Contributed by: Laura Briel

Excerpt below from: Eagle Newspapers

Click here to read the full article!

“The Skaneateles Town Board meeting on Jan. 15 was a mix of business as usual and heated debate as the board and meeting-goers discussed the Franklin Street drainage problem and the Affordable Housing Committee’s efforts to change the housing market in the village.
Jim Williams, a member of the Affordable Housing Committee, offered a brief summary of the AHC’s goals and efforts. Currently, the organization is attempting to lure developers into creating smaller, less elaborate and more affordable housing for middle class residents who are finding it hard to keep up with Skaneateles’ taxes.”

Contributed by: Laura Briel

Excerpt below from: Eagle Newspapers

Click here to read the full article!

“They are everywhere. Bullies, that is.
Whether on the playground or in the workplace, people are confronted each day with what Skaneateles school counselors Ro Brennan and Kelly Bonner call “difficult personalities.”
Brennan and Bonner talked to about 15 parents who braved the negative temperatures on Jan. 15 at Waterman Elementary School about bullies, what makes them tick and how each parent can teach their children to be assertive.
“They tend to be personalities that need to be in control,” Brennan said, adding that bullies are very demanding and while personality may often be genetic, cruelty and unkindness is garnered from the environment a child grows up in.”

Contributed by: Laura Briel

Join others at the Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center for a Valentine evening for couples including a candlelight dinner with live music and other special surprises.

When: Thursday, February 12; 6:00 pm
Where:
Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center
130 East Genesee Street
Skaneateles, NY 13152
Cost: $60 per couple

Contributed by: Laura Briel

Excerpt below from: Auburn Citizen – auburnpub.com

Click here to read the full article!

“They took one last gamble, and once again they played their cards right.

Since 2003, Matthew House, an Auburn facility for terminally ill patients, has held an annual Casino Night fundraiser at The Lodge at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles Falls, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to offset its expenses.

Friday night, the facility held its seventh and last Casino Night at The Lodge, and once again more than 100 guests came to support for Matthew House, enjoy good food and fellowship and try their luck at casino-style games.

“We’re going out with a bang,” joked Wendy Young, Matthew House residence director, at the start of Friday’s affair.”

Contributed by: Laura Ponticello / Laura’s List: Books for Women

Laura Ponticello is a determined woman, but even she is a little taken back when she thinks of herself as starting a movement.

What started as a way to encourage women to take time for themselves and inspire them to make differences in their communities has blossomed into a multifaceted effort that soars beyond the pages of books.

Ponticello, a regular columnist for The Journal, began what would become Laura’s List: Books for Women in fall 2007. As her first step, she reached out to hundreds of women to find out what they were reading and what they drew inspiration from during their daily lives. Shortly after, she launched her reading list with 100 people to applaud her efforts.

“I knew by the attendance of that event that this was just the beginning of igniting a spark,” Ponticello said.

Now, she’s expanding her venture with a diverse line of products, the goal to add 5,000 regional women to her network, and the drive to take her campaign to the national level.

Her list has blossomed into her latest goal to “Sow Seeds of Hope.”

Contributed by: Laura Briel

Excerpt below from: Auburn Citizen – auburnpub.com

Click here to read the full article!

“Farmers are voicing concerns over a proposal that, if approved, would regulate truck traffic on rural routes.
The New York Farm Bureau issued a public statement Tuesday criticizing regulations the organization says will negatively impact the upstate economy.
The stricter rules, which could penalize some tractor trailers that stray from interstate and main routes, could cost family farms millions of dollars in added shipping costs and raise the price of produce and dairy goods, according to the bureau.”

Contributed by: Sandi Mulconry / Group M Communications

Romantic love is celebrated on Valentine’s Day.

But what about all those other people you love—mothers, sisters, grandparents, friends?

Throughout the month of February, Grammie’s Pantry Tea Room and Gift Shop, 1126 Woodworth Road, Skaneateles, will offer a “Heart-to-Heart” English Victorian tea as a unique way of saying, “I love you.”

The menu includes English scones, homemade lemon curd and Devonshire cream, Burgundy fruit cup, strawberries and cream, Feta spread and crackers, tea sandwiches, crepes with Grammie’s special filling, and a decadent chocolate dessert.

The Heart-to-Heart tea runs Feb. 2-28, Monday through Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Cost is $19.95. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 636-8111.

Grammie’s Pantry is located 11 miles south of the village of Skaneateles, off Route 41 (East Lake Road). For more information, visit www.grammiespantry.com.

Contributed by: Tom Seeley / Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary

Visitors to the Village of Skaneateles on January 31, 2009 won’t go hungry!

The first annual Taste of Skaneateles sponsored by the Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club showcases the many fine culinary treats the Skaneateles area has to offer.  More than 20 area restaurants, vintners, chocolatiers, and other food vendors will showcase the finest they have to offer at this new addition to the Sunrise Rotary Club’s annual Winterfest Celebration.

Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club presents WinterFest 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 31 at the Skaneateles Community Center.   Every January the Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club helps the Skaneateles community celebrate the snowy season through the coordination of its annual Winterfest, inviting area residents to enjoy a winter day in our village.

Contributed by: Mary Beth Bronk / Creekside Books & Coffee

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

Selected as an Indies’ Next (Independent Bookstores, like Creekside) top pick for February, Beat the Reaper is a novel that literally keeps the protagonist one step ahead of the reaper throughout its entirety.  Dr. Peter Brown is an intern at Manhattan Catholic. Pietro “Bearclaw” Brnwa is a hit man for the mob. Nicholas LoBrutto, aka Eddy Squillante is Dr. Brown’s new patient with three months to live and an uncanny suspicion that Brown and Brnwa are one in the same.  High intensity ensues as Brown tries running from the mob while taking care of his patients. Humor abounds. Not recommended for those who take exception to less than refined language.

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson may remind readers of Alexander McCall Smith’s Ladies Detective series.  Set in Nairobi, Kenya the widower Mr. Malik is one of many taking weekly-guided bird walks through the capable instruction of Scottish born Rose Mbikwa. Latecomer to the group Harry Khan, is Mr. Malik’s childhood nemesis, full grown, not so ready for retirement and eyes set straight on Rose. The sexagenarian gentlemen of the Nairobi Hunt Club seize the opportunity for yet another one of their clever competitions in who can document the most birds inside one week and perhaps win the hand of Rose for the annual Nairobi Hunt Club Ball.  Birds flourish everywhere.

Contributed by: Bob Comenole

Thursday Evenings
February 26th – March 26th 2009

Purpose: To teach the techniques involved in planning and structuring a novel. The course will also cover the craft of creative writing in general, with an emphasis on crafting solid plots, believable characters and satisfying dramatic action. The principles involved can, of course, be applied to several other forms of writing, including short stories, children’s books, creative nonfiction and memoir, among others.

Format: Workshops are conducted at Creekside in an informal, interactive atmosphere. Instructor will offer mini-lectures, conduct small group discussions, and facilitate peer critiques. Participants will refine their own works-in-progress, in and out of class.