Bruno Schickel has announced plans to run for Town Supervisor this November. His list of "key issues" includes: More efficient local spending; Lowering the property tax burden; Thoughtful zoning modifications to keep...
I last looked at voter registration based on data from before the 2010 election, when more people had just registered to vote. It's probably a good idea to revisit those numbers again, now that the Board of Elections has removed...
Well, I didn't expect that. State Trooper R.K. Smith just stopped by my house to let me know that Otis Phillips wants to press trespassing charges against me for daring to open the technicolor mailbox. I'll keep you all posted...
The Ithaca Journal takes a look at the prospect of the Etna Post Office closing and what that might mean for the community. A letter from County Legislator Michael Lane explains that county legislative redistricting could change the number of...
I still haven't found time to write this up - and it needs some detail - but here's the recording of the Dryden Town Board's discussion of the proposed moratorium in Varna (25.8MB, 25 minutes) and the draft local law...
Yesterday, I posted a 74MB (and 1 hour, 13 minutes) long audio recording of the part of Wednesday's Town Board meeting dealing with hydrofracking (QuickTime audio). It's probably more fun with an index, so here goes: DRAC presents - 00:00...
I still need to write up an index to this, but I've posted the audio recording of last week's Town Board meeting from the presentation of the DRAC petition through the citizen's privilege discussion and the passage of the resolution...
Tonight was an amazing meeting - over a hundred people showed up, and over twenty spoke. The Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition presented 1594 signatures on their petition to ban hydrofracking in the Town. The Town passed a resolution calling for...
The villages of Dryden and Freeville held elections yesterday, all of them uncontested. Rachel Dickinson and Marco Cestaro were elected as Trustees in Freeville with 15 and 16 votes respectively. In Dryden, Mayor Randy Sterling was re-elected mayor with 70...
I first met Joyce Gerbasi and her husband Ross at the Sustainable Tompkins "salon" meetings at Rogues Harbor in Lansing. The salons were good, but most of what stuck with me from them was the conversations with the Gerbasis. Joyce...
I'm still trying to figure out what happened during last night's discussion of a moratorium on Varna development. That's not because the conversation wasn't clear, but because the decisions reached make a confusing situation even more tangled. The Board's choice...
In today's Dryden Town Talk, Cathy Wakeman talks about meeting with Dryden Seniors at their Valentine luncheon. She also notes the Dryden Mardi Gras, coming at 7:00pm on March 4th at the Dryden Methodist Church, a March 5th fair about...
I can't say that I love the Ithaca Journal web site redesign, which seems mostly to make me scroll more and wonder where if anywhere the commented stories are. Performance hasn't improved, either - it's the only site I visit...
Or busier, lately, though definitely seeing the world from a different perspective. One of Nine is pretty clearly not "one Democrat's perspective on life in the Town of Dryden". Their "about" is pretty general (and reminds me that I don't...
All of sudden I'm flashing back to this cheerless quote from the July zoning meeting: "I'm not a developer, and I think our freedoms are being infringed upon here, okay? You guys want to have control, control, control, go someplace...
When compared to November 2006, our last midterm election: DistrictVotedTotal% VotersWhere2006 Dryden 1510103049.51%West Dryden53% Dryden 246785554.62%Freeville64% Dryden 311023946.03%McLean50% Dryden 437675649.74%Varna60% Dryden 528252254.02%Etna55% Dryden 646780857.80%Dryden Vil W64% Dryden 749090454.20%Dryden Vil E64% Dryden 856494060.00%Ellis/Bethel70% Dryden 952384262.11%Ellis/Creek74% Dryden 1040773555.37%South Hills64% Dryden 1145075659.52%Dryden Lake67%...
Yes, it was mostly a bad night for Democratic candidates below the state level last night. Congressman Arcuri lost, as did Sheriff Meskill, though Assemblywoman Lifton won. I'll be writing more about all of that, in a Dryden context, but...
It'll be a busy couple of weeks at 26 North Street, Dryden, though I can't make either of these events: The 912 Taxed Enough Already of Cortland and Tompkins County group will be sponsoring a ReValue America event Wednesday October...
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...
I'd just noticed the disappearance of Ithaca Produce, but now it looks like that building may soon be in use for its intended purpose once again. Cortland Produce is considering moving to that distribution facility, if they can sort through...
Last night's Town Board meeting was supposed to be short, but wound up going until around 10:00pm. There wasn't a lot to discuss, but what there was to discuss was sometimes pretty thorny. The first conversation didn't seem particularly thorny,...
Incumbent County Sheriff Peter Meskill defeated challenger Ken Lansing in yesterday's primary, doing a little better in Dryden (55%) than around the county (53.5%). At the state level, the big news was in the Republican Governor's race, where Carl Paladino...
All three of Dryden's county legislators - Martha Robertson, Mike Lane, and Brian Robison - came to the Dryden Community Center Cafe with County Administrator Joe Mareane to talk about the county budget Thursday night. The crowd filled the cafe...
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will be kicking off her statewide agricultural listening tour this Thursday in Dryden, at 1:00pm at the Jerry Dell Farm, 276 Simms Hill Road. Tonight, there's a forum for Sheriff candidates Peter Meskill and Ken Lansing, who...
The Town Board took a more direct role in drafting the final zoning ordinance than the Planning Board suggested at the end of August. Instead of convening a new task force including members of the Town Board, Planning Board, Zoning...
As I think is pretty clear by now, I'm not a fan of the latest zoning proposal. Last Thursday's meeting made it clear that even the people most looking forward to new zoning aren't delighted. The Planning Board votes Thursday...
The Ithaca Journal reports this morning on Thursday night's zoning meeting , giving it the ominous headline "Dryden zoning issue spurs death threat". The Cortland Standard also reported, oddly noting the comment that ended with the threat without mentioning the...
I'm happy to see that NYSEG is now seeking yet smaller rate increases for service, 1.3% this year and 2.3% the next two years for gas, and 2.1% in 2010 and 2.2% the next two years for electricity. In county...
That's a very messy headline, but there are lots of Ithaca Journal updates in and around Dryden: The Dryden Lake Festival is starting to recruit for races. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton wants gas drilling regulated everywhere as tightly as it is...
I couldn't make it to the Town Board meeting Wednesday - the Quakers were welcoming Konrad - but David Makar's posted a great summary....
Or, to put it another way, the County Legislature voted 8-7 to oppose a law that would have required citizens to have a grand 24 hours of access to information before their government took action on it. I mean, you...
Yes, that's a real Ithaca Journal headline, one which made me really wonder if I was seeing things. However, it's a fundraiser... The Kiwanis Club of Dryden is hosting the first Dog for Mayor of Town of Dryden contest. This...
These have already circulated for a while in paper, but you can now read (and sign) A Petition to the Dryden Town Board to Restore Home Rule and Petition for a Town of Dryden Industrial Noise Ordinance online. The first...
Last night, the Dryden Democrats gathered in Dryden's Village Hall to select two candidates to run for the two two-year Village Trustee positions that are up for election this March. Unfortunately, we didn't have any candidates this year, and for...
I finally got back to a Town Board meeting Wednesday night. Most of it was reasonably routine, but there were a few pieces that stood out: A number of people were there about gas drilling. Some of it was about...
No, this has nothing to do with Marcellus Shale gas exploration - it's just an unfortunate problem that's been a risk of water drilling here for a while. Etna, Freeville, and Dryden firefighters responded to a fire at a water-well...
The County Legislature elected Martha Robertson as its Chair last night by a 13-2 vote. The Journal doesn't report much about her plans, but what they do say is: "I'm excited about the challenges and eager to really build a...
I didn't entirely understand how things were supposed to work in 2001 when I got a speeding ticket in Horseheads, but at least mailing in the fine listed on the ticket seemed to work. Losing a ticket and then trying...
All the absentee ballots have been opened, and the deadline for late military ballots has passed, so I think we can trust these will be the final result: CandidateVotes Jason Leifer (D)1388 Steve Stelick (R)1316 Simon St.Laurent (D)1225 Deb Shigley...
Maybe it was the "I like Mike" buttons that did it, but today's absentee ballot recount pushed Mike Lane ahead in the vote totals for every election district - though a few were close. By my unofficial count, Lane picked...
Most Dryden residents are voting in the same places that they used to vote, but if you voted at the Dryden Village Hall or the Dryden Baptist Church, you now vote at the Dryden Fire Station. There are now four...
Nope, sorry - this is all over. The only way to vote for November 2009 now is at the polling place. Until 4:30pm, Monday, November 2nd, you can cast an absentee ballot in person at the Tompkins County Board of...
Last night's Dryden Candidates forum, hosted by the Dryden Grange, moderated by the League of Women Voters, and held at the Dryden Fire Station, went pretty smoothly. It feels strange for me to comment on it as I was pretty...
The Dryden Grange will be sponsoring a candidates forum at the Dryden Fire Station - 26 North Street, Dryden (map) - this Thursday night, October 22nd, starting at 7:30pm. The League of Women Voters will be moderating. Candidates forum poster....
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...
I know there are signs up in Dryden for the county legislature primary between Mike Koplinka-Loehr and Peter Stein, and that some people in Dryden even received mailings about that race, but that race is in the Town of Ithaca,...
After years of saying "no" to running for office, I agreed tonight to run for Town Board this November. I'm very happy to be running with incumbent Town Supervisor Mary Ann Sumner and Town Board Member Jason Leifer, and hope...
It's starting to be County Legislature election season again. I was delighted to hear that Mike Lane was running for the County Legislature seat representing the east side of Dryden. At the time I was guessing it would be a...
It's election day, even though it's a Wednesday in March. Dryden and Freeville hold their elections in March, and New York State considers St. Patrick's Day a good reason to hold elections a day later. Polls are open from noon...
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...
It seems that the County Legislature has finally sorted out who's in charge and appointed committee heads. The bigger problem, though, isn't just who's in control, but the total process botch that made it clear that key legislative conversations happen...
This week's Ithaca Journal has had a few pieces on the Village of Dryden caucuses. Faced with opposition from Democrat Wendy Martin, Mayor Reba Taylor is stepping down and Republican Trustee Randy Sterling is running as the Republican candidate for...
Politics, as most people think about it, is about the public: public service, public good. There is a private component to politics, certainly - things like campaign strategy and other aspects related to competition. When politics goes private, or "secret",...
Last night's election results were astounding, though absentee ballots still will affect the final results. I seem to be too tired to do real math, but these are worth sharing. For President, Barack Obama received 3737 votes to John McCain's...
It's election day! Vote Today. And here's my letter to the editor, with some suggestions beyond those signs: While 2008 is a huge political year at the national and even the state levels, there are critical local elections happening as...
It's election sign season again! Signs on 366. If you're a Town of Dryden resident, and you'd like (free) political signs for our Democratic candidates this year (Obama, Arcuri, Barber, Lifton, Leifer, and Valentinelli), drop me a line. If you'd...
The normal voter registration deadline for this November's election is October 10th. The Board of Elections will be having two events around that: Today, October 7th, they'll be conducting voter registration at Dryden Town Hall, 93 East Main Street (Route...
Wow! I'd known that the Town was working on an annual report, but I was still surprised and pleased to see it arrive in my mailbox this week. There's all kinds of stuff in, stuff that I once felt I...
It's time once again to look in on voter registration figures for the Town of Dryden. There's definitely been new registration since February. Democrats have the most new registered voters, with 120, while there are 72 new blank and 29...
It's summertime, and politics may seem like a fall activity, but politics can be fun in July too. The Dryden Democrats will be getting together for a much less formal event than usual this Saturday. If you'd like to support...
The Dryden Democratic Committee will be holding its caucus to select candidates for Town Justice and Town Councilman (1-year) tomorrow night, July 16th, at 7:30pm at the new Dryden Town Hall, 93 East Main Street, in Dryden. All registered Democrats...
It looks like the New York State Senate and Assembly have returned to Freedom of Information Law strengthening that was vetoed back under Pataki: The Senate on Tuesday passed the proposal to strengthen Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Laws...
The Tompkins County Democratic Committee met last night for endorsements. Committee members unanimously endorsed Congressmen Mike Arcuri and Maurice Hinchey for re-election. The rest of the meeting was much more complicated. In particular, the committee also had endorsements for the...
Dryden Democrats will be discussing "Local Responses to Rising Energy Costs." We've all seen energy prices climb and keep climbing, and that has a direct effect on Dryden residents' wallets. What can we do at the local level to reduce...
I never got to last week's opinion pages, where there was a lot of Dryden opinion. One piece that's kept me thinking is Mike Lane's letter on the need for a county code of ethics. I've spent a lot of...
New election equipment will cost the county extra, as New York State's painfully slow process for updating its equipment rolls into a presidential election year. To avoid some of that cost, the Dryden Fire Station is going to host more...
This week's news has been fairly quiet, though I need to do a more formal run down. This morning, while Sungiva's sleeping, I just want to make sure I get two quotes recorded here. The first, hopeful, quote is from...
While the White House has been making headlines lately for losing email, this morning's Ithaca Journal takes a look at the problems of email and government closer to home. I'm happy to see that our Supervisor and Town Clerk are...
I'd been feeling a lot more optimistic about this race than the results suggest I should have been: CandidateVotes Charlie Becker (R)157 Don Norman (R)139 Mary Ellen Bossack (D)137 Fred Gentz (D)126 I'd like to stay hopeful, but the Democratic...
Mary Ellen Bossack and Fred Gentz At the Democratic caucus in January, I was delighted to see Village residents nominate a team of candidates with amazing strengths - and a delightful dose of modesty as well. Mary Ellen Bossack...
The polls are open at the Dryden Village Hall, 16 South Street, Dryden (map) from noon to 9:00pm today. Registered voters who live in the Village have a choice of four trustee candidates for two seats. The Ithaca Journal spoke...
I wondered if the presidential primary would have brought out a lot of new registrants in the Town of Dryden, but as it turns out, things here look fairly stable, following the same trend of a few additional Democrats, a...
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...
Just a quick reminder - the Democratic and Republican caucuses to select candidates for Village of Dryden trustees are both at 8:00pm tonight at the Dryden Village Hall, 16 South Street, Dryden. Republicans will be upstairs, Democrats downstairs. There are...
It's hard for me to imagine that it's election season again, but village elections are in March, with caucuses to select candidates for the Village of Dryden this coming week: NOTICE OF CAUCUS There will be a caucus of the...
This week's Dryden Courier is overwhelmingly loaded with Dryden news. If you have a chance, I'd encourage you to buy a copy, since I can only get so much in here. (Rite Aid and the Mobil usually have it in...
Unfortunately, I was still in Germany when the new Dryden Town Board held its organizational meeting last Wednesday, but the Journal covers our new Supervisor and her outlook for the year this morning. (Board member David Makar posted his report...
2007 had its heart-breaking surprises and its wonderful moments, some strife, and some victories. 2008 will likely be the same - but all different. There's going to be a lot of change around here, as Angelika is expecting a baby...
Apparently Dryden did not have a quiet Christmas - it just took the Ithaca Journal a few days to catch up to news of a fire early Christmas morning. Four residents of Creekwood Apartments, on Lower Creek Road, were displaced...
Between some travel and connectivity problems, I'm a little behind. To catch up... Yesterday's paper reports that the Finger Lake Land Trust will be establishing a 138-acre nature preserve near the headwaters of Six Mile Creek. Looking at the map,...
Today's Ithaca Journal editorial questions New York State's habit of letting elections fall all over the calendar, with elections in March, May, November, and whenever. It's definitely a strange problem to have to convince people that there's an election going...
I got a new pile of election data from the Board of Elections yesterday, though I'm still working to figure out what it means. 1308 of 2967 registered Democrats voted on November 6th, while 1270 of 2700 registered Republicans voted....
This morning's Journal includes Gary Stewart's report on Cornell's modifications to the gas line it will be building to connect its power plant to the pipeline that runs through Ellis Hollow. It sounds like it will be narrower and generally...
The County Legislature passed an amended 2008 budget last night, cutting TCAT funding but adding funding for an additional corrections officer. It sounds like rural bus routes will likely be cut - I'll keep an eye out for changes that...
As I conclude reporting on November's election, I'd like to bring attention to something in the Town Justice race that I think demonstrates the importance of competitive elections. It seems safe to say that before this year, Town Justice Chris...
I was a little surprised to find a comment from losing Republican Supervisor candidate Cheryl Nelson here last night, but the more I looked at it, the more it looked like she's learned well from the kind of Republican story-telling...
There always seems to be more sewage than expected, but there had to be an exception. Matt Cooper reports in this week's Dryden Courier that the Cortland Road Sewer district appears to be sending less sewage to the Village of...
I'm glad to see today's Ithaca Journal editorial on the Pledge of Allegiance, which I think makes a crucial, if perhaps understated, point in its final paragraph, especially the last sentence: The beauty of the First Amendment is that it...
These are still unofficial, but it looks like the Board of Elections counted absentee ballots. The Board of Elections is now showing: Town Supervisor: Mary Ann Sumner 1550 (+71), Cheryl Nelson 1422 (+66) Town Board: David Makar 1601 (+82), Joe...
It's always seatbelt season, really, but State Police are busy enforcing seat belt laws, starting from a checkpoint in front of their barracks on Route 13 in Freeville. The opinion page has two Dryden letters: Cheryl Wagner of Freeville writes...
The election pretty well wiped me out, and I haven't kept up with the past few days of either the Ithaca Journal or the Cortland Standard. Here's a quick look at Dryden-related stories in the Journal: Democrats across the county...
[I originally posted this at Street Prophets, a site on religion and progressive politics, but it definitely belongs at Living in Dryden too.] At the last of our Dryden candidate forums, in the middle of an ugly campaign, a well-known...
I was nervous about last night's results because I knew going in that turnout was tilted toward the more typically Republican districts. Election District 2 around Freeville, and 6, 7, 10, and 11 around and south of the Village of...
It's been quite a campaign, but it looks like the Dryden Democrats did beautifully, and even in our one loss gave a 16-year incumbent a real challenge. The Board of Elections is showing: Town Supervisor: Mary Ann Sumner 1479, Cheryl...
It's election day, and polling places will be open from 6:00am to 9:00pm. Depending on which district you live in (see the district map (597KB PDF)), you can vote at: Etna Fire Station - 26 Wood Road, Etna (map). Freeville...
Mary Ann Sumner has accomplished a lot in her last two years, despite being in a 4-1 minority and then a 3-2 minority on the board, and is ready to take the lead as Town Supervisor. Mary Ann Sumner Mary...
David Makar is a phenomenon. His energy and persistence have amazed me from the day he first decided to run for Town Board. He put up a giant whiteboard with a plan that seemed hopelessly ambitious, and then he went...
Dryden hasn't had a contested race for Town Justice in a long time, but this year's has been spirited. For me, it's an easy choice: I encourage readers to help elect Jason Leifer our next Town Justice. Jason Leifer Even...
There's new data that suggests that Chris Clauson indeed had an election-year conversion to Drug Court. Today's Journal has an article that makes it clear that: Of the 159 Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) cases...
New York State has recently begun to require political campaigns to file their financial statements electronically. It's not a great system, with problems like Windows-only software that is apparently less than fun to use, but it does mean that anyone...
Back in June, I kept hearing rumors of a possible Republican primary for Town Justice. I knew that Republican Committee Chair Jim Crawford supported Drug Court, but apparently he wasn't the only one. As summer went on, however, it seemed...
Today's Ithaca Journal mentions a TC3 open house that has, alas, already happened today. The rest of the Dryden activity is on the opinion page, in letters to the editor. County Legislator Mike Hattery of Dryden writes to support Cheryl...
Back in June, a pair of motorcyclists waiting to turn into their driveway on Route 13 were rear-ended, winding up in the hospital with traumatic injuries. This Friday, tomorrow, there will be a benefit for them from 5:00pm to 10:00pm...
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,...
That's the question I was left with at the end of this Journal article about labor issues at the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant. Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull sounds concerned: Both Valentino and Town of Dryden Supervisor Steven Trumbull said...
The Journal finally gets around to the Community Center funding story, putting it in Briefly in Tompkins. The money will go largely toward infrastructure projects, and it was also nice to see a Republican give credit to a Democrat: Ellis...
Imagine that you're a Dryden political party, say the Republican party, that's facing a tough Town Board election: You, the Republican party, had a really hard time finding candidates. When you finally do have candidates, your Supervisor candidate, Cheryl Nelson,...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that a short-term plan to keep the SPCA doing animal control is in the works, though whether it will keep the SPCA as animal control provider in the long run is definitely an open question....
This morning's Journal report that Dryden greenhouse RPM Ecosystems is producing trees for the Gulf Coast to replace those damaged by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, and has a photo gallery showing more of the operations, which are on 13...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk visits Boy Scout Troop 24, welcoming a variety of Eagle Scout projects in the Dryden area, including: a roofed entryway at Covenant Love Church, an information kiosk on the Jim Shug trail, a new deck...
Last night's Meet the Candidates event in Varna was pretty reasonable until around 8:15, when the questions turned from questions about town issues to a sordid demonstration of how local Republicans imitate Karl Rove's ugliest work. Mud in Varna. First,...
This site's been a bit derelict for the past week, as I was in San Francisco. For work, I was at a conference where every other attendee seemed to be either a venture capitalist or someone with big dreams looking...
The new Town Hall will be getting its grand opening ceremony tomorrow, October 18th, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Town Board member David Makar reports that there will be cake. It's at 93 East Main Street, Dryden, about half a mile...
Today, October 12th, is the last day to register to vote for the November 6th election. It is also the last day to change your party affiliation if you want that change to take effect in time for the February...
Yesterday's weather led to a crash in Freeville, between a garbage truck and a tractor-trailer. In good news for the county, Borg-Warner will move 174 jobs to Lansing from Oklahoma, and perhaps that will bring some new people to Dryden...
The Ithaca Journal reports on yesterday's redistricting forum. I'll have a lot more to say on this when I find a moment, but mostly I have to say that I found Assemblyman William Parment interesting but utterly unconvincing in his...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column visits today with Matt Colbert, a Dryden High School student who is aiming for the big leagues. The left-handed pitcher and first baseman has been working with The Baseball Factory and is raising money...
Want to know more about the Dryden candidates? There's lots of coverage in the Dryden Courier and Tompkins Weekly. This week's Dryden Courier (available on newstands until tomorrow) covers the first candidates forum in depth. Tompkins Weekly talks with the...
After three years of being the Chair of the Dryden Democratic Committee, I should probably be cynical enough about Republicans to ignore the mud they throw about candidates, about patriotism, and about the way elections are conducted. Today's guest column...
It's continuing to be a good year for candidates forums, with about 25 people attending Tuesday night's event in Etna. We got off to a bit of a late start, because the Republicans needed to get their projector for the...
If you're reading this as I write it, you're in time to get to the 7:00pm candidates forum at the Etna Fire Station, 26 Wood Road, which the Journal listed in this morning's Briefly in Tompkins. The Journal seems to...
I'm pleased to report that WHCU news director Geoff Dunn has agreed to moderate the Dryden Candidates Forum to be held this Tuesday, October 2nd at 7:00pm at the Etna Fire Station, 25 Wood Road. Once again, we'll have refreshments...
The only thing I see in this morning's Ithaca Journal specific to Dryden is a letter from Iretta Ellis of Dryden supporting Cheryl Nelson for Supervisor. Another article deals with an issue that ties into complaints I've heard from Bethel...
There was quite a crowd at last night's meet the candidates forum at the Dryden Fire Station last night, and I don't think they just came for the cider and cookies. Given that the Historical Society had an event just...
This morning's Ithaca Journal print edition notes tonight's candidates forum in its Briefly in Tompkins section. The forum will be at the Dryden Fire Station at 7:00pm, and will be moderated by the League of Women Voters. On the opinion...
The Dryden Democrats and Dryden Republicans will be jointly hosting a series of candidates forums, starting next Tuesday, September 25th at 7:00pm at Dryden Fire Station, 26 North Street, Dryden. This first event will be moderated by the League of...
The Journal seems obsessed with the Town of Ithaca Supervisor's race, but there's much more going on in Dryden this year. We have contests for Town Supervisor, Town Board (two seats), and Town Justice. PositionDemocratic CandidateRepublican Candidate Town SupervisorMary Ann...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has two competing views of the Town of Ithaca Supervisor's race on its opinion page. County Legislator Martha Robertson writes to support challenger Herb Engman, while former Dryden Town Supervisor Mark Varvayanis supports incumbent Cathy Valentino....
Former Tompkins County SPCA Director Nathan Winograd will be launching the tour for his new book at their Hanshaw Road facility on Sunday. He hopes to spread the story of how the Tompkins County SPCA euthanizes only the "hopelessly ill...
Today's "All the People" party name made me go back to the latest voter registration data to see what's happening in Dryden. Blank registrations fell the most, and Democratic registrations fell one more than Republican. PartyNumber (Oct 2006)Number (Aug 2007)Change...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reported on the filing of independent petitions for local races coming this November. I didn't quite believe it when I saw "the All the People party in Dryden", but checking at the Board of Elections today,...
Most of the Dryden activity in today's Journal is on the editorial page. Henry Kramer of Dryden writes about possible government consolidation. While I rarely agree with Kramer, there's a lot worth considering in this article. I agree completely that...
This morning's Journal has a photo from the 4-H Fair that's happening on Lower Creek Road north of Route 13. I'm glad to see that the Journal issued an updated article on candidates for local races, this time including candidates...
I know there are a lot of local races in Tompkins County to keep track of, but I was startled to see this false line in this morning's Journal: In Dryden, town board members David Makar (D) and Marty Christofferson...
The Dryden Democrats will be meeting tomorrow night, July 18th, at the Dryden Town Hall, 65 East Main Street (Route 392), Dryden (map) at 7:30pm to hold a caucus and select candidates for: Town Supervisor, Town Board (2 seats), Town...
This week's issue of Tompkins Weekly offers not just its usual one, but three stories on Dryden. The first, on page 3, examines the continuing divide between the east and west sides of Dryden, looking at the question of recreation...
I'm behind in covering the June Town Board meeting, and behind in covering the Dryden Courier. Fortunately Matt Cooper reports on the Town Board meeting in the June 20th Courier, so I can manage them together. The Courier leads with...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that two members of the Dryden Town Board will not be seeking re-election this November: Supervisor Steve Trumbull and Councilman Marty Christofferson. Both are Republicans, initially elected in 2003. Steve Trumbull accomplished at least two...
Ever since the Town Board purchased a large chunk of land in the Village of Dryden for a new Town Hall, there have been rumors and occasional comments that it would be developed as parkland. Everyone loves recreation, but big...
In my earlier post on the May Town Board meeting, I noted that: Peter Schug of Cayuga Press and his attorney Jonathan Orkin came in to discuss the HUD loan that is now in question because the company has moved...
The Town Board meeting stretched past midnight last night, for the first time that I can remember. It was a long meeting, though actually more focused than many recent meetings, and fortunately they took a five minute break at one...
A few years ago, the Town of Dryden secured a low-interest (2%) HUD loan for Cayuga Press to buy some new printers. It was part of the Town's economic development policy, though it came under some fire because of the...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports on the Dryden Grange's giving Cam Viall their Grange Community Service Award. The mother of 10 children, Viall helped run a variety store, has been active in the American Legion Auxiliary, and worked as...
This morning's Ithaca Journal brings two letters to the editor from the conservative side of the political spectrum. Edgar Seymour of Freeville calls for the prosecution of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for her recent trip to Syria, while...
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,...
Ithaca Journal columnist Cathy Wakeman celebrates 100 Dryden Town Talk articles with a look forward at some coming events. There will be a student recital tonight at the Dryden Middle School/High School auditorium at 7:00pm, and a Guest Artist workshop/performance...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the Dryden Elementary School Chorus's trip to Albany last Friday, where they sang for "several important people" and then toured the city. How They Voted in the Tompkins County Legislature has more details on...
I'm happy to report that this weblog is succeeding in many of the ways I'd hoped it would when I first started. Those successes are generally modest - people hear of things they wouldn't have heard of otherwise, and sometimes...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on today's Dryden Central School District capital spending vote, which runs from 7:00am to 9:00pm today at the Dryden Middle School/High School Auditorium. Most of the school districts that contain a piece of the Town...
The print edition of this morning's Journal reports that final results are in for the Village of Dryden Trustees' race: CandidateDemocratRepublicanBetter DrydenTotal Randy Sterling183183 Robert Witty171171 Lisa Valentinelli13137168 Elizabeth Gutchess12335158 There's also a letter to the editor from Kate Howells...
An old house I'd always really liked burned yesteday in Freeville. The Freeville, Dryden, Varna, Etna, Groton, McLean and Cayuga Heights fire departments all responded, as did Dryden Ambulance, NYSEG, and the New York State Department of Transportation. There were...
Some days all you can say is argh... New results, after this afternoon's canvassing of absentee ballots: CandidateDemocratRepublicanBetter DrydenTotal (Change) Randy Sterling181181 (+19) Robert Witty169169 (+18) Lisa Valentinelli13137168 (+3) Elizabeth Gutchess12335158 (+4) There are still two military currently ballots uncounted,...
The Villages of Dryden and Freeville will be having elections tomorrow. Freeville's elections are uncontested, while Dryden has a contested trustees race and an uncontested mayor's race. In Freeville's non-partisan elections, incumbents Rachel Dickinson and Lloyd Purdy are running for...
This morning's Ithaca Journal carries more letters on next Tuesday's Village of Dryden elections. Paul Simonet seems concerned that national politics might affect the Trustees' race, and encourages voters to support the Republican incumbents. Les Cleland also writes in support...
This morning's Ithaca Journal editorial praises Anondo “Binji” Mukherjee and Jed Glosenger for their heroic deeds during a fire on Hickory Circle Sunday. Former County Legislator and Village of Dryden Mayor Mike Lane writes a letter to the editor whose...
I seem to be getting the Dryden Courier later and later in its weekly cycle, and combining that with my being out of town Monday and Tuesday means that the issue I'm about to write about isn't the one in...
This morning's Cortland Standard reports on the Village of Dryden. There's an overview of upcoming elections, in which two Democrats (Lisa Valentinelli and Elizabeth Gutchess) and two Republicans (Bob Witty and Randy Sterling) are running for two trustee seats. The...
I didn't get to covering yesterday's Ithaca Journal - it was just too busy a day! There was an article exploring how the Town of Dryden plans to coordinate its many stakeholding boards for the zoning process. The current plan...
The Dryden Democrats started the race for village offices with a bang: great turnout at a caucus that unanimously nominated two strong candidates for Village Trustee: Lisa Valentinelli and Elizabeth Gutchess. Lisa Valentinelli is the principal of the MacCormick Secure...
I was just on WHCU 870 talking about tonight's Village of Dryden caucuses. Here's a recap. Village of Dryden residents are invited to caucuses for choosing candidates for the Village of Dryden's March 20th election. Three positions held by Republicans...
Dryden Schools Superintendent Mark Crawford has a letter in today's Journal questioning the state's placing Freeville Elementary School and Dryden High School on their "in need of improvement" list, citing problems in the data collection and interpretation process which had...
This week's issue of The Shopper includes opportunities for Village of Dryden and Town of Dryden residents to get more involved with their community. Village of Dryden residents are invited to caucuses for choosing candidates for the Village of Dryden's...
I missed the Dryden Town Board organizational meeting, so last night was the first time I got to see the newest version of the Board together. Newcomer David Makar joins Marty Christofferson, Steve Trumbull, Steve Stelick, and Mary Ann Sumner...
The Village of Dryden tree-lighting will be tonight at 7:00pm, at the Village Green between the Methodist and Presbyterian churches near the intersection of Routes 13 and 38. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be coming in their usual fire truck....
This week's Dryden Courier reports on David Makar's victory Tuesday night in the Town Board race, and Cortland resident Dennis Wright's shopping spree, which he won from Dryden Rotary, enjoyed at Clark's, and donated to the Dryden Kitchen Cupboard. Inside,...
I spent most of yesterday driving and calling all over Dryden in the final election day push. I ended the night, as I usually do, at the District 2 polling place in Freeville. Why Freeville? Because it generally doesn't raise...
Every year brings a new crop of candidates to consider, and the Dryden sample ballot this year includes eleven columns of candidates. I'd like to focus on three local candidates, and the difference I believe they can make. Working with...
Apparently Democratic voters in Cayuga County - not too far to our north - are getting calls telling them to go to the wrong polling place. Cheerful. If you'd like to know where to vote here, you can safely visit...
If you'd like some idea what you'll be seeing in the polling place, the Board of Elections has posted a Dryden sample ballot. There are lots and lots of lines and eleven different positions to fill. There don't appear to...
The Dryden Courier has always done a great job of giving candidates for local office space to explain who they are and what they're hoping to accomplish, and I strongly recommend finding a copy if you haven't yet decided. The...
I never got to cover Friday's Ithaca Journal, which included a heartwarming story of a Cortland man's shopping spree for the Dryden Kitchen Cupboard. Dennis Wright won the spree - at Clark's Food Mart - from Dryden Rotary. Kitchen Cupboard...
This morning the Ithaca Journal has a two-page opinion section but still felt the need to list letters and publish them online. Unfortunately, all the letters for Town Board wound up in the online pile. Dawn Potter - a Bethel...
I last looked at Dryden voter registration back in January, after the Board of Elections had expunged a lot of voters who hadn't voted in too long a time. That expunging had cost the Democrats 37 more voters than the...
While traveling last week, I seem to have missed reporting on a slew of opinions about and from Dryden, as well as a news story on an accident on North Road. Among the many letters to the editor last Thursday...
This morning's Ithaca Journal also offers a "Meet the Dryden Town Board Candidates" article talking with Democrat David Makar and Republican Dan Tier. They explore issues from emergency services to community centers to commercial development. There's more comparison on the...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has two letters on the Town Board race. The first comes from Christa Downey of Dryden, supporting Democrat David Makar. The second, from Republican Town Board member Marty Christofferson, supports Republican Dan Tier. There's also a...
This morning's Ithaca Journal notes that the Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund will be accepting grant applications through the end of October, with decisions to be made by the end of November. The online edition of Briefly in Tompkins lists tonight's...
A Journal news update announces the candidates forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. They'll have candidates for County Sheriff, County Clerk, and New York State Assembly from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Ithaca Town Hall (map) on Thursday. It'll...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a letter from Kathy Zahler endorsing Democratic candidate David Makar for Town Board. I can readily second this: I've rarely met a candidate so willing to educate himself about the workings of town government. David...
This morning's Journal has an overview article on the Assembly race, talking with incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton and Republican challenger Jim Rohan. There's also an article on New York's rainy summer. Ithaca has had 34.54 inches of precipitation this...
Most of the Dryden news in this morning's Ithaca Journal is political. Republican Congressional candidate Raymond Meier visited the A-1 Restaurant yesterday to talk with around 20 Republicans about the race. On the opinion page, Gary Rith of Etna writes...
The opinion page of this morning's Ithaca Journal includes two letters to the editor supporting candidates in the November 7th election. Ian and Melissa Garrett write in support of David Makar for Town Board, while County Legislator Martha Robertson writes...
It's been a week since the renewable energy law passed, and I haven't found time to do the detailed story on the hearing that I wanted to do last Friday. Since I'm not likely to get to that, here's a...
This morning's Ithaca Journal looks at the 24th district Congressional race, highlighting candidates Michael Arcuri and Ray Meier but apparently forgetting Etna resident and Libertarian candidate Mike Sylvia. There's also a look at the national activity around this seat, and...
If you'd like to know what the new rules for windmills and other alternative energy conversion systems in the Town might look like eventually, you can read the proposed Renewable Energy Facilities Law of the Town of Dryden, New York....
I'm finally catching up to yesterday's Ithaca Journal, which mentioned the Dryden Town Board race in an editorial on local elections to be decided this November: The rest of the Tompkins County card includes a contest in Dryden for a...
While the groundbreaking for the new Town Hall, which will use geothermal heating and cooling, proceeded, a law meant to allow town residents to install alternative energy systems is still in the works. Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner reports...
I had a very hard time at this month's Town Board meeting. It was long, though not terribly long - done by 10:30, sooner than some. It wandered a number of times, but not that wildly. I'd missed the July...
I never got to covering yesterday's Journal, so here's two days of stories. Cathy Wakeman continues her discussion of local foods, visiting Back to Basics on 13 at Irish Settlement Road and Ludgate Farms on Hanshaw Road. She also notes...
On Tuesday night, the Dryden Democrats gathered for a caucus at Dryden Town Hall and nominated David Makar to be our candidate for Dryden Town Board this fall. David has run his own website business for three years, with customers...
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...
I was on my way to Boston when this month's Town Board meeting took place, and I haven't seen the Journal report on it. Fortunately, Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner posted a a thorough summary, ranging from the Dollar...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk visits the Dryden History House, and recommends its new model airplanes display as a good stop during Dairy Day this Saturday. (There are also some excellent new exhibits on raising chickens in Dryden.) Wakeman also...
The Ithaca Journal, never a paper to shy from controversy, calls their article on Democratic endorsements Dems endorse Valenti for fifth term as county clerk. Valenti got lots of praise at Thursday's meeting for the excellent work she's done, but...
There isn't much Dryden news in today's Journal, but there is a fair amount of county news worth exploring. Former Ithaca investigator Brian Robison announced his run for sheriff yesterday, running as a Republican against two-term incumbent Democrat Peter Meskill....
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a long article on the Dryden schools' school lunch task force, looking at what students are buying, what the force recommends, and nutrition guidelines. There's a report on a roast held for departing radio show...
On the Dryden Democrats weblog, Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner has a piece on how a draft becomes a law, looking over the process of how the town passes new laws. She's also written on Natural Features Focus Areas,...
I see in this week's issue of The Shopper that the Dryden Sertoma Club will be having a dessert reception to honor former County Legislator Mike Lane for his many years of service to the Dryden community. They'll be having...
This morning's Ithaca Journal leads with the news that Cayuga Press is leaving its Hanshaw Road facilities for an Empire Zone in Cortland. The Town Board passed a resolution Thursday night that their departure was for reasons that couldn't readily...
The Dryden news in this morning's Ithaca Journal all seems to gravitate toward Ithaca somehow. County Legislator Martha Robertson is quoted in her role as a member of the Tompkins County Industrial Agency Board about a moratorium on applications for...
I flew to Texas for a conference right after the March meeting of the Dryden Town Board, and I'm still getting my notes in order. Fortunately, Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner has posted an excellent summary of what happened...
There were nine absentee ballots in the Village of Dryden race, plus one affidavit ballot, and a margin of ten votes between Mary Ellen Bossack and Randy Sterling. That meant a trip to the Board of Elections this afternoon, though...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on yesterday's village elections, in which incumbents won their races across Dryden and Freeville. In Freeville, 24 people voted, and Mayor Lotte Carpenter, Trustees Diana Radford and Penny Beebe, and Village Justice Arthur Marchese were...
I was delighted to see Democratic incumbent Village Trustee Mary Ellen Bossack hold her seat tonight with 148 votes, while Republican incumbent Dan Wakeman held his seat with 140. Republican challenger Randy Sterling had 138, and Democratic challenger Jim Willer...
If you live in the Village of Dryden or the Village of Freeville, you have an opportunity to vote today. Freeville's four races are uncontested, while Dryden has two Democrats and two Republicans running for two 2-year Village Trustee seats....
If you live in the Village of Dryden or the Village of Freeville, you have an opportunity to vote tomorrow. Freeville's races are non-partisan and uncontested, while Dryden's are partisan and contested. Elections will be held at the Dryden Village...
As part of a three-day series highlighting Sunshine Week, the Ithaca Journal reports on how residents can participate in their local government meetings. It opens with one of the usual suspects who attend meetings: To Simon St. Laurent, being part...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the Dryden and Freeville village elections. For Dryden, a contested race, the Journal talks with Democrats Mary Ellen Bossack and Jim Willer and Republicans Dan Wakeman and Randy Sterling. Incumbent Bossack and challenger Willer...
The March 8th issue of the Dryden Courier leads with two stories about Dryden schools. The first explores plans for "Poem in Your Pocket Day" and other poetry events to be held at Dryden High School and Middle School later...
I still haven't seen any news at all of Freeville's village elections, but ads about the Village of Dryden elections have been running in The Shopper for the past two weeks. A week ago, Democrats Mary Ellen Bossack and Jim...
Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner has posted a summary of the February Town Board meeting that covers a lot of ground, including the ever-popular question of speed limit reductions in populated areas. Definitely worth a vist....
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Janice Cortright, 70, was killed while crossing Route 13 at Livermore Road yesterday. I have enough trouble getting my newspaper and mail from across Route 366, and walking along 13 is even scarier. State...
This week's edition of The Shopper lists Democratic and Republican caucuses for Village of Dryden Elections. Each caucus is a gathering of village residents to select candidates for the March 21, 2006 village trustee elections. Registered Democrats can participate and...
I didn't get the sense that the presentation of a possible Town Hall layout was a final set of drawings for approval - and I don't remember the board taking any action - but WHCU's web site says: Dryden Drawings...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the appointments of Dryden County Legislators Mike Hattery and Martha Robertson to the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency, and includes a fair amount from them on what they hope to accomplish. For Hattery, it...
It was just three months ago that the Republicans were campaigning on open government, and already I'm seeing some signs that at least one Republican doesn't find that notion very interesting. Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull introduced former Town Board member...
This week's Dryden Town Talk takes a look at planning for "the top secret party known as the Senior All Night Extravaganza 2006, also known as SANE. This event is an adult-chaperoned post-graduation environment for safe celebrating," which will be...
When I did the story on Libertarians meeting, I wanted to check on how many there were in town. In October it was two, and as of a week ago it's now three, according to the voter registration data from...
When I posted my October review of voter registration, I accidentally left out Libertarians, as they hadn't existed in my database before. There were two then, though. There are three of them in Dryden now, and one, Michael Sylvia of...
Mary Ann Sumner has already reported on highlights from Thursday's meeting, but here are some pictures of both newly appointed Town Board member Dan Tier and plans for the new Town Hall. Town Clerk Bambi Hollenbeck swears in newly appointed...
Town Board member Mary Ann Sumner has written recently on the Dryden Democrats weblog about her first few weeks on the Board. She has a report on last week's organizational meeting, as well as a piece on her recent visit...
This morning's Ithaca Journal notes in Local Briefs that Village of Dryden Police Chief Margaret Ryan will be receiving the Michael Padula Award from the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission at a dinner on January 28th. The rest of the...
Dryden's Town Board organization meeting this afternoon started with the swearing-in of returning incumbent Steve Stelick and newcomer Mary Ann Sumner. After repeating the oath of office, they had to sign cards (for the county) and sign a book as...
In this morning's Ithaca Journal, Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk visits the Dryden Youth Commission, which "is on the front lines of creating successful programs for our kids, and is seeking a volunteer who lives in the Town of Dryden...
This week's Dryden Courier (December 21st) leads with Margaret Brownell Lorenzen's latest Slinky Slithertail book, Petunia Patch Pockets and the Golden Locket. Lorenzen wrote the first version of the story back in 1961, but this version, with illustrations by Jocelyn...
I'm just getting around to yesterday's Ithaca Journal, and finding a few stories that mentioned Dryden. A story on last-minute shopping includes a picture of Samantha Hornbuckle, whose mother Mary lives in Dryden. Dryden is also mentioned in an article...
This morning's Ithaca Journal visits Nancy Carver and Lorraine Buonviri's Christmas spectacular in their home in Freeville. Fifty Santas on a piano? Is that enough? Perhaps not. It takes three days to set up the decorations, starting the day after...
Last night's Cortland Standard has an article, "Dem seeks Dryden seat", on page 3. Sure enough, the "Dem" is me. I was hoping Paul Lutwak, an independent who ran as a Democrat in November, would apply, but then John Curatolo...
I started to report on this week's Dryden Courier when I realized that I hadn't yet reported on the previous week's issue (November 16th), so thought I should do that first. The Courier led with an article on custodian Dave...
This morning's Ithaca Journal visits the Freeville United Methodist Church Thanksgiving meal, talking both with guests and those serving the food. Yesterday's article on Thanksgiving traditions noted that the The Antlers restaurant was open for a Thanksgiving dinner as well....
I didn't think it would help anything to publicize the worst things I saw in the County Legislature races during the election, but now that the votes are counted, I'd like to make certain that these pieces get on the...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a lot from last night's Town Board meeting, with an article on Mike Lane's concession speech and another piece on possible development north of the Village of Dryden near TC3. One plan, proposed by Bill...
One of the problems with writing this blog is that I frequently have to write on news that saddens me. Tonight is definitely one of those times. County Legislator Mike Lane conceded the District 14 election to Town Board member...
This morning's Journal reports on the dwindling of Mike Hattery's lead over Mike Lane to 20 votes in the District 14 legislative contest, with 30 possible ballots still out there. A report on snowmobile safety starts with a quote from...
Last night, I thought Mike Lane was ahead of Mike Hattery by 10 votes. This morning, the Board of Elections reported Hattery ahead by 41. When I arrived at the Board this afternoon, the difference had changed to 36, as...
Today's Journal notices the November 8th election. The "Wilkinson wins DA race" across the top is hard to miss, as is the picture of County Legislator Martha Robertson congratulating Gwen Wilkinson, who defeated incumbent District Attorney George Dentes by a...
Last night was a night of ups and downs. It looks like Dryden will once again have a Democratic member of the Town Board, as Steve Stelick (R) and Mary Ann Sumner (D) led the field. Our numbers last night...
I thought I'd already said this, but: Vote today! I've published the polling places list for Dryden if you need to find out where you need to go....
From the Board of Elections listing, polling places for each of the districts are: Etna Fire Station - 26 Wood Road, Etna (map). Freeville Fire Station - 21 Union Street, Freeville (map). Dryden Fire Station - 26 North Street, Dryden...
Tomorrow we have a choice among candidates for District Attorney, and I'm delighted with Gwen Wilkinson. She wants to ensure that violent criminals of all kinds are prosecuted, and that even difficult cases get a close look. I like what...
County Legislator Martha Robertson has brought tremendous energy to her job, whether she's speaking at a Town Board meeting, collecting information from constituents to improve road safety, or developing new ideas for lowering the cost of healthcare in Tompkins County....
I've enjoyed this year's relatively quiet Town Board race, and I think voters have an opportunity for change for the better this year. Mary Ann Sumner and Paul Lutwak both bring financial skills and a focus on doing a lot...
This morning's Journal is quiet on Dryden news, but carries two Dryden letters on the opinion page. They left out County Legislator Mike Lane's final piece out on Saturday, and include it today. Lane notes a number of ways in...
I first met Athena Kalandros at a Groton Democratic Committee meeting where they were looking for candidates. If I remember right, Bob Walpole had talked with her about the possibility of running while she was getting her kids on to...
I missed covering last week's Dryden Courier, and there are only a few days left to get the current issue. I've chosen some especially unfortunate issues to cover late. If you want to get a feel for all the candidates...
The race for County Legislature 14, most of the eastern half of Dryden, is between a conservative Democrat and a conservative Republican, between two candidates who bring considerable if very different experience to the table. I'm delighted to encourage voters...
Yesterday's Ithaca Journal gave county candidates one last chance to get their message out to voters, and published a set of letters from candidates. Once again, they've published it online as one huge file, but County Legislature candidates Martha Robertson...
The Republican Meet-The-Candidates event advertised in The Shopper the past couple of weeks didn't look all that different from the Democratic event, except that the Republicans had balloons and cookies from Googer's. (Not my favorite Googer's half moon cookies, but...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a long and detailed editorial on the District Attorney's race (in tiny print), but concludes that: The decision before Tompkins County voters is an enormous one. The District Attorney's office is the people's representative at...
Today's Ithaca Journal has lots of politics, including lots of Dryden politics. The Town Board race gets a meet-the-candidates article, and there's an article on the 14th district legislature race, but unfortunately the profiles of County Legislator Mike Lane and...
This morning's Ithaca Journal features Hall Pass, a group of Dryden teachers who play jazz together. If you want to hear them, they have a "semi-official gig on the second Friday of the month at the Dryden Hotel." The rest...
I always find it strange that local politics is frequently so, well, local. At least when it's convenient for someone's argument, they don't look beyond the borders of their own municipal unit to see if anyone else is sharing the...
Tom Hatfield, the Town of Dryden Republican Committee Chairman, was just on WHCU, and I learned a lot about the Coalition for Change: Their organization includes one Democrat, the treasurer, who Tom claims will be more visible in the next...
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...
Perhaps living up to their name as "the Grand Old Party," the Dryden Town Republican Committee will be having a Meet the Candidates event this next Friday night, November 4th, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm at the Dryden Fire Hall (map)....
The Tompkins County SPCA's Hanshaw Road facility is bulging with dogs and cats in need of homes. Built for 38 dogs, they now have 54, as well as 291 cats. The usual fall drop-off in occupancy hasn't happened this year,...
I've received two invitations today to Dryden events where the public can meet Democratic candidates running for county office. One is for the District Attorney candidate, Gwen Wilkinson: Gwen Wilkinson, the Democratic candidate for District Attorney, will be having a...
I just got the latest voter registration data from the Board of Elections this morning. I thought I'd compare registration in Dryden to last year, and was pleasantly surprised. PartyNumber (Oct 2004)Number (Oct 2005)Change Blank (Independent)18851843-42 Conservative8169-12 Democratic30423033-9 Green13099-31 Independence280277-3...
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...
As I'd announced earlier, the Dryden Democrats held a Meet the Candidates forum at the Varna Community Center on Wednesday night. Democratic District Attorney candidate Gwen Wilkinson, County Legislator Martha Robertson, and Town Board candidates Paul Lutwak and Mary Ann...
The only Dryden-related item in today's Ithaca Journal is in Briefly in Tompkins, which notes that the Dryden Senior Citizens will be holding their fund-raising bazaar on Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Dryden Fire Hall (map). The race...
I've been slack in covering the Dryden Courier lately, and I should cover it while it's still available. This week, it's even been available for free at the XtraMart at the Sunoco station on the Route 13/366 overlap with any...
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,...
The Dryden Democrats will be hosting a Meet the Candidates event at the Varna Community Center (map) on Wednesday, October 19th at 7:30pm. We'll be serving refreshments and attendees will have the chance to talk with Democratic candates, including: Town...
I know, I know. The bit at the end of an ad that says "I'm George Bush, and I authorized this message" isn't the most exciting bit of political advertising. But these days, especially when nominally "non-partisan" groups are out...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on Thursday night's Town Board meeting, where the comprehensive plan passed with modification to the trails. The Journal also notes that the New York State Department of Transportation will be reducing speed limits on Route...
I was late getting there, unfortunately, but Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton and County Legislator Mike Lane held a press conference today announcing $50,000 in state funds for equipment for Freeville's W.B. Strong and Dryden's Neptune Hose Company fire departments. Assemblywoman Barbara...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column looks at tomorrow night's "Barbershop Stories with Bob and Beachy", talking about McKeon's barbershop where many of the tales were told. The Dryden Town Historical Society will be hosting the event, tomorrow at 7:30pm...
This morning's Ithaca Journal front-pages Thursday night's Town Board vote on the Town Comprehensive Plan. The article mentions the eminent domain controversy which appeared in a letter to the editor last month. Supervisor Steve Trumbull says on the trails that:...
Today's Journal is largely quiet about Dryden, though the Groton Town Talk notes food pantries from 1:30pm to 2:30pm on October 8th and 22nd at the McLean Community Church. There will also be a steak dinner fund-raiser at the McLean...
Dryden resident Nancy Suci writes that: We need to leave Iraq. Our time there diminishes our reputation in the world. Our actions in Iraq increase the anger and resentment that erupts in terrorist acts. And we are neglecting our own...
There isn't much in today's Ithaca Journal about Dryden, except a reminder that school taxes in Dryden are due Saturday to avoid a penalty. (In the Ithaca district, they're due October 31st.) There's lots of county news, however. A front...
Dryden has three county legislative districts. Two of them, those held by Mike Lane and Martha Robertson, are completely within the Town of Dryden. The third, currently represented by George Totman, includes the corner of Dryden north and east of...
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...
Today's Ithaca Journal is quiet on Dryden news, but there are two pieces on the opinion page with Dryden connections. One comes from Freeville resident Jennifer Semo, and only appears in the print edition. Semo writes, about the St.Patrick's Four:...
This morning's Ithaca Journal doesn't report much about Dryden, but there's news on two county labor fronts. The county and its white collar CSEA unit have come to terms, and the contract was approved 13-1 last night by the County...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the County Legislature approved applying for an Empire Zone that includes part of the Town of Dryden as well as Lansing and the City of Ithaca. County Legislators Martha Robertson, Mike Lane, and George...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the death of a 25-year old Freeville woman on Route 13 Sunday night when she apparently crossed the road in the path of a pickup truck. In brighter news in Dryden, the SPCA appointed...
Athena Kalandros, running as a Democrat for the District 9 County Legislature seat against Republican Duane "Tyke" Randall, will be having a meet the candidate event from 7:00pm to 9:00pm next Monday the 26th at the Benn Conger Inn (map)...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that today is the last day to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims through the drop boxes at school and athletic offices in the Dryden schools. An article on Town Supervisors candidates notes that Dryden Town...
This morning's Ithaca Journal leads with results from yesterday's primary election. The only election in Dryden was for the Republican contest for County Legislator in District 9, which included eastern Lansing, Groton, and northeastern Dryden. Challenger Duane "Tyke" Randall II...
I didn't get to look at yesterday's Ithaca Journal until today, and it has two stories I'd definitely like to highlight. One is about Linda Lavine welcoming former Ithacan Rona King into her house after her house in New Orleans...
This week's issue of The Shopper adds another item to Saturday's busy schedule of Dryden events: the Etna Community Yard Sale, which will be Saturday from 9:00am to noon at Houtz Hall in Etna. There's also a schedule for the...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on two big events to be held this Saturday: the Ellis Hollow Fair, from noon to 4:00pm, and the Freeville Harvest Festival, from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Briefly in Dryden lists even more events, with a...
With the Labor Day weekend, I almost forgot to report on last week's issue of the Dryden Courier. It leads with articles on the Dryden School District's rush to finish renovations on the elementary schools, and with the successful completion...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the upcoming Town Board election, talking with all four candidates about what they'd like to accomplish. The Republicans running are incumbent Steve Stelick and newcomer Dan Tier. The Democrats running are newcomers Mary Ann...
At Thursday night's caucus, the Dryden Democrats nominated Paul Lutwak and Mary Ann Sumner as their candidates for the November election for Town Board. Mary Ann Sumner has lived in Dryden on Neimi Road for 30 years, raising children while...
Gwen Wilkinson, the Democratic candidate for District Attorney, will be on the Village Green (map) in Dryden from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday. It's a great chance to meet the candidate, talk about what you'd like to see in a...
Today's Journal is mostly quiet on Dryden (except for a correction announcing that the Ellis Hollow Fair will be September 10th), but there are stories on two important fronts in county news. County Legislator Mike Lane is quoted in article...
The Dryden Democratic Committee will be holding its caucus on Thursday night at the Dryden Town Hall (map) at 7:30pm on Thursday. We'll be selecting candidates for Town Board (2), Town Supervisor, and Highway Superintendent, and then having a regular...
Kimberly Gazzo, who became Town of Dryden Historian earlier this year, has an article in today's Ithaca Journal that explores the accomplishments of her predecessors as Dryden Historian. It's a wonderful introduction to a job many people don't realize exists....
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column introduces the incoming Methodist minister, Alan Kinney. She also announces Intergenerational Band performances August 13th and 14th, swimming lessons, and Etna Community Church's Vacation Bibe School. Phoenix Books had a small fire on their...
It was a perfect morning for a highway cleanup, with clear skies and comfortable temperatures. Around ten Democrats helped clean up Route 366 between Varna and the Route 13 intersection, working in small groups to clean up debris. Signs of...
I complained yesterday that the Journal didn't provide a breakdown of who voted how at the county legislature, and today they make up for that with both analysis and a list of votes on tobacco bond restructuring, an increase in...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk looks at schoolgirls of yesteryear, the Drydenettes, a group of female Dryden High School alumnae who will be having a reunion July 30th. (If female alums would like to make a reservation to join the...
I've wondered a bit about the Tompkins County Coalition for Change, not having been able to find much about it. Tom Hatfield, the Dryden Republican Committee chairman and the apparent spokesman for the group, was on WHCU this morning to...
I was annoyed with the Journal last week for publishing a list of candidates without noticing that there are caucuses yet to come, and they seem to have realized that in time for an editorial overview of races that wishes...
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...
This morning's Journal reports that the new school board president in Dryden is Anderson Young, with Russ Kowalski as vice-president. In Community News, the Journal notes that Erin Radford, who grew up in Freeville, got a master's degree in international...
I went down to the Board of Elections today, where District Attorney candidate Gwen Wilkinson gave a brief press conference as she turned in the signatures to put her on the ballot in November. Election Commissioner Steve DeWitt examines District...
This morning's Ithaca Journal introduces Duane Randall as a Republican candidate for incumbent Republican George Totman's seat on the county legislature and provides a complete list of known candidates in all of the county districts. Since the Journal's articles now...
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...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has an article on Saturday's Dryden High School graduation, complete with a photo of exuberant graduates in purple and white robes. In his weekly column on Schuyler County, Neil Chaffie gives an entertaining explanation of how...
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...
I should probably write about last week's Dryden Courier while it's still available on newsstands. The front page has an article about Town Councilman Mike Hattery's run for the County Legislature seat held by Mike Lane, as well as a...
Since the June Town Board meeting is tomorrow night, and I still haven't covered it, it's probably time to take a look at the minutes from the May meeting I did cover the statement from the fire department chiefs and...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a brief item about Republican W. David Restey's announcement yesterday that he will be running for the 13th district county legislature seat against Democratic incumbent Martha Robertson. In county news, Alternatives Federal Credit Union will...
It looks like both of Dryden's Democratic county legislators have opponents this, year, as W. David Restey announced his intentions to run against County Legislator Martha Robertson: W. David Restey to run for County Legislature District 13, Town of Dryden...
Today's Ithaca Journal has a brief item on Mike Hattery's announcement that he'll run for the County Legislature. (I covered Mike's announcement on Casey Stevens earlier this week, which had a lot more detail.) Ithaca College Professor Elia Kacapyr reports...
This week's issue of The Shopper has a notice for Democrats in the northeast corner of Dryden, as well as Groton and eastern Lansing: Calling All Democrats All Democrats in the 9th Legislative District are encouraged to attend a meeting...
After the strong Democratic performance in last year's election, and with Democratic voter registration passing Republican registration in the Town last year (currently 2979 D - 2791 R), the Dryden Democrats wanted to do something to increase our visibility. We...
On Casey Stevens' WHCU show this morning, Town Board member Mike Hattery announced his plans to run for the 14th legislative district, currently held by Mike Lane. The 14th district (map, 598KB PDF) includes most of eastern Dryden, the parts...
I saw County Legislator Mike Lane this morning at the Memorial Day Parade, and remembered that I hadn't given his re-election announcement the kind of coverage I'd given fellow Legislator Martha Robertson's press conference, and it looks like I'll be...
Devontae Sims, a fourth-grade boy at Dryden Intermediate School, "was awarded Best Design honors by the National Education Association of New York in the kindergarten through fourth-grade division of the first ever Great Public Schools Art Contest," for a poster...
After last night's 2004 presidential voting maps, I thought I'd play with the voter registration data and see what kind of perspective that gives on the politics of the county. As I did with the presidential data, I stripped it...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that both the Dryden Central School District and Ithaca City School District budgets passed, Dryden's by a 916-678 vote and Ithaca's by a 2032-1481 vote. All of the propositions for both districts also passed. In...
I'm happy to see that the Democrats have a promising candidate for DA, Gwen Wilkinson, who announced her candidacy yesterday. The occasional writings of the current District Attorney, George Dentes, are substantially responsible for getting me interested in local politics....
While the Ithaca Journal may not have any interest in encouraging political activity by publicizing party events, they apparently do want to make sure that prospective candidates have some idea what's involved in running for local office, with an article...
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...
I spent most of April writing about wind turbines (which now seem not to be happening), and only covered two small pieces of the April Town Board meeting, discussing executive session issues related to the golf course and wind turbines....
This week's issue of the Dryden Courier leads with the reopening of the Dryden Hotel, starting with a party last Friday night and returning to its usual schedule this week. Closed for four months because of a flood from the...
The Dryden Democratic Committee will be meeting next Thursday, May 5th, at 7:30pm at the Dryden Village Hall (map). We'll be gearing up for the November election, discussing candidates, issues, and fundraising. Democrats from the Town of Dryden are welcome....
This morning's Ithaca Journal doesn't have much news about Dryden, but it does have an editorial on the need for competitive local elections in Tompkins County. The editorial states: Just as competition makes athletes better -- and more interesting to...
This week's Dryden Courier is packed with news about the town, on levels from local lacrosse to the county legislature to a protest at Congressman Boehlert's office to a Dryden dentist returning from Iraq. Once again, if you don't read...
County Legislator Martha Robertson announced that she would run for re-election yesterday at a press conference that packed Dryden resident Nancy Huffman's Sadie D's restaurant. Robertson said that she was: announcing with great pleasure that I am seeking a second...
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...
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...
Last night, I continued the discussion of the Town Board's use of executive session with questions raised by the article on the golf course auction in the March 23rd issue of the Dryden Courier. I gave the Town Board an...
I'm late getting to the Dryden Courier this week, and their article on the Dryden schools budget getting close to a 10% levy increase has been made obsolete by this morning's Journal article on their staying below 9%. There's lot...
The Ithaca Journal's editorial starts as "the raspy gee-gaw call of a male redwing blackbird echoed in a Dryden marsh," writing about the studies of local bird populations done by the Birdhouse Network, a project of the Cornell Lab of...
At the March Town Board meeting, Mike Hattery distributed a map with one possible scenario for annexing more property north of the Village of Dryden to the village. I've had a little trouble scanning it in so that it's readable...
Apparently the voting machines in the Village of Dryden race had problems early on, so inspectors collected paper ballots. In the new numbers, 240 people voted (20.5% of voters), and the results changed from the ones I reported the day...
Cathy Wakeman's Town Talk column in today's Journal looks at "Heavenly Recipes," a cookbook dedicated to the memory of Michele Longo Ferris. The cookbook is available at Hill's Drugs in Dryden, and all proceeds will be dedicated to education. Wakeman...
I'm always happy to listen to Tom Hatfield, the Town of Dryden Republican Committee chairman, when he's on Casey Stevens' show on WHCU 870. Usually the conversation is about county news with a bit of Dryden - I picked up...
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...
Minutes are available for both the March 2nd hearing on the possible annexation of the Dryden Mutual Property to the Village of Dryden and the Town Board's regular meeting on March 10th, which I missed. The March 2nd minutes are...
This week's Dryden Courier has a must-read article on the March 11th auction of the Lakeview Golf Course, where it was purchased by its current owner, George Szlasa. It's definitely worth getting up now and going out to buy the...
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...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal devotes its entire editorial page to New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), which gives citizens access to government documents at the state and local levels, complementing the federal government's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). They...
Village elections held yesterday returned incumbents to their seats in both Dryden and Freeville. In Dryden, Mayor Reba Taylor and Village Trustees Bob Witty and Mark Strom were re-elected over new Village Trustee challenger Jerry Carbo, while in Freeville Tom...
I just got this past week's Dryden Courier, and should cover it while it's still available. It's also extra-appropriate today because it includes candidate questions and reponses for the Village of Dryden candidates. Polls will be open from noon to...
This morning's Journal reports that there are elections today in the Villages of Dryden and Freeville. Polls will be open from noon to 9:00pm at the the Dryden Village Hall (map) and the the Freeville Village Hall (map). Freeville's election...
County Legislator Mike Lane writes the Ithaca Journal today to endorse Jerry Carbo for Village Trustee in tomorrow's Village of Dryden elections: Jerry Carbo is running for one of the seats, and is well qualified. He has impressive experience in...
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...
A letter in today's Ithaca Journal from Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull says that the Lakeview Golf Course is up for auction and the town still has hope: that the Town of Dryden and the new owners of the golf course...
Thursday's hour-long information meeting on the land purchase for the new Town Hall brought over 25 attendees to find out what the town's plans were for the 47 acres the Town is purchasing behind the existing Town Hall for $100,000....
This morning's Ithaca Journal has all kinds of Dryden news. There's an article on last night's informational meeting on the Town Hall land purchase, "a 47-acre parcel adjacent to the current town hall location for $100,000 from ELM Acquisition Corporation."...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden Town Board will be meeting tonight at 7:00pm in the Dryden Village Hall (map) for a public information session about the purchase of land for a new Town Hall and other possible...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Dryden Hotel will reopen sometime around April 1st, after repairs from water damage are completed. Briefly in Tompkins lists several upcoming Dryden events: The Dryden Town Board will be meeting tonight at 7:00pm...
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...
This week's Dryden Courier has lots and lots of Dryden news. The cover stories include a continuation of last week's profiles of the two Dryden student school board liaisons, focusing on Amanda Christofferson's accomplishments this time. The Courier reports that...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Albert Miller, a trash collector was injured on West Dryden Road early on Thursday. The Freeville Fire Department and Dryden ambulance responded, and Miller was taken by helicoper to Arnot-Ogden hospital in Elmira. Briefly...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that New York State Police are offering inspection and help with child restraint seats at their barracks on Route 13 in Dryden tomorrow from 3:30pm to 6:00pm. State law will be changing March 27th: The...
The Dryden Courier's editorial this week reverses a policy it had set after the last round of local elections, when it decided "to no longer print letters supporting local candidates." They've changed their minds because: Local elections hit closer to...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on last night's Town Board meeting. They lead with the question of the purchase of land for the new Town Hall, writing that: In an unexpected move, the Dryden Town Board went into executive session...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on last night's public meeting to discuss the possible annexation of an area north of Dryden to the Village. Dryden Mutual Insurance has applied to be annexed to the Village, and there are large questions...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Village of Dryden will have a contested race for Village Trustee on March 15th. Jerry Carbo will be running as a Democrat against incumbent Republicans Robert Witty and Mark Strom. Carbo, 32, makes...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that negotiations with ELM Acquisition Corporation for land for a new town hall have been delayed because of a "small glitch." The negotiations are still proceeding: Steve Trumbull, the town supervisor, said the town board...
I've been painfully slack in getting the Dryden Courier over the last few weeks. I bought last week's on the Tuesday night before it disappeared, misplaced it, and just got to the current issue tonight. There's still one more day...
As Village of Dryden elections are coming up in March, I've been looking at voter registration data again. Here's my current snapshot of the Village of Dryden registrations: PartyNumber Registered Blank203 Conservative15 Democratic386 Green11 Independence36 Liberal6 Republican504 Right-to-Life5 Working Families3...
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...
Most of the Dryden-specific activity in today's Ithaca Journal is on the opinion page, so I'll start there for the first time in a while. Henry Kramer of Dryden writes to argue that New York (population 19.2 million) follow Connecticut's...
This week's issue of The Shopper includes notices from both the Dryden Democratic Committee and the Dryden Republican Committee that they will be holding caucuses on Tuesday, January 25th to select candidates for Village of Dryden Mayor and Village of...
In this morning's Journal, Cathy Wakeman's Town Talk column visits a local business that grows coral, Reef Encounters. As Wakeman notes, their photo section is especially stunning, especially on a cold January day. Wakeman also mentions a a 4-H spaghetti...
It's a quiet day for Dryden news, but the Journal has a few stories that affect parts of Dryden. The Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) reports having raised $94,917 to support programs in the Ithaca City School District. You can...
As I mentioned yesterday, one of the major issues at Thursday night's Town Board meeting was the purchase of land for the town hall, and the interest expressed by a number of board members in including recreation land in that...
This morning's Journal follows up yesterday's articles on reasons to buy land for a new Town Hall with a report that the Town Board voted last night to approve it. I'll have more detail on the conversation about this issue...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the space shortage in Dryden Town Hall and a possible land purchase to build a new one which will be discussed at tonight's 7:00pm board meeting. They have a nice collection of pictures illustrating...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a photo of Varna and Dryden firefighters putting out a fire at a workshop on Ringwood Road yesterday. Briefly in Tompkins mentions the Dryden Senior Citizens' meeting and lunch at the Dryden Fire Hall this...
Today's Ithaca Journal provides more information on the Etna fire coverage agreement that was discussed at Tuesday's Town Board meeting. The article looks at the agreement between the four Dryden fire departments as well as the new Mobile Response Vehicle...
Last night's town board organizational meeting was a lot like last year's, passing a huge number of routine resolutions, but there were some interesting bits, notably around investments, appointments, the abstract of bills, tax collection, and fire coverage in the...
In this morning's Ithaca Journal, Cathy Wakeman looks at the opening of the Integrative Montessori Nursery School, which will be having an open house Friday through Sunday: The public is invited to visit and learn about this new classroom at...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES has named Ellen O'Donnell as its new superintendent. O'Donnell is currently the superintendent of the Chenango Forks Central School District. An article on Tioga County notes that renewing your car registration by...
The year seems to be going out quietly for Dryden. Today's Journal does mention Dryden a few times, though. Mike Hall of the Dryden Fire Department received the Ithaca Rescue Steamer and Chemical Co. No. 2's Chuckie Fletcher Award, "given...
In this morning's Ithaca Journal, Dryden County Legislator Mike Lane argues for lower pay raises than those supported in a competing plan: "Legislators work hard," Lane said. "You can't expect them to work for nothing. On the other hand, we...
I had a few questions after Friday's Ithaca Journal article on fire company news, which says: Stelick and Michaels have long served as town liaisons to the emergency service providers and have found themselves wishing they had permanent, experienced staff...
It's a quiet day for Dryden in the Ithaca Journal. There's an odd short recap of Tuesday's county budget vote that seems to repeat yesterday's article on the budget. I did talk with County Legislator Michael Lane yesterday, and he...
Cathy Wakeman's describes last Friday's Victorian Winter Festival and provides a list of holiday events yet to come in today's Ithaca Journal. There's also a profile of Freeville physical therapist Richard Weiner, looking at a class he taught in Ithaca...
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...
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...
I've written a piece on why I think the Democratic Party should take reform as a core issue, including the need to reform places where we have control. The article isn't specific to Dryden, so I've posted it on my...
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...
The Town Board meeting last night lasted about an hour, most of it in executive session. At the end, they passed this resolution: Resolution to Approve Memorandum of Understanding with Teamsters Local 317 Whereas, the Town of Dryden has bargained...
It's been over three months since I last posted a piece of George Goodrich's The Centennial History of the Town of Dryden, 1797-1897. There's been plenty of Dryden news to keep the days busy, and the chapters I haven't yet...
While I'm grateful that there haven't been many accidents inside Dryden lately, there seem to be more and more nearby. Yesterday, Dryden rescue workers were among those responding to tractor-trailer crash on Route 13 in Cortland that left one of...
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...
I've been meaning to post the Town Budget for most of this week, but have had problems scanning and converting it. Here, finally, if you're interested, is the Town of Dryden budget for 2005. Cover page - clearer (80KB PDF)...
Today's Ithaca Journal includes an article by John Marcham on the history of the Lehigh Valley's Auburn Division, giving a brief overview of many lines, including the ones that crisscrossed Dryden. The History Center of Tompkins County has just published...
Democrats and sympathetic independents met last night at the Dryden Town Hall to discuss the 2004 election, looking over how well we'd done locally while contemplating the growing divide among Americans and talking about how to communicate with people on...
The Dryden Democrats will be hosting a gathering this Wednesday night, November 10th, at 7:30pm at the Dryden Town Hall, 65 East Main Street, Dryden (map). Democrats and independents are welcome. We'll be taking a look at what worked for...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the county will be distributing flu shots at the National Guard Armory on Hanshaw Road (map). The county will be screening people to make sure they live in Tompkins County, for medical reasons not...
Yesterday was a fairly quiet day in Dryden. The county legislature approved requiring apprenticeship programs of its contractors by a 9-5 vote. County Legislator Michael Lane is quoted at the end of the article supporting the measure, though they don't...
Much of the Journal's coverage today is about yesterday's elections. They lead their local coverage with a piece on the defeat of the OTB referendum, which quotes Bruce Drowne of Dryden as supporting the measure. There's also an article on...
73% of registered voters turned out across Dryden yesterday, with 10 of 11 polls reporting 69% or greater turnout. In Dryden, John Kerry won 3398-2597, while congressional challenger Jeff Miller defeated incumbent Sherwood Boehlert 2556-2444. Neither of those results seem...
While Town Hall is occupied with voting machines right now, on Thursday night it will be the scene of a budget hearing. [Update: No, it won't be. The budget hearing has moved to the Village Hall (map).] With all the...
From the Board of Elections listing, polling places for each of the districts are: Etna Fire Station - 26 Wood Road, Etna (map). Freeville Fire Station - 21 Union Street, Freeville (map). Dryden Fire Station - 26 North Street, Dryden...
There's not much Dryden news in today's Journal, but there's a fair amount that applies to Dryden in some way. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is starting up again for the winter, and the Tompkins County Office for the...
Democrats have gained 239 voter registrations in the Town of Dryden since May, while Republicans have gained 99, giving Democrats a 138-vote lead in registrations. Voters with no party registration (Blank) have also increased 165. PartyNumber (May)Number (Oct)Change Blank (Independent)17201885+165...
Today's Ithaca Journal looks at the proposition to allow Off-Track Betting in Tompkins County that is on next Tuesday's ballot. They've had two opinion pieces on the subject in the last few weeks. This is the one part of next...
Ithaca Journal reporter Jennie Daley provides details on a subject that wasn't addressed directly at last night's meeting: the budget, and a likely 7% tax levy increase. Highway equipment, recreation, and a decline in state and federal aid are all...
As we get closer to the election, more and more of the news is political. The Journal today mentions Congressional candidate Jeff Miller's stop in Ithaca this coming Saturday, October 16th, at 2:00pm in the Mural Lounge in the Clinton...
County Legislator Martha Robertson is quoted in this morning's Ithaca Journal opposing a defeated motion to add $418,000 to the County Highway Department budget. The Journal notes that the "proposal failed by a 6-5 vote with four legislators absent," but...
Several stories in this morning's Ithaca Journal touch on Dryden, so I'll start with a mention I didn't expect to see, given the article's setting up Cayuga Lake in Aurora. The Journal's contact among students protesting Wells College trustees decision...
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...
In today's Dryden Town Talk, Cathy Wakeman reports that Adam Pamel's Eagle Scout project, raising money for school supplies for 33 children, was a success. Pamel set up collection boxes, held a car wash, and was noticed by Cayuga's Helping...
This morning's Journal looks at last night's Dryden School Board meeting. The Board appointed Amanda Kittelberger to the seat Tricia Edgecomb resigned, and worked on annual goals, the strategic planning committee, and the public relations committee. Following state mandates, they...
The Town Board met Friday at 8:30am. Because court was in session, the board met in the Zoning Officer's office. It was a little crowded, and the picture doesn't even show two more of us who were in there. Town...
Dryden news is mostly quiet today, but the county is poised to make a $19.96 million (or $2.13 million) decision tonight: what to do about the county jail. The more expensive option will expand the jail to 136 beds, while...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that questions about what constitutes an 'active member' are delaying the distribution of foreign fire insurance money. State law requires that the money, which comes from out-of-state insurance carriers covering property in Dryden, be distributed...
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...
It looks like the contract negotiations in the Dryden Central School District have finally reached a positive conclusion, as the school board voted unanimously to approve the contract that teachers approved September 2nd. Meanwhile, in the Ithaca District, negotiations with...
Today's Ithaca Journal reports that Sherwood Boehlert defeated David Walrath by 20,365 to 14,741. In Tompkins County, the vote was 919 for Boehlert to 613 for Walrath. In the general election, Boehlert will face Walrath, who has the Conservative line,...
It's a quiet holiday for Dryden news. There is an announcement for next Tuesday's Republican primary, where Congressional incumbent Sherwood Boehlert and challenger David Walrath will face off. On the opinion page, Fred Quinlan of Freeville writes of Assemblywoman Barbara...
Dryden teachers finally have a contract, after working four of the last five years without one. The Dryden Faculty Association (DFA) approved a new contract yesterday, and teachers will start the school year with a contract in place. The Board...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that 10 to 15% increases in the cost of materials may force changes in plans for elementary school renovation. The Dryden Central School Board will have to look at a list of options and choose...
After all the excitement earlier this year over a county executive proposal, I figured someone might show up at a public forum to speak in support of the idea. Similarly, given the questions of the cost of the state's expectations...
Yesterday's heavy rains are a big story in the Ithaca Journal today, with a piece on a rollover on Hanshaw Road caused by flooding, an article on flooding in Groton and throughout the county, and an article that looks at...
It doesn't sound like anything happened in Dryden yesterday, but the Journal reports on another option for the Rec Partnership: forming a non-profit. There's no mention of Dryden's position on this option, but the Caroline, Newfield, and Ulysses town boards...
The most Dryden-specific news in this morning's Ithaca Journal is a notice calling for volunteers to help Project CARE, a volunteer program of the Tompkins County Office for the Aging. There are two opportunities to help people in Freeville and...
The August Town Board meeting was relatively brief and not very dramatic. Only three board members (Trumbull, Stelick, and Hattery) were there. It included: Nancy Zahler and Liz Vance presented on the Tompkins County Recreation Partnership, discussing Dryden's participation, the...
There aren't any headlines that mention Dryden in today's Ithaca Journal, but there's lots of news relating to Dryden. There's an article on state aid to local schools that cites Dryden Central School Board President Rachel Dickinson: "Dryden's tax rate...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the New York State Legislature has finally passed an education bill, so schools will know their aid levels before they send out tax bills. Dryden will be getting $12.85 million this coming year as...
This morning's Ithaca Journal doesn't have a lot of news specifically about Dryden, but there's a fair amount that applies to Dryden. County Legislator Mike Lane is quoted asking "How do you weigh the employee health risks vs. the economic...
The "politics" category had accumulated enough stories that it was getting hard to see from the archives quite what was going on here. I've now split it into three categories. There's now a politics (local) category that focuses on town,...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has an article on the volunteers keeping the Lakeview Golf Course going. Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull appreciates their efforts: "Those members who are donating time, fully free, mowing the course, mowing the greens, donating money for...
At last night's Town Board meeting, the board heard five different public hearings, as well as two points of citizen's privilege. (The Recreation Partnership discussion was apparently postponed.) The first hearing was on an application by Andrew and Elaine Morenus...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the sudden death of Rere Hassett, a professor at TC3 and head of the Public Assistance Comprehensive Employment (PACE) program there. They also report that senior coupon booklets for the Farmers' Market will be...
This week's Dryden Courier looks at the protracted saga of the Crown Castle Atlantic cell phone tower that the Town Board approved last week. They also visit the Dryden Historical Society, looking through the collections and talking about the programs....
Meeting at Etna's Houtz Hall on Tuesday night, a Democratic caucus unanimously selected Joseph Valentinelli, the incumbent Town Justice, to run again as their candidate this November. County Legislator Mike Lane spoke glowingly about Judge Valentinelli's fairness and passion for...
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....
Today's Ithaca Journal has a strong focus on volunteer firefighting, with a piece on families volunteering and the difficulties of recruiting volunteers, the latter of which quotes Dryden Chief Ron Flynn about the sign in front of the Neptune station....
I'll be writing this up in more detail, but here are some quick highlights from last night's Town Board meeting: The board decided to appeal a FEMA decision to halt payment on $170,000 of grants for work on Virgil Creek....
The Town of Dryden Democrats will be caucusing at Houtz Hall (map), 2 Lower Creek Road, Etna, at 7:30pm on July 13th to choose a candidate for Town Judge. The incumbent is a Democrat, Joseph Valentinelli. (Christopher Clauson, a Republican,...
It doesn't look like I'm going to have time to write up the rest of the June Town Board meeting the way I'd like to, and the town's minutes are already available, so I'm just going to talk a bit...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Nathan Winograd, executive director of the Tompkins County SPCA, will be leaving at the end of the summer. Winograd has overseen the adoption of a no-kill policy and the construction of the Dorothy Park...
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...
I finally got to look at the registration data I picked up from the Board of Elections in May. People have probably moved in and out of the district, adding new voters and taking others out, but this is where...
I happily pick up any free newspaper I find in the bins at the supermarket, and I found a new one today: The June Issue. It's published by Ithaca High School students, apparently because the last issue of their regular...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports from last night's Town Board meeting that the board settled on the location of the existing town hall (map) as the best of their options for building a new Town Hall. The combination of its...
The Town Board is meeting tonight at 7pm at the Dryden Town Hall (map). The agenda is available. Highlights include two public hearings affecting the Route 13/366 overlap area, discussion of a new town hall, a report from Town Attorney...
Today's Ithaca Journal takes a close look at the numbers in the revised Dryden school budget, which will increase the tax rate from $21.92/$1000 to $22.56, a 3.39% rate increase. The tax levy increases 10.69%, though spending increases only 7.11%....
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...
This week's Dryden Courier features an article on prospects for a new Town Hall, a project that's been in the works for a while but which was deferred to executive session at the May Town Board meeting. It seems there's...
Today's Ithaca Journal has a brief article on the Dryden school district offices' move to the High School/Middle School, as well as a report on a state BOCES championship in which two Dryden High School students, Daniel Carpenter and Bert...
The Ithaca Times reports that County Legislator Martha Robertson is working on creating a prescription discount card program for Tompkins County, "aimed mostly at county residents with no health insurance or no prescription drug insurance program options." For $15 or...
Dryden news is quiet today in the Ithaca Journal, but the opinion page has some sparks which affect at least part of Dryden. In today's letters from readers, Tompkins County Republican Committee Chairman Mark Finkelstein complains of criticism for his...
County Legislator Mike Lane put forward a resolution to shift assessment from every year to every three years, citing rapid increases in the last few years, but the meeting of the Government Operations Council wouldn't move on it. (I stopped...
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...
I haven't been reading legal notices as consistently as I should be, but this one from Ulysses today caught my eye: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses will hold a Special Town Board Meeting...
County Legislator Mike Lane is quoted in today's Ithaca Journal on the state's Empire Zone program, which has left Tompkins County as one of 11 counties without one. Lane says that "it would be different if only really economically depressed...
Now that I'm attending Town Board meetings, I'm less frantic about the minutes, but it's still good to see them, as they have a lot of detail (especially about resolutions) that isn't easily captured. For instance, in the April minutes,...
The Ithaca Journal's Jennie Daley reports on Thursday night's golf course discussion as well as a new Town Hall, a subject that was on the agenda but only discussed in executive session. It sounds from the article like the decision...
On WHCU this morning, Tom Hatfield, chairman of the Town of Dryden Republican Committee, announced that the Dryden Republicans are having a golf outing and dinner on June 4th to honor Thomas Todd, a former Dryden town supervisor and current...
While I've been working on a piece that explains the relationships between state, county, town, and village governments, I've also been spending a lot more time in the Village of Dryden. (I'm regularly there while collecting materials for this site.)...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that assessments are going to be up around 11% county-wide, and "the largest assessment increases occurred in Enfield (21 percent), Ulysses (14.83 percent), and Newfield (13.47 percent)." The City and Town of Ithaca were both...
Today's Ithaca Journal, taking note of Earth Day, takes a look at green building practices in Tompkins County, including the Tompkins County SPCA expansion building under construction on Hanshaw Road. There's also a lot of coverage of the Ithaca City...
Ron Space, the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), gave a presentation to the Dryden Town Historical Association Monday night, shedding some light on how exactly the college came to be, and how...
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...
The April 8 Town Board meeting also included a number of conversations about activity at the county level, making town tax policy match county policy, and about environmental planning in conjunction with the county and the state. As noted in...
This morning's Ithaca Journal is quiet on Dryden news but has two letters from Freeville residents: Stephen Prentice thanks the Journal for their recent coverage of speeding and notes the dangers of speeding and tailgating. Shelley Forsythe writes to say...
After yesterday's relative torrent of Dryden news, today's Ithaca Journal is fairly quiet about Dryden. Three pieces definitely affect Dryden, though: The state Department of Environmental Conservation's Wildlife Management Unit 76, which includes Dryden south of Routes 13 and 366,...
The Town of Dryden Democratic Committee met tonight for the first time since January and elected a new Chair: Simon St.Laurent, me, the author of this weblog. I've updated the disclosures page to reflect this, but figured it was worth...
The Town Board spent some time in its April meeting discussing the organization of town government, as well as on hiring a grant-writing firm to focus on new projects. The board followed up on the presentation made at the February...
A lot of Thursday night's Town Board meeting was spent on infrastructure issues, ranging from sewer issues to cell phone towers to roads. The meeting included two public hearings on sewer districts, one affecting the area north of the Village...
Today's Ithaca Journal has highlights of last night's Town Board meeting, including: rate changes (lower for most users) in the Cortland Road Sewer District discussion of a Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) rewarding volunteer firefighters approval of Nextel's upgrading...
Today's Ithaca Journal reports on growing activity in the Democratic primary for the 24th Congressional District, which includes Dryden. Brian Goodell of Lansing is running against Jeff Miller of New Hartford, near Utica. Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, who currently holds the...
Today's Ithaca Journal editorial page continues a few Dryden-specific items: Betsy Darlington and the Finger Lakes Land Trust send a laurel to "Engineers without Frontiers" for building a footbridge in the Trust's Etna Preserve. Though cited as an Ithaca resident,...
After last week's letter about the two Charlie Harts in Dryden, one of whom writes letters to the editor, the letter-writing Charlie Hart wrote in. He argues that what's on the Opinion Page should stay on the Opinion Page: If...
Today's golf course article does what I'd hoped the Journal would do in the Our Towns section - take a deeper look at an issue that's been building for some time. The article captures some of the division on the...
The Ithaca Journal's first installment of the "Our Towns" page on Dryden and Groton arrived today, on page 3B. Most of the section is available on the Journal's site. The lead article is Dryden surveys golf course purchase (which I'll...
Today's Ithaca Journal contains lots of notices for public hearings to be held at the Town Board's April 8 meeting. The full text of the notices follows, but a quick description of the hearings is: There are two hearings on...
New York State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton held a public forum last night at Dryden Town Hall, and the audience brought issues very different from the ones I've seen at the Town Board and Planning Board meetings in that same room....
The town has posted minutes for the joint meeting of the Dryden Town Board and the Village of Dryden Board of Trustees. Most of the minutes focus on the remarkable complexities of the Cortland Road Sewer District, north of the...
Today's Ithaca Journal editorial praises Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull for improving relations with the fire companies and for the recent annexation of land to the Village for a DOT facility. There certainly does seem to be much less strife with...
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton will be holding a public meeting on March 25th at the Dryden Town Hall (map) at 7pm. Lifton represents all of Tompkins County and the towns of Virgil and Cortlandville as well as the city of Cortland...
Fire department issues came up repeatedly during the Town Board meeting on March 18, ranging from fire hydrant painting to contracts and audits. Fire hydrant maintentance came up during the engineering report, with questions about painting, flushing, and flow-testing. Much...
Today's Ithaca Journal reports on the 11% percent increase in the tax levy proposed in the Village of Dryden, driven by a 7% increase in total spending and reflected in a 4.5% tax rate increase. Health insurance, retirement, legal, and...
Another issue that came up at the Town Board meeting last Thursday was the question of health insurance for full-time elected officials: the Town Clerk and Highway Superintendent. The town pays the full cost of either single or family health...
The Journal reports that unofficially, 211 people voted in yesterday's Dryden village election and 21 voted in Freeville's uncontested races. In the Village of Dryden's only contested race, Republican Robert Witty defeated Democrat David Potter 132-76. In the uncontested races,...
Today's Ithaca Journal has an extended article on schools looking forward to tomorrow's state test results, and opens with discussion of Dryden Intermediate School's fourth grade. There's also a piece on the Ithaca City School District's budget plan, which currently...
Elections will be held in the Villages of Dryden and Freeville today from noon to 9pm. In the Village of Dryden, voting will be on the second floor of the Village Hall (map). In the Village of Freeville, voting will...
[This Thursday's Town Board meeting had enough to it that I'm going to publish a series of articles on what happened, focusing on specific topics, rather than try to cover it in one huge piece.] The Town Board resolved the...
There's an article examining the contested Village of Dryden race for a one-year term as trustee in today's Ithaca Journal, speaking with both Democrat David Potter and Republican Robert Witty. Witty, who was appointed to fill the seat when Michael...
Settling the division on the board over annexation of a parcel to the Village of Dryden, Supervisor Steve Trumbull voted for annexation. A lot happened at last night's Town Board meeting, and I'll be reporting it in detail over the...
Today's Ithaca Journal notes an April 1 deadline for Dryden Central School District residents seeking buses to non-public schools and a report from the Intermunicipal Recreation Partnership, and examines what next year's Ithaca City School District budget would look like...
The Ithaca Journal reports that today is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the Freeville or Dryden village elections, though ballots may still be picked up in person until March 15 from the Board of Elections....
I wish the Dryden Courier was more readily available. Its sister publication, the Ithaca Times, is widely available, both for free in the Ithaca area (extending out to at least the Route 13/366 overlap) and online, while the Dryden Courier...
This morning's Ithaca Journal includes two articles looking at issues affecting towns throughout the county, though neither has much Dryden-specific detail. The first looks at how towns outside the City and Town of Ithaca plan not to accept marriage certificate...
I've been surprised by how little coverage village elections have had this year, though at least today's Ithaca Journal editorial mentions village elections. Even finding out who the candidates are has been a challenge, though yesterday's Shopper included a notice...
Today's Ithaca Journal has a story on the new principal of Dryden Middle School, Roger Fedele, interviewing both Fedele and Dryden parents. There will be a welcoming reception for Fedele on March 8th, at 7pm in the Middle School cafeteria....
The Shopper has an Election Notice for the Village of Freeville today. All of the candidates are on the "Citizens Party" line (Freeville elections aren't along traditional party lines) and there appear to be no contests this year. The nominees...
In today's Dryden Town Talk, Cathy Wakeman tells of Kody Kirkland, a fifth-grade student at Dryden Elementary who will be a "student ambassador to Australia and New Zealand" along with sixteen other kids from central New York and a dozen...
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...
Somewhere around the time that the Town of Dryden updated their web site, the complete (approved) 2004 Town budget (1.8MB PDF) was posted. The preliminary 2004 budget is also available for comparison, though I think it's the much less detailed...
While the Town of Dryden Planning Board takes up revisions to the Draft Comprehensive Plan for hamlets tonight, the Ithaca Journal reports that the Village of Dryden will have a public hearing on maintaining their housing construction moratorium while discussing...
The minutes for the January 27th meeting the Dryden Town Board had with the fire companies are now available. I covered this a few weeks ago, but the minutes have a much more detailed reporting of the flow of conversation....
The agenda for tomorrow night's Town Board meeting has been posted. A public hearing on the Time-Warner Cable franchise, an update on the Freese Road sewer pump, annexation issues, fire company audits, a Conservation Board, 2004 Old Home Days, and...
Today's Ithaca Journal legal notices section contains part of the agenda for Thursday's Town Board meeting: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town Board of the Town of Dryden, Tompkins County, New York, has scheduled a public hearing for the 12th...
Today's Ithaca Journal includes three letters and a dart from Dryden residents: In Darts and Laurels, David Connor sends CBS a dart for refusing to run ads from MoveOn and PETA during the Super Bowl; A letter from Kathy Zahler...
If you want to vote in New York's March 2nd presidential primary, today is the last day to register....
Minutes for the January 15 Town Board meeting are now now available, including vague details of resolutions passed at the executive session. I can only find one 'no' vote in the whole thing. It's a very different style from my...
Today's Ithaca Journal editorial lauds the incoming town board for meeting with volunteer fire companies this week. They note that: Often, friction between some board members, the town supervisor, several firefighters and chiefs often hampered progress on the more substantive...
Last night's special Town Board meeting on fire department issues was more like an informal get-together than a formal meeting. Instead of the usual board at a front table facing an audience, there was a circle of tables, with the...
The recently posted minutes of the Town of Dryden 2004 organizational meeting were much like those of prior years, but there's a lot in those minutes that can be compared across years. The positions the town appoints and their salaries...
The Dryden Democrats gathered yesterday at the Varna Community Center to thank former Town Supervisor Mark Varvayanis, former Town Board member Deb Grantham, and Town Board candidate Jim Skaley for their service and for running in last fall's election, as...
The Town of Dryden Public Notices page (local copy) announces a meeting for Tuesday, January 27, at the Dryden Fire Hall (map), noting: The purpose of this meeting is to discuss ways to improve communications between the Town of Dryden...
On January 20, I sat down with Duane Testut, the Varna Volunteer Fire Company's treasurer, to talk about how our fire protection taxes are being spent. He'd seen my earlier post about the fire tax levy climbing 31.8% this year,...
I think I may have to start a new category just on the county executive issue, or maybe just on the Ithaca Journal's coverage of it, as they can't seem to stop writing about it. Tompkins County Republican Chairman Mark...
The minutes for the January 5, 2004 Town Board organizational meeting are now available. It's largely similar to last year's similar meeting, with a different cast of characters, slightly higher salaries, and different kinds of questions. There's one bit at...
This week's Shopper contains Notices of Caucuses for Village of Dryden Democrats and Republicans, as both parties will be meeting to select candidates for the two 2-year and one 1-year positions for village trustees. The actual election will be in...
I ran out of time yesterday to cover most of the local reactions to Governor Pataki's budget. (I had to drive to Albany and back.) The state budget at this point seems to be the largest determining factor for local...
I stopped by Dryden Town Hall this morning - they're open Saturdays in January - and asked Dryden Town Clerk Bambi Hollenbeck for a copy of the highway funds spending resolution that was probably the most controversial aspect of Thursday's...
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...
Stapled to the agenda at tonight's meeting was this memorable prose: The Town Board will conduct the people's business as the law stipulates at the table. Public comment period will vary depending upon how many citizens wish to address the...
One of Dryden's County Legislators, Mike Lane, has a guest editorial in the Ithaca Journal that examines the many ways that county governments in New York can operate, and some of the history of Tompkins County government, especially as it...
Yesterday's postings made me take a closer look at the information about the town available on the web and how long it lasts. First, Town Clerk Bambi Hollenbeck's saying that the Town was getting a new web site soon led...
The Elmira Star-Gazette has an article on a press conference in Elmira yesterday including leaders of Tompkins, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, Broome, Tioga, and "several other" counties. The press conference comes in advance of Governor Pataki's "State of the State" speech,...
Tim Joseph was re-elected chairman of the Tompkins County Legislature last night by an 11-3 vote. Among the Dryden representatives, Democrat Martha Robertson and Republican George Totman voted for him, while Democrat Michael Lane voted against him. While Lane noted...
Well, I'd been planning to go to the Dryden Town Board's organizational meeting, but they never got around to announcing when it was on their web page (local copy), and it was at an unusual time. So I guess I...
If you have lots of interest in local politics or a case of insomnia, there are at least two sets of legislative minutes available pertaining to Dryden. The first is the Town of Dryden's own Minutes page, with 2001-2003 minutes...
I picked up my 2004 tax bill at the Town Hall today so I could sort out some questions I have about my mortgage escrow. The staff was pleasant, found my easily-misfiled name quickly enough, and gave me a copy...
The minutes for Dryden Town Board meetings of December 3, December 10, and December 18 are now available on line. I'd worried earlier this week that there might not be new minutes, but we seem to have a complete set...
It seems to have been a quiet weekend in Dryden, or at least there's nothing in the paper. That seems best for a holiday weekend. The Journal's lead editorial, on openness in the City of Ithaca government, though, reminds me...
Michael Lane, a Tompkins County Legislator from Dryden, has a letter in today's Ithaca Journal criticizing an earlier guest column by David Ferris on the budget process. The Journal's own editorial also looks at the budget process, through the lens...
The County Department of Assessment maintains files of current municipal tax rates and current school tax rates. I wish they also included historical information so I could examine the rate of change, and numbers for the total levy (not just...
The Journal also has an article today on the volunteer fire departments and the transition from the current board to the all-Republican board elected in November. A few pieces of it really struck me. The Etna Fire Department is still...
The Journal now has a more complete article on the County Executive proposal made by Republicans yesterday. It's hard for me to see the point, and citing Chemung County as an example of how a government should run doesn't impress...
The Ithaca Journal tends to post the contents of their paper to their web site once a day, and I've not seen very many "news updates". It's a little surprising to see one posted this afternoon, reported without any contrasting...
Tompkins County passed a budget last night. Legislators hunted for extra revenue, lowering the tax rate increate from 19.65% to 15.81% without changing spending. The property tax levy is increasing from $25 million to $31 million, 23.6%. (Assessment changes make...
The Ithaca Journal offers analysis of what might happen at tonight's county budget meeting, after the rejection of the proposed budget two weeks ago....
The Town website now hosts the 2003 Draft Comprehensive Plan. This is a fascinating document with lots of pieces, but I'll be a while digesting before I comment on it in depth. The draft (without maps) is 2.4MB long, so...
I've got a letter to the editor in the Ithaca Journal today on George Dentes' fight against such notoriously soft-hearted liberals as the Bush administration on the matter of drug courts. Yesterday, there were two letters for the courts and...
In today's Ithaca Journal, the lead editorial, "Dryden's Controversies" hopes that the new Republican supervisor and board members will "will enjoy success in bringing Dryden residents together and moving their town beyond the divisiveness that seemed to dominate politics this...
The County Legislature voted 9-5 last night to reject the proposed budget. Of the Dryden legislators, Martha Robertson voted for it, while Mike Lane and George Totman voted against it. The future of the budget looks pretty complicated, so I...
I came back from the Varna pancake breakfast thinking there were a lot more Democrats in Dryden than it felt like on Wednesday after the election. Then the Dryden Republicans conveniently put up unofficial results, district by district, and the...
Today's Ithaca Journal has a piece on taxes in Tompkins County, noting that assessments have gone up for many people as well as taxes. One comparison is especially interesting for Dryden: "In the villages selected for this article, a Village...
Teachers in the Dryden Central School District rejected a contract offer. Earlier this week, the Dryden Town Board passed next year's budget. The Journal says that the town tax stayed at $1.47 per $1000 assessment, while the fire tax increased...
I spent a lot of the last few weeks' worth of evenings making phone calls for the Dryden Democratic Party. While we did carry the districts I called (phew), we lost the election pretty soundly, roughly 3 to 2. Dryden...