As there's a warning about high winds and rain, I think this was very smart. We will go with safety first and postpone the 2012 Fair to tomorrow Sunday the 9th, set up to begin at 8:00am and run the...
All I can say is wow. A free event, open to the public, and still open tomorrow, Sunday, August 25th, from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Yes, it's a little south of Ithaca on Route 13, but it's definitely worth the trip....
I posted last week about the tense summer of 1862, 150 years ago. This coming weekend, you have a chance to what those those young Dryden residents of long ago would have found when they first arrived to go off...
They couldn't find new financing after their previous lender was seized by federal regulators, and Greek Peak ski resort has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They say that this won't affect operations, and season tickets will still be honored. Let's...
It looks like Greek Peak's debts to a failed bank may be causing it major headaches. Let's hope they stay open - they're in Virgil, but despite the distance they still create business and definitely recreation for Dryden. (Update: More...
It's been a long time since I went to one of these, but the Saltonstall Foundation, on Ellis Hollow Creek Road, will be having Open House Sundays this Sunday, July 15th, as well as August 19th and September 23rd. If...
And now for something completely different. Yesterday we drove east to beautiful Ouaquaga, New York, to the New York Faerie Festival. Entering. Sungiva brought her wings. Watching Wolgemut. Some folks got very into the music. More than your average...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports that Dryden village historian Elsie Gutchess received the 2012 Franklin D. Roosevelt Local Government Historian Professional Achievement Award (along with Groton historian Rosemarie Tucker) from the Association of Public Historians of New York State...
I'd heard of Finger Lakes Live Steamers, but I don't get up to Clyde very often. Fortunately, Konrad's best friend Benjamin had his second birthday today, so we went up for a party. it was amazing, pretty much paradise for...
The Town of Dryden Recreation Department has published their Summer - Fall 2012 Program Guide (4.3MB PDF). It lists facilities, events, sports, music, travel, and other programs for the next several months. Lots to do!...
Tonight, at 6:30pm the Dryden Community Center Cafe, you can learn about Organic Pest Management for the Home Garden. The poster tells it much better than I can, and you can click on it if you want to see a...
4-H Acres is one of my favorite things about Dryden, and Primitive Pursuits Day is guaranteed to be interesting: 11th Annual Primitive Pursuits Day Saturday May 26, 10:00am-4:00pm at 4-H Acres, 418 Lower Creek Road, Ithaca Enjoy old time music...
You can find the birds in Dryden's southern hills this Sunday... Join the Finger Lakes Land Trust on Sunday, May 6 at 8:00 AM for Birds Everywhere!, a bird walk especially for families and children. Join Mark Chao at the...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk explores spring activities. I'm also curious about which parking lot in Dryden is using these LEDs for light. Dryden resident and President of the Tompkins County Bar Association Kelly Damm has a guest viewpoint on...
Well, tomorrow and May 5th. Town of Dryden Recreation DepartmentDryden Lake Nature Study Join Cornell naturalist, Charlie Smith, to see and study the birds, wildflowers, and other natural history subjects around Dryden Lake this Spring. Who: Ages 16 and over...
I dropped our car off at Varna Auto Service for inspection this morning, and set out on a walk home by a different route. I walked up Route 366 to the driveway across from 1176 Dryden Road, and then turned...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk is on track as always. Lots of March activities....
and more, as always, in Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk....
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...
As always, Dryden Town Talk is a must-read. Volunteer opportunities, jazz concerts, pancakes, chowder, a father-daughter dance... there's lots going on! I guess State Senator Jim Seward's earlier comments about home rule didn't sit well with the Dryden Safe Energy...
This looks exciting: A piece of Dryden history is set to become part of the town's future when the Dryden Town Historical Society takes full ownership of the historic Southworth homestead on North Street in February. The historical society, given...
It may be December, but the Dryden Community Garden continues to have great classes! This one will be next Tuesday, the 20th, at the Dryden Community Cafe from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. What and Who: This month's topic: No-till garden methods....
As usual, go read Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column. This time it's mostly holiday-related, with a bit on the Dryden Community Garden's classes. There's an update on sentencing of a Dryden teen for sexual contact with a 13-year-old. And...
The schedule tells the story, but the first registration deadline is today! We are ready to kick off the holidays here at Dryden Recreation! Please read below for fun opportunities for grades 4-9. Get a registration form at www.dryden.ny.us/recreation. We...
Cathy Wakeman reports on a variety of holiday happenings and more in her Dryden Town Talk column, starting with the Christmas tree lighting this Saturday, December 5th, on the Village Green in the Village of Dryden. There's also a piece...
I should probably script something on this site that grabs Cathy Wakeman's latest Dryden Town Talk and posts a link here saying go read it! This week, of course, there's Dryden-related (Finger Lakes Fresh expanding to Groton with a state...
Two teens, one from Dryden, one from Groton, were found driving a stolen Dryden car in Ithaca last week. There's another piece about Thursday's recreation meeting at Town Hall, this one with a lot more detail and some pictures of...
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...
It's not all politics and hydrofracking in Dryden... Dryden Community Center Cafe's 5th Annual Chili Cook-off and Apple Pie Contest will be held on SATURDAY, October 29, 11:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come sample some awesome chili and pies, enjoy...
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...
Once again, I've fallen behind. The main Dryden-centric piece of the past week was Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk, which included a few events that have already happened and many that haven't. She opens by discussing various projects to help...
I'm way behind on local news, but hopefully this will catch up on some. A soldier from Fort Drum was captured in Dryden. It sounds like he had just been bailed out on burglary charges, when he escaped in his...
It looks like the Ellis Hollow Fair and the Freeville Harvest Festival will once again be on the same day - September 10th this year - as Cathy Wakeman reports in Dryden Town Talk. I wonder if the Etna Yard...
Yesterday's Dryden Town Talk recognizes Ernie Balch's approaching 100th birthday. He's still busy, even speaking at a public hearing last week. The article also notes this week's 4-H Youth Fair, running now at 4-H Acres on Lower Creek off Route...
I should probably set up an automatic story to point to Cathy Wakeman's always excellent and generally impossible to summarize Dryden Town Talk articles in the Ithaca Journal. This week's installment looks at Junior Fire Academy, Covenant Love Community School's...
If it's still Saturday before around 4:00pm and you're reading this, definitely visit the Etna Fire Station to see the Eastern States Hedgehog Show. (Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids 5-12, and free for kids below 5.) Hedgehog...
No, not politics. The pretty exploding in the sky kind of fun. Here's the latest from the Journal on tonight's fireworks at TC3. Parking at 7:30pm, with the show at 9:45pm. Here's the site for the show, with a lot...
Via the Dryden Community Center Cafe: There will be a Community Fireworks Viewing Party on Friday, July 1 at the VFW/American Legion on Route 13 in Dryden beginning at 5p.m. Live music with The Prophets at 5:30 p.m. and Steve...
Or from Dryden, and to Freeville. This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Jerry Dell Farm has started offering raw milk to customers, after receiving a state license last month. The article is largely about the controversies around raw milk, but...
Here's something fun to do Saturday morning: Just wanted to let you know about the Open Gate Garden and Art Tour happening this Saturday June 25th in Dryden from 9-1 pm. The gardens are in the country this year, and...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports on last weekend's Dairy Day festival, and looks ahead to the Southworth Library's Lincoln Center dedication: Community building for the future continues this coming weekend as the Southworth Library dedicates the Lincoln Center, the...
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...
No, not this Dairy Day, though that's a good idea too. Dryden Dairy Day opens with a parade at 9:30am down Main Street in the Village of Dryden. From 10:00am to 3:00pm, organizations and vendors will be in Montgomery Park,...
and hopefully the rain will hold off, or be light. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology will be having its Go Wild, Go Birding event today from 10:00am to 3:00pm at its offices on Sapsucker Woods Road. The Spring Garden Fair...
We've bought a fair number of plants at this sale, and always recommend it. New Location for Spring Garden Fair & Plant Sale (5/14) Due to ongoing construction at Ithaca High School, this year's annual Spring Garden Fair and Plant...
I can't say it more clearly than this: The Varna Community Center will serve a Roast Beef Dinner on Saturday, April 2nd from 4-7PM. The menu includes generous and tasty portions of Roast Beef, Tossed Salad, Baked Potato with sour...
Yes, there's plenty of snow coming today, but Cathy Wakeman is also right that the pulse of Dryden activities is picking up. She notes not only flowers, but a craft fair, lasagna dinner, roast beef dinner, jazz desert night, youth...
I drove by the damaged building this weekend and wondered, but the Journal reported yesterday with a pretty complete report on what had happened. 72-74 West Main Street had a fire apparently caused by a natural gas wall heater. No...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports on Seussical, a musical based on Dr. Seuss, which Dryden High School will perform this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. She also notes a new Eagle Scout, a tractor workshop Saturday, a Bluebird Society meeting...
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...
The tastiest Dryden festival of the year comes tomorrow, at Houtz Hall in Etna, from 10:00am to noon. The Etna Chocolate Festival is delicious, with a wide variety of chocolate-based treats for you to enjoy. Tastes of everything cost a...
All this cold and snow has its uses. The Cayuga Nordic Ski Club will be having a Kids Ski Session tomorrow afternoon from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. It'll be up at Swann Cycles, 226 Mount Pleasant Road, high above Varna. (This...
I'm pretty sure Primitive Pursuits has had events at 4-H Acres in Dryden, and I think they do more here as well. I just stumbled on their blog, which is definitely worth a visit....
The Ithaca Journal reports that applications are due March 1st for a $5000 scholarship at TC3 available to students over 25 years old. Need something to do in the cold? The Varna United Methodist Church can warm you up Tuesday...
The Dryden Community Center Cafe will be hosting classes on gardening presented by the co-founder of the Dryden Community Garden: Join us for the first of a new series of free classes at Dryden Community Center Cafe: Grow Your Own....
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports on the return of "Dryden Aquatic Racing Team, known as DART... a parent-run, not-for-profit developmental swim program for children in grades K-12". She also looks forward to the opening of the Southworth Library's new...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk describes a grant Tompkins Trust Company awarded TC3 and the Dryden Community Garden: According to the award announcement, Kerra [Quinn] and TC3 students Giovanni Griffin and Lauren Fitzgerald will "involve Dryden elementary students and other...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on a variety of parent and alumni complaints about sports at Dryden schools, including coaching issues and uniforms moving to black and white from purple and white. (Update: more on this story at YNN.) This...
If juggling isn't your thing, you can check out amphibians and reptiles at the Varna Community Center from 2:00pm to 4:00pm instead: Tomorrow (Saturday), the Cornell Herpetological Society will be at the Varna Community Center from 2-4PM with live exhibits...
Kids can learn to juggle at the Dryden Community Center Cafe tomorrow from 2:00pm to 3:00pm....
If you'd like your local food in tasty "pick it up and buy it" form, stop by the Dryden bank on Saturday morning: The crisp, cool days of autumn have arrived, bringing with them the yearning for treats fresh from...
It's been a few years since there were horse-drawn wagon tours in the Village of Dryden - this should be great! Join the Dryden Town Historical Society and Historic Ithaca for: A Horse-Drawn Wagon Ride to see the carriage houses...
Saturday was a busy morning at the Dryden Community Center Cafe, with music, apple pie, chili, and the dedication of a new accessibility ramp and deck built by volunteers. Cafe board president Beth Peck speaks about the ramp. Rotarian Brian...
My copy of the Etna Volcano arrived just in time to alert me that the Etna Community Yard Sale is this Saturday from 9:00am through noon at Houtz Hall, 2 Lower Creek Road. They're still taking donations today and tomorrow...
The Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund with be sponsoring a Dryden Youth Opportunity Fair Saturday the 11th from 9:00am to noon at the Dryden Fire Hall....
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column discusses a free concert coming up September 16th at Dryden High School that will mix contemporary jazz with Indian classical music. She also notes the Dryden Historical Society's September 15th event on the Dryden...
I only managed to get over to the Dryden Lake Festival for a few hours on Saturday, but it was amazing. I loved the Revolutionary War reenactment tent, and not just because they were firing cannons and muskets. Preparing to...
It's just about here - the Dryden Lake Festival will be this Saturday, August 14th. They'll be having races - including canoe races and a 1K paddle/5K run race - in the morning, with music and classic cars in the...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk visits Junior Fire Academy, a week of drills, training, and competition for 10 to 16-year-olds. She also reports on Music in the Park and Music in the Hollow, plus the opening of the 4-H Fair...
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 finally got to visit the Dryden Community Garden this week, and was amazed. It's in a beautiful spot behind Town Hall, and though it's just getting started, it's promising and then some. Path to the garden. Plots growing in...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk has all kinds of news, leading with the Dryden Beautification Brigade's upcoming garden tour this Saturday morning. She also notes the new Dryden Methodist Church pastor, the Southworth Library's groundbreaking for its expansion, Eagle Scouts,...
The fireworks show moves from Ithaca to Dryden this year, and starts at 9:45pm, with parking at 7:30pm. Cathy Wakeman has more on activities this week and beyond....
I was in the car when the area felt an earthquake, so I probably figured it was just a bumpy road. I still can't see earthquakes as a likely major disaster here. Cathy Wakeman reports on all kinds of upcoming...
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...
The Ithaca Journal reports that Dryden High Eagle Scout Ajax Hayes's project coordinated 20 people to build new houses for bats at the Lime Hollow Nature Center, supporting these useful bug eaters while encouraging them to stay out of the...
Dryden Dairy Day was definitely a hit this year - reasonable weather, large crowds, a busy parade and lots happening in Montgomery Park. Ralph, a standard poodle, will be honorary Mayor of Dryden until next year, when Kiwanis holds their...
Cathy Wakeman leads her Dryden Town Talk column with news of the meeting tomorrow night to get the Dryden Community Garden going: The newly formed Community Gardens, an outgrowth of Dryden Solutions, will share its progress at 7 p.m. Thursday,...
The Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition will be presenting petitions on zoning home rule and industrial noise to the Town Board tonight, having gathered 452 on noise and 389 on zoning. In a town of around 13,000 residents, that's a lot...
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...
I don't have time to write as much as I'd like, but you should know: Freeville has a diner again - Casey's Diner is now open where Toad's Diner was, on 38. When I ran for Town Board last year,...
The Dryden Community Garden, behind the Dryden Town Hall (93 East Main Street, Dryden), is on its way to getting started. If you're interested in helping organize, they're meeting Tuesday, May 4th, at the Dryden Community Center Cafe at 7:00pm....
Rachel Dickinson, who was once the Ithaca Journal's Dryden Town Talk columnist, writes of pining for Freeville while being stuck in Ireland because of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud. In this week's Dryden Town Talk, Cathy Wakeman explores events that...
I guess it's only for a year, while Ithaca College sorts out construction, but TC3 will be hosting July 4th fireworks this year. (There are lots more comments here.) TC3 will also be having a summer course on local agriculture...
Looking for things to do this spring? Cathy Wakeman has a list, from community gardening through tractors, a capella singing, and kids' sports. There's also note about a meeting on an Agricultural Resource Focus Area Plan, and the study itself...
The tastiest event of the year, the Etna Chocolate Festival, will be this morning from 10:00am to noon at Houtz Hall, on Lower Creek Road in Etna. Tonight from 7:00pm to 11:00pm, there will be a Valentine's Day dance for...
The Ithaca Journal reports that Hammond Hill was busy Saturday, as the Cayuga Nordic Ski Club held its 25th annual 10K ski race for club members, as well as a 5K race and a children's race. The night before, the...
It'll be a busy weekend in Dryden over the next couple of days: The Dryden Town Historical Society will be having its regular baked goods sale tomorrow morning at 9:00am at the First National Bank of Dryden. It's always delicious!...
The Saturday after Labor Day is always a busy day in Dryden. I was worried Friday night about rain, but the rain came overnight, leaving the Freeville and Ellis Hollow events with a gray but dry day. After buying a...
Yes, I know - it's already time for Dryden Old Home Days. I've foolishly sat on this collection of photos, though, and they need to see the light. Angelika took almost all of them, at the Dryden Dairy Days parade...
An event in New York City tomorrow may have some big reverberations in Dryden. Christie's will be auctioning the original manuscript of Abraham Lincoln's 1864 victory speech, for a hoped-for $3 to $4 million. The Southworth Library, owner of the...
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...
In a decision that will doubtless make at least one recent commenter sad, but makes me very happy, the Village of Dryden will continue to clear snow from sidewalks. So says the January 21 Dryden Courier, which just arrived today....
Continuing our tour of Dryden's excellent fall festivals, here's today's Freeville Harvest Festival, which felt just a little bigger than usual to me. They continued their excellent chili and apple cookoffs, had the traditional chicken barbecue, and there were lots...
Last Saturday's Ellis Hollow Fair was as busy as ever, despite some occasional raindrops. Varna Fire Company at the Fair entrance. Riding on a horse cart. Explaining the Pie Run course. White Elephant sale. I've posted a much larger gallery...
The History Center held its annual Eight Square Schoolhouse Festival on the 23rd, combining old-fashioned classes with ice cream, games, and music. Playing with stilts. Learning, 19th century style. Spinning at the schoolhouse. I'll make (once again) the radical proposal...
I'm still way behind, but this, from County Legislator Martha Robertson, is definitely worth posting quickly: If you're interested in the future of recreation in Dryden - what kinds of programs and facilities we have for children, teens and adults...
This morning's weather was kind to Dryden Dairy Day - just a few warning sprinkles, but no downpour. It was a great parade as usual, with a larger crowd than I remember seeing in the past. Sungiva and I marched...
I need to catch up on all kinds of stories, but can't miss noting this preview of tomorrow's Dairy Day events. The parade down Main Street starts at 9:30am, and there will be booths in Montgomery Park until around 4:00pm....
I'm way behind on everything, but hopefully these photos will give you some idea of the past few days. Well, all of them are from yesterday, except for the obligatory (and fun) Sungiva photo. Sungiva stretches out. Peace march banner....
It's been a busy few days. If you have the chance, please go to the Recreation master plan discussion tonight. Recreation's been a key topic in Dryden for years, and an area that the Town has pushed hard to improve...
If you're interested in Town recreation, there's an important meeting May 8th at the new Town Hall that you won't want to miss. The Town is creating a new recreation master plan, which will set out priorities for the town....
Now here's a good way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon! Amphibians and Reptiles are coming to the Varna Community Center on February 23 The Cornell Herpetological Club will be coming to the Varna Community Center on Saturday, February 23rd...
As I noted earlier, it's a busy weekend for food in Dryden. Angelika and I started out with a trip to the Sertoma pancake breakfast at the Dryden Fire Station. Sertoma pancake breakfast. Then we went to the Dryden Community...
If you wake up hungry on either Saturday or Sunday, you're in luck. There are pancake breakfasts both days, and the Etna Chocolate Fest on Saturday as well. On Saturday morning from 7:30am to 11:00am, Sertoma will be having its...
This weekend will be a busy one for supporters of the Dryden Community Center Cafe, according to Wendy Martin, its Director. On Saturday morning, Sertoma will be having its pancake breakfast, I believe at the Dryden Fire Hall, from 7:30am...
Wow, am I behind! Angelika visited the Black Sheep Handspinners Guild's annual Roc Day event in Varna on Saturday the 12th, returning with lots of pictures of the event. It looks like everyone had a great time! Spinning at Roc...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk in this morning's Journal lists a lot of happenings, including one tonight: There will be a deployment ceremony at 6:00pm tonight for 87 men and women going to Afghanistan for a year. The ceremony will...
The Dryden Community Center Cafe will be the beneficiary of a concert Saturday night in the Dryden Middle School/High School auditorim. Beyond Measure, Hall Pass, and The Small Kings will be performing. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students...
This Sunday, you can start the day with a tasty breakfast, and then visit Dryden homes in the afternoon, all while helping out community organizations. The Varna Community Association's pancake breakfast will be at the Varna Community Center, 943 Dryden...
Last night, the Village of Dryden lit its Christmas tree, with Santa arriving by fire truck. The Southworth Library, Methodist Church, and Dryden Community Cafe were all open to the large crowd. Santa descends into the crowd. Santa lands among...
The latest eruption of the Etna Community Assocation newsletter, The Volcano, announces that they'll be having the Etna Holiday Craft Fair this Saturday, December 1st, from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Houtz Hall, on Lower Creek Road in Etna. They also...
The Dryden Community Cafe blog has a reminder that the Village of Dryden Christmas tree lighting will be this Friday, November 30th, at 6:00pm on the Village Green in Dryden, between the Methodist and Presbyterian churches on North Street. Santa...
I was a little concerned when I heard that the Dryden Community Cafe open house was Halloween night, at the same time as the costume contest and firetruck rides at the Neptune Hose Company. I needn't have worried - both...
The Dryden Town Board made a substantial contribution to community centers last week, finally distributing $37,750 in funds from the 2006 and 2007 budgets. Some of the 2006 money had already gone to centers piecemeal, but this was the first...
I'm very happy to report that it looks like the Ellis Hollow Fair and the Freeville Harvest Festival will be on different days this year, making it easier for Dryden residents to attend both. The Ellis Hollow Fair will be...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reported yesterday on scouting and youth activities. She noted that Girl Scouts had planted trees to help stabilize Virgil Creek, and both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are getting ready for more activity with the...
This week's Dryden Courier has a long article about the Dryden school lunch program's deficit. Last year's contingency budget forced benefits into the program's budget, creating problems, but there seem to be a lot of other issues as well. There...
Community center discussions in the Town of Dryden tend to polarize east-west. The west side has community centers, while the east side has schools and villages. On the east side, fire departments often provide space for community events, there's a...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk is extremely full today, listing a wide range of events: Syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson will be presenting "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Dairy Princess: Mostly True Stories of Small Town Life", on Friday, August...
This morning's Journal reports on McLean's Happenin' in the Hamlet party, which celebrate McLean with a special focus on Fall Creek, whose waterpower first encouraged the hamlet's development. In broader news, the Tompkins County economy expanded a bit in June...
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...
There's a lot going on in McLean this month, with an event every Monday, starting tonight at 6:30pm: McLean Stuff - July 9th, 6:30-8:00pm "A night of tools, implements, and artifacts that were made in McLean, found in McLean, or...
Briefly in Tompkins lists a benefit for the family of Gracie Manos at the Dryden VFW this afternoon from 2:00pm to 8:00pm. Tickets are $10 at the door. Jen Dube, Dryden's departing Recreation Coordinator, gets a laurel from Dryden Kiwanis...
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...
Cathy Wakeman declares the start of summer now that Dairy Day has passed. She reports on the upcoming Music in the Park events, starting tonight at Montgomery Park from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with Steve Southworth and the Rockabilly Rays, and...
This morning's Ithaca Journal Monitor suggests that surveillance cameras can be useful at home when there are burglars around. An Etna man seems to have caught his neighbor on tape in his house, and the man then confessed to an...
Christopher Ackley's dream of a skate park for Dryden was realized Saturday as the Town and Village of Dryden celebrated the opening of the Christopher Ackely Memorial Skateboard Park in Montgomery Park. There was a ceremony and skateboarding. The park...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk column today explores the Harmony United Methodist Church's monthly music celebrations at 7:00pm on the second Sunday of the month. On the 22nd, she reports, the Dryden Music Boosters fundraiser will combine jazz, a capella...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk reports that the Cornell University Jazz Ensemble will be having a workshop and concert tonight at the Dryden High School auditorium. The workshop for students runs from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, and the concert starts afterward....
This morning's Ithaca Journal is pretty quiet about Dryden, except for this item mysteriously placed at the top of Groton Town Talk: Girl Scout International Night will be from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 at the Dryden Elementary School Cafeteria....
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that it looks like the Cayuga Nordic Ski Club's Snowfest on Hammond Hill will have plenty of snow and fun. It will be Sunday, February 4th, from 10:30am to 3:00pm at Hammond Hill State Park,...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that a 51-year-old North Road man was arrested for first-degree sexual abuse, "alleged to have forcibly touched a female in a sexual way without her consent" on Tuesday. An article on a cancelled Trumansburg skate...
There's actually so much Dryden news today that picking a headline was hard, but a new column on the front page gets it: Dryden resident Barbara Lang writes about her experiences with colon cancer, in what will be a monthly...
This past week's issue of The Shopper includes an ad from Thoma Development Consultants about a Community Development Block Grant that homeowners can use to rehabilitate their houses. "Priority will be given to those eligible applicants with the lowest income...
Yesterday's Ithaca Journal had lots of articles with Dryden connections. An article on declining math test scores in higher grades shows the Dryden and Ithaca schools with a similar pattern of better performance in lower grades, with Dryden being a...
Dryden had an action-packed Saturday this past weekend, with the Etna Community Association yard sale, the Freeville Harvest Festival, and the Ellis Hollow Fair as well. A busy Etna yard sale. Booths at the Freeville Harvest Festival. Eating at the...
There are fairs, festivals, and fun all over town this Saturday: The Etna Community Association will be having a yard sale on Saturday, September 9th from 9:00am to noon at Houtz Hall, at the intersection of Lower Creek Road and...
I've been trying to get a lot of household projects done this week and haven't been quite up to speed with this site. I should at least catch up with today's paper... Cathy Wakeman reports on the Intergenerational Summer Band...
I missed last night's meeting about the new Town Hall because I thought it was at 7:00pm, and it really happened at 5:30pm. Oops. Town Clerk Bambi Hollenbeck had a good idea, though, that I should check out the Music...
Last year's Dairy Day was sunny and sweltering; today's Dairy Day was wet and cold. Despite that, it was still fun both times. Watching in the rain. Dairy cow in the Dairy Day parade. Firetrucks. I was in the parade...
There's lots about Dairy Day in today's Journal, as Cathy Wakeman (who writes Dryden Town Talk) gives an overview of Saturday's event. The print version offers a more detailed schedule, but the two key pieces are the parade down Main...
This morning's Ithaca Journal includes photos taken at Bethel Grove Community Center in an article on contra dancing, which also notes that contra dances are held at 8:00pm every Friday for $5 at the Community Center. The Monitor reports that...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that every school budget in the county except Lansing's passed yesterday. In Dryden, Jeff Bradley, Brian June, and Brad Rauch were elected to the school board unopposed, while in Ithaca, Carol Warshawsky, Deboran O'Connor, and...
I couldn't make it over to Montgomery Park on Saturday, but Mary Ann Sumner did, and she sent these pictures of kids enjoying themselves on the equipment. From what I've heard at Town Board meetings, it's not yet clear how...
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk talks about events this coming Saturday. The Dryden Music Boosters will be having their biggest fundraiser of the year, Jazz Night, at 7:00pm Saturday in the Dryden High gym. It combines student music with food...
I reported earlier that the Cayuga Nordic Ski Club would be having a Snowfest tomorrow on Hammond Hill. Unfortunately, because of the weather, they've had to cancel it. They hope to do it again next year....
One of the more fun stories I posted last year was a piece on Rock Day, the annual celebration of the Black Sheep Hand Spinners Guild. I'm happy to report that they'll be having Rock Day again this Saturday, January...
This morning's Ithaca Journal is quiet on Dryden news, but the sport section lists the Cayuga Nordic Ski Club's upcoming Snowfest (27KB PDF) on Hammond Hill January 15th. In addition to cross-country skiing and racing, there will be snowshoeing and...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that two Dryden fifth-graders will be hosting a craft sale tomorrow from 12:30pm to 5:30pm at the SPCA. Emily Gray and Allison Sullivan have: worked tirelessly for the past several weeks obtaining and creating holiday...
This week's Dryden Courier leads with a look at the prospects for a new Town Hall, which Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull says will probably cost around $2 million, up from estimates long long ago when they started saving of $300,000....
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...
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 behind on posting some stories, like this one - over a month old, but still well worth posting.) Back on August 21st, the Dryden Town Historical Society held a program at the Dryden Lake Golf Club, exploring the Dryden...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the dedication of the Kenny Van Sickle Memorial Baseball Field on Saturday. The field, on Wall Street in the Village of Dryden, was a group effort: The village donated the land west of Brecht's...
This morning's Ithaca Journal looks at a group of volunteers - and donors - who have worked together to reopen Lakeview Golf Course, repairing it, running it, and paying its taxes while its long-term future remains a question. The pictures...
This week's Dryden Courier looks at the transitions from the school year to the summer. There's an article on the Montgomery Park summer concert series, which starts this coming Wednesday at 6:30pm with the Burns Sisters. A full list of...
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...
The Dryden Courier leads with an article on Dryden High School students placing at the New York Olympics of the Visual Arts. (The article is available online from the Ithaca Times.) There's a picture of students modeling a Louis XVI...
One of the informational highlights of last Thursday's Town Board meeting was SUNY Cortland Associate Professor Sharon Todd's presentation on the preliminary results of the survey about Dryden recreation (133KB PDF, or 346KB selectable) that SUNY Cortland has been performing....
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....
Stone Circle School will be having their Spring Fair next Saturday, May 7th, from noon to 4:00pm at the Foundation of Light (map): Celebrate spring! Dress up and act in a play, dance around a May pole, make crafts, play...
Posting my story on the minutes for the March Town Board meeting reminded me that I hadn't kept up to date with some of my usual document publication. The February recreation report (217KB PDF, or 735KB PDF selectable) is a...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal talks with the Dryden-Caroline Drifters snowmobile club in an article about Tompkins County having a lower rate of snowmobile injuries and fatalities than other parts of the state. There's a picture of Deana Madigan on her...
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....
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...
The Town of Dryden has posted a revised version of its Draft Comprehensive Plan. This is the one document I'd encourage everyone interested in the future shape of Dryden (including the villages, even though they're not included) to read. The...
Tracey and I went hiking today with friends down the very snowy Jim Schug Trail, mostly along Dryden Lake. It was a beautiful winter day, the snow lit by bright sun. Skiers on the Jim Schug Trail People were snowshoeing,...
Recreation has been a smaller component of Town Board meetings lately, but I did request Recreation Coordinator Jennifer Staton's report (80KB PDF) to the Recreation Committee and Town Board. It looks at: The upcoming Travel Basketball and Wrestling programs The...
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...
The Black Sheep Handspinners Guild celebrated Rock Day yesterday at the Varna Community Center. Vendors, speakers, and visitors braved sloppy winter weather to gather, and there were supplies of all kinds, spinning wheels, projects in progress, skeins of yarn, and...
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...
After his visit to Dryden a few weeks ago, Santa came to the Varna Community Center for a holiday party Friday. Santa arrived at the center in style, towed by a tractor in a decorated cart. John Tottey put on...
It's been a quiet week in Dryden, but the Journal reports that the Varna Community Association will be ending that week with a holiday party for kids, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday in the Varna Community Center (map). Also,...
Yesterday's Victorian Winter Festival in the Village of Dryden was a lot of fun, with all kinds of activity from 3:00pm on. Chestnut roasting, open houses at stores, exhibits at Dryden History House, caroling, wine tasting, story reading, and Santa's...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal is pretty well packed with news about and surrounding Dryden. Cathy Wakeman's Town Talk column looks at Eagle Scout Christopher Ackley's project, rebuilding the east entrance on the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home. Wakeman also offers a...
This week's Dryden Courier is stuffed full of Dryden news. The front page leads with coverage of Dryden Middle School's presentation of The Pirates of Penzance, including both a picture and a story on the musical and its production. An...
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...
Thursday's town budget meeting made very few changes to the budget beyond those made at the much longer budget workshop, but the few changes were significant, and there was a lot of conversation about some potentially major changes to be...
On Friday night, the Varna Community Center was overrun with bats, witches, knights, football players, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, bumblebees, and many more, as the Varna Community Association held a Halloween party. Halloween party at Varna Community Center...
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...
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...
I wasn't able to make it to this weekend's fairs in Freeville and Ellis Hollow, but my lovely wife Tracey went and took some pictures. Here's a sampling of the weekend's fun. Freeville Harvest Festival sign. Enjoying a meal at...
Wednesday morning's Ithaca Journal reports on the return of students to schools. Dryden schools opened Tuesday. The Dryden Recreation Department is hosting fall sports events, including an eight-week field hockey program and the NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick contest,...
This weekend will be a busy one in Ellis Hollow and Freeville, as signs for their Saturday excitement are up. Freeville Harvest Festival sign. Ellis Hollow Fair sign I noted a Journal article on the two events earlier. There's also...
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...
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that new Dryden superintendent Mark Crawford "has made a positive impression in a short time." Crawford made progress quickly in reaching a contract agreement with the Dryden Faculty Association that will be voted on September...
Wow. Ann Leonard knows how to throw a great party. Start with a few hours of shoveling mud in the rain, then head back to a camp area where barbecued chicken is waiting, people are playing music (including bagpipes), orienteering...
If you're looking for something to do today, I know of at least two events worth visiting: Varna is having a collection of yard sales from 9am to 3pm. I helped set up last night at the Varna Community Center,...
The last concert of the Dryden Summer Family Concerts escaped the rain, as Sunny Weather (or at least its frontman, according to the Dryden Courier) performed at Montgomery Park yesterday. Sunny Weather performing....
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...
This week's Dryden Courier has a lot of detail on Mao Shen Lin, who failed to show up to his trial for kidnapping and attempted grand larceny last week after posting $200,000 bail. Mao Shen Lin was arrested in connection...
The Purple Valley played its blues, rock, swing and rockabilly last night at Montgomery Park as part of the Town's "Music in the Park" concert series. The Purple Valley performing. The next (and last) concert in the Music in the...
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...
It's a good thing I put up a late-night post that produced an entry for yesterday, as I left at 6:30am for Ottawa, Ontario, to pick up a friend, and wound up returning home after midnight, after my wife drove...
This week's edition of The Shopper includes an ad for the Village of Freeville's Summer Rec Program, which is running July 12th to 16th, 19th to 23rd, 26th to 30th, and August 2nd to 6th and 9th to 13th. (That's...
This morning's Ithaca Journal has a picture of nine-year-old Brandon Elia fishing at Dryden Lake as part of the Wal-Mart Kids All American Fishing Derby that was held Saturday. The State Police seem to have been busy along Dryden's borders,...
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....
If you read this in the next hour, you have time to get to a dairy walk at 9am this morning exploring how Lewie and Steve Stuttle "have successfully combined pasturing with high milk production on their farm in Dryden."...
I've been a bit more lax about covering The Shopper, but there's been less in it lately that I haven't covered elsewhere. I do scour it every week, though. This week's Shopper contains, among many other things: An ad for...
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....
I didn't get to stay for the whole thing, and apparently rain eventually interrupted the fun, but The Burns Sisters got a warm welcome last night. The crowd for The Burns Sisters. The Burns Sisters performing. Long line at the...
This week's Dryden Courier takes a look at the Dryden Intergenerational Summer Band and Chorus, which formed to help Dryden celebrate its 1997 bicentennial but "discovered they were having too much fun to disband". They'll be performing August 14th at...
This morning's Ithaca Journal includes a letter from Dryden Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull about the Lakeview Golf Course. It doesn't say that the town is buying the course. Instead, "We want to dispel the notion that the town board is...
Montgomery Park had music and dancing last night as a couple of hundred people turned out to see Mark Rust and dance. In the first of a series of eight Wednesday night concerts sponsored by the Town of Dryden Recreation...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that Tompkins-Cortland Community College has awarded $45,000 in technology funds to local schools, including a Civil Engineering and Architecture Community Collaboration project at Dryden High School. The Journal also has a cheerful picture from the...
[I know, June is almost over, and I've not nearly finished covering the June Town Board meeting. I'm trying to finish it within the month of June, but definitely before next week's Town Board meeting. The town's minutes are available...
Today was the kind of day that really calls for ice cream, so I stopped by the Etna Community Association's ice cream social at Houtz Hall on my way to the Planning Board meeting. For $1.75, I got two huge...
The lead article in the Our Towns section of today's Ithaca Journal is Dryden Dairy Day brings town together, which takes a look at last Saturday's event from the parade to events to the current state of dairy farming. Pictures...
This morning's parade had all kinds of floats, bands, and fun. Kids got lots of candy thrown from floats, and afterwards the crowd moved to Montgomery Park where tents offered ice cream, food, and all kinds of displays and games....
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...
This morning's Ithaca Journal is overflowing with Dryden news. That's not unusual on Wednesday, when the Our Towns section features Dryden and Groton, but today there's news throughout the paper, much of it even good. A cow greets readers at...
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...
Dryden Youth Commission Chair Tracey Kurtz presented the Commission's 2003 Annual Report to the Town Board. Tracey Kurtz presents the Dryden Youth Commission Annual Report Kurtz came back later in the meeting to propose that the board remove the Dryden...
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...
This week's issue of The Shopper includes an announcement for the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home's Memorial Day parade, to be held Saturday, May 29th at 10:30am in the Village of Dryden, with a memorial service at 11am in tribute to...
This week's Dryden Courier cover stories look at what kids are doing in Dryden. There's an appreciative article on the Dryden High School a cappella group Beyond Measure's recent performance at Dryden Jazz Night. It also takes a look at...
The front page of this week's Dryden Courier has a picture of the Dryden Middle School production of Fiddler on the Roof. The lead stories focus on the Dryden Grange's honoring of farmer and school board member Tom Miller and...
This week's issue of The Shopper includes three handy notices from the Town of Dryden: The Recreation Department has a notice about registration for the Duke Erickson Adult Co-ed Softball League. There are two leagues (Tuesday and Saturday). Team roster...
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 Recreation report at the April Town Board meeting combined the usual reporting and conversation with a slideshow of initial analysis of the survey (241KB PDF, unfortunately slightly crumpled). Recreation Coordinator Jennifer Glaab began with the recreation report, noting that...
This morning's Ithaca Journal is quiet, with only two Dryden-related items. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt at 1pm today in Montgomery Park (directions), presented by the Town of Dryden Recreation Department in partnership with Specialty Trophies and Neptune...
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...
Jennifer Glaab, Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Dryden, gave a detailed report at last Thursday's Town Board meeting, noting that winter events were wrapping up while spring events are getting started. Contra dancing was starting up at Varna Community...
The Cayuga Trails Club will be hiking on Sunday at 1pm, starting from the Liddel Laboratory on Freese Road, between Varna and Hanshaw Road. It's a "Walk, look, and learn" hike, and contact information is available on their site. This...
Conservation issues were important at Thursday's Town Board meeting, which started with a (very quiet) public hearing on changing the Conservation Advisory Council to a Conservation Advisory Board, spent time on environmental planning issues, and concluded with a discussion about...
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...
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 Ithaca Journal reports that the Jim Schug Trail from Dryden Lake to the Village of Dryden has been groomed for cross-country skiing. The Dryden Caroline Drifters Snowmobile Club has volunteered to groom it weekly during the winter. (Elizabeth Gutchess...
Elsie Gutchess sent a letter that she's also sent to the Cortland Area Tribune, asking for help with planning and putting on Dryden Old Home Days this year, at the pavilion at Dryden Lake Park July 31st and August 1st....
Cathy Wakeman's Dryden Town Talk for today explores winter recreation opportunities for adults, including swimming at TC3, adult indoor soccer, and unsupervised ice skatiing at Montgomery Park (directions). Bring your own shovel and enjoy old-fashioned ice! (Given the hours she'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...