People who see this suspect are advised to call 911.

“In conjunction with New York State and Trumansburg police, the Trumansburg Fire Department and TST BOCES officials, student and visitor search and access procedures were developed this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, Friday, April 25, any and all students and adult visitors other than Trumansburg Central School District employees will be searched prior to gaining access to any school building while school is in session.

Beginning Monday, April 28, the district will indefinitely be in a “lockout” mode. While students and visitors will not be searched daily and will be allowed access through designated entry points at each building at the opening of school each morning, there may be randomly conducted searches throughout the remainder of the school year. After first bell, each building will have a single point of access for the remainder of the school day. All adult visitors will be asked to show picture ID such as a NYS driver’s license. The incident continues to be investigated by state and local police.”

I want to say first that I appreciate our the quality of our schools, and the dedication with which the teachers and administration members of the schools work to provide a healthy, safe environment in which our children can learn.

But, as I read and think about this new policy, it seems like an over-reaction to me. Of course, I don’t have all the information about what’s gone on in the schools. I don’t know what the police know. So, if I’m missing something obvious in what I’m about to say, please correct me.

Last night, the bags of parents attending an informational meeting about the bomb threats were searched before the parents were allowed to enter. Why? Were they suspected of preparing to launch an attack during the meeting?

My oldest son is a first-grader in the elementary school. Will he be searched tomorrow? Why? The threatening notes and firecracker were found in the middle school on more than one occasion. No elementary school student would have been able to access the middle school – not even an enterprising fourth grader.

I suppose it is possible that a middle school student might come up with a nefarious plot to give a firecracker or even a weapon of some sort on a younger brother or sister, even a kindergartener, and then attempt to meet that sibling on the playground to get the weapon. That might take place, but it seems extremely unlikely and an obviously risky ploy. It doesn’t seem worth a permanent “lockout” policy at the elementary school.

Also, the search of visiting adults, with the requirement of photo IDs, seems completely unrelated to the actual threat. Given the nature of the firecracker device that was found, it doesn’t seem to me that there’s any evidence of an adult working to help a middle school student plan a violent attack. The idea of an adult visiting the elementary school being suspected of bringing a weapon that would then somehow be transfered to the middle school seems extremely far-fetched.

What good does requiring adults to have drivers licenses to visit the schools do? Is there a reason to suspect that there is an adult who cannot drive helping a middle school student in Trumansburg to terrorize the students there?

These tactics seem designed to make Trumansburg residents feel that the Middle School is safe, while not actually being part of a reasonable approach to actually ensure safety. It’s a bad lesson for students at the Trumansburg schools to learn – that when there is a threat, a show of security should be made, even if the show of security isn’t related to the character of the actual threat.

Also, I worry about the lesson that Middle School students may be learning from this over-reaction. Some may conclude that writing threatening notes and making violent displays is a good way to get attention, and an effective way to gain power over adults.

A far more valuable lesson for students would be that attempts at intimidation will not be rewarded with extravagant displays of fear, such as are being prepared by our schools.

I understand why the schools are doing what they do. I appreciate the sentiment that motivates their actions. If there is a good reason for these very extensive security measures that I don’t understand, I’m receptive to hearing about them.

Seeing us discuss this matter can be a positive thing for our community’s children. Watching us become overexcited will not leave a helpful impression.

Update: This morning, the Ithaca Journal quotes outgoing Superintendent Tangorra as telling the meeting last night, “Say tomorrow we find this person, the threat is not over. I believe there are adults and students across the nation that are capable of this type of behavior.”

Mr. Tangorra, “adults and students across the nation” are not in Trumansburg. The people who are in Trumansburg are in Trumansburg. Please, let’s worry about what is actually happening in the Trumansburg schools, and not extravagant paranoid fantasies about what might happen if someone from a thousand miles away decides to come to our village and kill our children.

If you find the person who lit the firecracker, then yes, “the threat” is over. There is no other threat. This other “threat” involving adults and students from other communities coming here and making our children unsafe is nothing more than a fantasy.

Tangorra also apparently told the crowd that, “Parents have been very comfortable and always had easy access to their children in the school. Realize you’re that child’s parent, but you are a stranger to everyone else.”

Actually, Mr. Tangorra, the parents of the other children at the school are often not strangers to each other. They live in the same community, after all. To the extent that parents are strangers to each other, then that’s a problem that needs to be solved. Searching adult visitors because a middle school student blew up a firecracker won’t solve that problem.

There are now budget increases to pay for additional security staff being planned. I would rather that money be used as a start for a community center to bring us together, rather than unnecessary guards to send the signal that we should be afraid of each other.

It runs like this: So and so heard from somebody else that someone else’s uncle was listening to the police scanner, and overheard that the police had found a bomb on the playground of the Trumansburg schools.

I don’t know if it’s true. I know I haven’t heard any sirens. I know that when I’ve gone past the schools this evening, I haven’t seen any sign of any police cars there, or even anyone watching the grounds just in case.

Maybe it’s true. I’m inclined to believe that it’s not.

An article published just 4 minutes ago by News 10 Now doesn’t mention anything about a bomb on the playground.

I think our village has gotten a little bit rumor-happy in relation to this incident. We’re getting skittish, all over a slightly enhanced firecracker.

If I were a middle-school prankster, that’s exactly the reaction I’d be hoping for.

Let’s not provide this prankster with further reward. Let’s remain calm, and not see a bomb in every shadow on the ground.

Update: Over at Channel 36, they’re quoting a parent as saying “It would be nice if they set up surveillance cameras on a regular basis.”

I, for one, do not want my children learning that they need to have authorities spying on them with video cameras, even when they go to the bathroom, in order to be safe. I don’t want them learning that one child who makes an intimidating display can diminish the freedom of everyone else in our community.

“Police said Aramani’s arrest followed the arrest of three others for seventh-degree criminal possession of controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor: Shane Jennings, 26, of 9610 Lodi Center Road, Lodi; Lisa Riley, 42, of 4380 W. Seneca Road, Trumansburg; and Ashley Riley, 21, 98 N. Applegate Road, Ithaca.

Two officers saw the three snorting cocaine in a truck behind the NAPA Auto Parts store at 1 Main St. in Trumansburg just after midnight Saturday, police said.

When they saw the officers, the trio quickly exited the truck and walked toward the Rongovian Embassy, a bar at 2 West Main St., police said. Meanwhile, the officers saw two lines of cocaine on a DVD that was resting on the truck’s seat.”

There was a time I thought of the Rongovian Embassy to the USA as a place for free spirits, creative types and all that. Now, when I think of the Rongo, I just think of intoxication – depressed people getting drunk, and buying drugs.

What a stupid, mind-wasting, uncreative way to spend your time and your money. Cocaine isn’t artistic or musical or freethinking. It’s just a slow suicide.

If you can’t even do something better than a DVD than snort coke on it, you’re really pathetic.

I’m not a cop. It’s not my job to bust you and send you to jail. I will tell you this, though: Trumansburg is a village of families and retired people. If you think you’re leading a life on the edge here, you’re really deluded. If you can’t get over your juvenile addiction, you can take your drunken, druggie behind and get the hell out of our town.

The penalty for firing a gun within Trumansburg doesn’t seem like much of a deterrent, however. It’s just a fine of between ten and one hundred dollars.

If I were the gun totin’ type, I’d find one hundred dollars per pop a temptation too powerful to deny.

One of my favorite parts of the site is the part that details local laws. In particular, I’m fond of the old laws admonishing us all to be orderly, which we’re told are found in old books bound in 1953, but are still valid:

“Article 6 Section 3 Breach of the Peace

No person shall conduct himself in a noisy, boisterous, rude, indecent, insulting or otherwise disorderly manner so as to annoy the public or disturb its peace and quiet.

Article 6 Section 4 Noise nuisance

No person shall use or cause to be used, any radio or other sound machine in such unreasonable loud volume as to disturb the peace and quiet of the public; or conduct himself in such loud noisy, or unseemly manner in his own premises after 11:00 pm as to unreasonably offend and interfere with the repose of neighbors or the public.”

Anyone have their repose interfered with recently? Been annoyed by someone else’s disorder?

I hope these laws don’t apply to my baby’s habit of squawking in in the middle of the night, or that patch in the front lawn that I missed while mowing this afternoon. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

“On this morning one or more person entered several cars rifling them and stole items from parked unlocked cars on Seneca, Bradley, and Washington Sts. Some of the items taken were tools, cell phone charger and a $700.00 airless sprayer.

The interesting part was that we received a phone call that some items which matched above were sitting alongside the road on Falls Road next to the cemetery. This was around 1:45pm today. It’s pretty clear that they were not there earlier. We checked it out and yes the airless sprayer was there. Not tossed or thrown, but sitting neatly alongside the road with the hose coiled neatly on the stand. Other tools were also present but we have no report of them stolen at this time.

More than likely they were stolen and probably from that area of the village.”

Was it a case of a repentant thief or a stealing zombie who discovered that, in fact, you can’t take it with you?

- From a Trumansburg Police Department notice on recent crimes, February 12, 2007

All those currently wanted are listed below. Does anyone have a suggestion for who ought to be listed as Trumansburg’s most wanted?