April 13, 2012

Dryden Lake Nature Study tomorrow

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...

Posted by simon at 12:34 PM

Exploring Parke-Dabes Natural Area

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...

Posted by simon at 11:13 AM

September 7, 2010

Campbell Meadow

I'd heard about Campbell Meadow for a while, but didn't get to visit it until this morning, when it really sparkled. The Town acquired this property at the corner of Lower Creek and Pinckney roads years ago. There were some...

Posted by simon at 12:35 PM

October 6, 2009

Trails and neighbors

This is from the Town of Ithaca, but similar questions come up in the Town of Dryden pretty regularly. The Town asked people who live next to public trails whether the the trail was an improvement or a problem for...

Posted by simon at 10:35 AM

January 21, 2008

Methodist Church needs repairs

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...

Posted by simon at 2:24 PM

June 20, 2006

Dryden-Freeville Trail progress

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

Posted by simon at 12:53 PM

June 10, 2006

Trail progress, NYSEG break

This morning's Ithaca Journal visits Thursday's Town Board meeting, reporting on the improved prospects for the Dryden-Freeville trail. They also note the delays on the final Town Hall plans, the proposal for a Dollar General near TC3, and a Varna...

Posted by simon at 2:42 PM

June 9, 2006

Dryden-Freeville trail advances; Varna postponed

One of the big surprises at last night's Town Board meeting was a land purchase and a shift in a grant application. I'd mentioned earlier that the Town had planned to extend the Jim Schug trail only as far as...

Posted by simon at 8:42 AM

November 11, 2005

Concession; Dryden development

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...

Posted by simon at 5:07 PM

October 30, 2005

Cleaning up Hammond Hill trails

It was a perfect day for a hike, and a perfect day for a Hammond Hill trail fixup day. This one ran a little differently from last year, so I followed a crew around and took pictures of them, though...

Posted by simon at 10:41 PM

October 29, 2005

Town Board approves budget

The Town Board approved the budget on Thursday night with minor corrections (which I've added to the list). The budget has a property tax rate of $1.436410 per thousand, down from $1.477628, for a decrease of 2.8%, while the tax...

Posted by simon at 5:23 PM

October 28, 2005

Hammond Hill trail repair update

Ann Leonard sends an update on Sunday's Hammond Hill trail repair: Update for Hammond Hill Trail Work and Dish to Pass October 30 8:30am There has been a tremendous response to the call for action from our terrific trail enthusiasts!...

Posted by simon at 5:26 PM

October 23, 2005

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

This week's Dryden Courier leads with a picture of last week's press conference at which County Legislator Mike Lane and Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton announced $50,000 in funding for firefighting equipment at Dryden's Neptune Hose Company and Freeville's W.B. Strong. $35,000...

Posted by simon at 8:55 PM

October 22, 2005

Another trail repair day next Sunday

After the success of last year's trail repair day and party, Ann Leonard is hosting another repair day at Hammond Hill State Park: Hammond Hill Trails Fix Up Day and After Work Dish to Pass Lunch There will be trail...

Posted by simon at 10:06 AM

September 25, 2005

Town Board meeting conflicts

I was planning to spend this weekend catching up on a number of stories, but instead wound up resting (for the first time in too long), painting and fixing storm windows, and replacing my windshield wiper blades after a chunk...

Posted by simon at 8:46 PM

September 15, 2005

The O.D. von Engeln Preserve

The Town of Dryden has a small but beautiful nature preserve, one that so far as I can tell relatively few people have discovered. The O.D. von Engeln Nature Preserve, owned and operated by the Nature Conservancy, includes 1.75 miles...

Posted by simon at 12:19 PM

Comprehensive Plan vote tonight

This evening's Town Board meeting includes a vote on the Comprehensive Plan, and one aspect of that plan gets a letter in the Ithaca Journal this morning from Robin Hadlock Seeley, who writes: Municipal trails proposed for private land violate...

Posted by simon at 8:44 AM

August 18, 2005

Work on Varna railbed

The Comprehensive Plan definitely gives priority to the old railbeds for use as trails, with a vision of connection Dryden Lake to Dryden (done), Dryden to Freeville (in progress), Freeville to Varna, and Varna to the East Ithaca Recreation way....

Posted by simon at 8:32 AM

August 12, 2005

Too little water, too much traffic

Jennie Daley reports on last night's Dryden Town Board meeting, highlighting problems residents reported with their water systems and traffic. Cathi Calori and Art Berkey presented their work on a possible water district for Ellis Hollow Road from Game Farm...

Posted by simon at 8:21 AM

August 10, 2005

Youth Conservation Corps at work

There's all kinds of Dryden news in this morning's Ithaca Journal. They have a story on the Dryden Youth Conservation Corps' work on trails in the area, including a bridge at 4-H Acres, signs at the O.D. von Engeln Preserve...

Posted by simon at 7:29 AM

July 17, 2005

Comprehensive Plan debated at public hearing

Thursday night's public hearing on the proposed Town Comprehensive Plan demonstrated residents' concerns and hopes for these guidelines for future development in the Town of Dryden. The first speaker, after Supervisor Steve Trumbull had opened the hearing, noting that this...

Posted by simon at 10:35 PM

July 6, 2005

Dryden Methodist pastor retires

Cathy Wakeman writes about Dryden United Methodist Church pastor David Nicholls' retirement in today's Ithaca Journal. Nicholls retired on Sunday after ten years at the church, and he and his wife Maxine plan to stay in the area. There's also...

Posted by simon at 7:42 AM

July 4, 2005

Graduation, trails

This week's Dryden Courier leads with the Dryden High School graduation, as well as congratulations given to the Dryden school board and superintendent. Inside the paper, there are articles on the plans for a Freeville-to-Dryden trail and one on the...

Posted by simon at 4:07 PM

June 23, 2005

Dryden-Freeville Trail open house

My pictures didn't turn out particularly well, but there was a fascinating open house at Dryden Town Hall tonight, looking at what's involved in creating a Freeville to Dryden trail extending the current Jim Schug Trail. Creating this trail involves...

Posted by simon at 10:42 PM

April 11, 2005

Dryden Lake Trail not for snowmobiles

This morning's Ithaca Journal is quiet on Dryden except for one letter from Leslie Fladd of Dryden, who writes about snowmobiles on the Dryden Lake Trail when they're not supposed to be there. As Fladd puts it: The Dryden Lake...

Posted by simon at 8:14 AM

March 19, 2005

Planning Board recommends Comprehensive Plan

The Planning Board sent the Draft Comprehensive Plan to the Town Board on Thursday night, voting 6-0 to send it forward. Unlike the public hearing, the board didn't take public input this time, instead focusing on earlier comments. Apart from...

Posted by simon at 4:40 PM

February 27, 2005

Catching up on the Februrary Town Board meeting

I've been slack in covering the February Town Board meeting, and the minutes are now available if you want full details on what happened. Some key moments stand out in the meeting, so here are some highlights. I've bolded subjects...

Posted by simon at 9:13 AM

February 6, 2005

Dryden's future? New comprehensive plan draft published

The Town of Dryden has posted a revised version of its Draft Comprehensive Plan. This is the one document I'd encourage everyone interested in the future shape of Dryden (including the villages, even though they're not included) to read. The...

Posted by simon at 1:31 PM

January 30, 2005

Hiking the Jim Schug Trail by Dryden Lake

Tracey and I went hiking today with friends down the very snowy Jim Schug Trail, mostly along Dryden Lake. It was a beautiful winter day, the snow lit by bright sun. Skiers on the Jim Schug Trail People were snowshoeing,...

Posted by simon at 8:43 PM

November 30, 2004

Dryden-Freeville trail update

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

Posted by simon at 7:32 AM

November 12, 2004

Etna Fire Company issues

The Ithaca Journal reports this morning on last night's Town Board meeting, focusing on board members' growing concern with the reponse times of the Etna Fire Company. The board approved contracts for other departments, but not for Etna. The article...

Posted by simon at 8:05 AM

October 12, 2004

Hammond Hill trail restored

Ann Leonard, who organized the Hammond Hill Block Party in August wrote to report that the work is now finished: The work on Yellow One is complete! The DEC has finished spreading gravel where we agreed it needed it, and...

Posted by simon at 8:00 PM

October 3, 2004

Monkey Run, nature preserve

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

Posted by simon at 5:53 PM

September Town Board minutes

The minutes for both the September 9th and September 24th Town Board meetings are available. I missed the September 9th meeting, so it's good to catch up. Highlights include: A very quiet public hearing on increased costs for upgrading the...

Posted by simon at 5:46 PM

September 27, 2004

Trails category

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

Posted by simon at 8:30 AM

September 26, 2004

Planning Board on subdivisions, trails, agriculture

The Dryden Planning Board met Thursday night, first approving a subdivision and changes to an existing subdivision, and then focusing on two of the more difficult parts of the Draft Comprehensive Plan, agriculture and trails. The first item on the...

Posted by simon at 2:32 PM

September 16, 2004

Catching up with the Courier

I was away last week, so I'm covering two issues of the Dryden Courier in one article. Both issues focus on farming issues and the start of the school sports seasons. In the September 8th issue, Courier reporter Tony Hall...

Posted by simon at 5:38 PM

September 9, 2004

More trail work on Hammond Hill Saturday

As exciting as the Hammond Hill block party August 21st was, wet conditions kept them from finishing the trail work. There's a bit left to do, if you're looking for something good to do on Saturday morning. Ann Leonard writes:...

Posted by simon at 11:00 AM

September 4, 2004

Schools watch roofs; county transportation

Dryden appears briefly in this morning's Journal, mentioned once in an article about schools inspecting their roofs after a collapse in Washingtonville, and once in an article on the start of football season. The county is working on a long-range...

Posted by simon at 10:11 AM

August 21, 2004

Hammond Hill block party

Wow. Ann Leonard knows how to throw a great party. Start with a few hours of shoveling mud in the rain, then head back to a camp area where barbecued chicken is waiting, people are playing music (including bagpipes), orienteering...

Posted by simon at 4:50 PM

Events today

If you're looking for something to do today, I know of at least two events worth visiting: Varna is having a collection of yard sales from 9am to 3pm. I helped set up last night at the Varna Community Center,...

Posted by simon at 8:22 AM

August 12, 2004

Accused restaurant robber skips bail

This week's Dryden Courier has a lot of detail on Mao Shen Lin, who failed to show up to his trial for kidnapping and attempted grand larceny last week after posting $200,000 bail. Mao Shen Lin was arrested in connection...

Posted by simon at 12:53 PM

July 21, 2004

Principal, roads, 2-for-1 cats

Wednesdays are often busy Dryden days in the Ithaca Journal, but today's issue is overflowing. Doug Premo, Dryden Intermediate School Principal for grades three through five, is leaving for a job in Ballston Spa after fifteen months in Dryden. He'll...

Posted by simon at 8:29 AM

July 12, 2004

Environmental issues at July Town Board meeting

The Environmental Planner's report examined the need to revise the Town Hazard Mitigation Plan and a kiosk on the Jim Schug Trail. Debbie Gross reported in a letter (247KB PDF) that while "Dryden chose not to participate in [the county...

Posted by simon at 7:30 PM

July 8, 2004

Supervisor Trumbull on golf course

This morning's Ithaca Journal includes a letter from Dryden Town Supervisor Steve Trumbull about the Lakeview Golf Course. It doesn't say that the town is buying the course. Instead, "We want to dispel the notion that the town board is...

Posted by simon at 8:41 AM

July 7, 2004

Nature preserve, Supplies for Success

This week's Our Towns section in the Ithaca Journal takes a look at the creation of the O.D. von Engeln Preserve in Malloryville, which hosts pitcher plants, carnivorous sundews, and native orchids. Its two miles of trails are attracting a...

Posted by simon at 8:44 AM

May 21, 2004

Golf course discussion at Town Board

Posted by simon at 12:45 PM

March 19, 2004

Cayuga Trails Club hike Sunday

The Cayuga Trails Club will be hiking on Sunday at 1pm, starting from the Liddel Laboratory on Freese Road, between Varna and Hanshaw Road. It's a "Walk, look, and learn" hike, and contact information is available on their site. This...

Posted by simon at 10:03 AM

February 27, 2004

February Town Board meeting minutes

I didn't make it to this month's Town Board meeting, so I was especially interested to see the minutes which recently appeared. As a number of issues were discussed at different points in the meeting, the summary below attempts to...

Posted by simon at 8:37 AM

February 25, 2004

Traffic calming meeting in Varna

Last night's meeting on "Speed Control on Rural Roads" at the Varna Community Center was very different from a similar meeting in West Danby, but brought up lots of issues specific to the Town of Dryden, especially Varna, Etna, and...

Posted by simon at 5:20 PM

February 18, 2004

Jim Schug Trail groomed for cross-country skiing

The Ithaca Journal reports that the Jim Schug Trail from Dryden Lake to the Village of Dryden has been groomed for cross-country skiing. The Dryden Caroline Drifters Snowmobile Club has volunteered to groom it weekly during the winter. (Elizabeth Gutchess...

Posted by simon at 8:33 AM

January 16, 2004

January Town Board meeting reflections

After nearly a day, the Town Board meeting last night seems to have had four main Dryden-related themes: More interest in efficiency than public input Sewer pump with problems Storm water a growing issue Recreation and trails as important services...

Posted by simon at 5:48 PM

December 28, 2003

When Route 13 moved

Whenever I look at a map of Tompkins County, I look for the distinctively-shaped intersection of Routes 13 and 366. Even if a map doesn't have road labels, it stands out pretty clearly. It wasn't always that way, however -...

Posted by simon at 9:56 AM