Today marks the end of an era at the Trumansburg schools. The castle playground is now closed. It will soon be demolished.

This Saturday (March 6), there will be a public forum held in the auditorium of the Trumansburg High School from 10:00 AM until Noon. It’s a regional forum, so people from an area ranging from the South Seneca School District to Dryden will be attending. It’s an opportunity for people to speak out in protest of Paterson’s proposed budget cuts to the state education budget.

If you can, please attend.

As a non-Christian, and as a believer in the First Amendment to the Constitution it makes me cringe, every time. I don’t want to push my beliefs about religion on anyone else’s children. Why should my kids have Christianity waved in their face every morning?

Furthermore, why should my children be taught that our nation is a Christian one, that our government is inherently religious in nature? As a matter of history and political science, it’s just not accurate.

I acknowledge that, in many respects, my beliefs are not like most other Americans, and that I’m even to the left of most people living in Trumansburg. On the other hand, that’s the point, isn’t it? Our governmental institutions, such as public schools, are supposed to be a neutral common ground, where we can all meet as equals, even if we’re not part of the majority.

I wonder – are there any other parents of students in the Trumansburg schools who are bothered by the recitation of the revised version (1950s) of the Pledge of Allegiance that contains the phrase “under God”?

Will it actually take place? I’d consider joining a league…

It’s Tuesday, September 8th, except for Pre-K.

My son is going into the third grade this year, and the need to get him to and from school every day was a cause of concern for our family, considering that he has a little brother and sister, and I am often working out of town. Taking my son to school in a cold rain or frigid winter day would mean taking his two year-old brother out in those conditions as well. Many other families have to deal with similar challenges.

We could drive our son to school in relative comfort, it’s true, but if every family does that every day, it creates a nasty traffic situation, and the waste of a great deal of fuel as well. School buses are safer, and more efficient, for our community.

Other town news this morning:

- There’s going to be a forum on the impact of natural gas drilling down at the Museum of the Earth. U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey will have a staff member taking part. Our own representative, Michael Arcuri, will not.

- The dropout rate at Trumansburg High School has risen over the last three years. Note to Trumansburg teenagers: There’s a recession on with crippling unemployment. Now is not the best time to go looking for a job that’s going to bring you anything more than a minimum wage lifestyle. School can feel like a drag. Flipping burgers is worse.

Upon looking for information about the village government on the official site, we see that Mayor Petrovic’s photograph is still “coming soon”, two years after he was first elected. The site informs us that Petrovic’s current term expires in 2008.

There hasn’t been anything listed on the Village calendar of “events and meetings” since May 9. Any residents looking for information about upcoming activities of their local government will find nothing, for the rest of the year’s calendar.

Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees have not been updated since November 2007.

According to the Tompkins County Board of Elections, there isn’t a single Village position up for election this year. It shows.

642 people voted on the budget, with 453 voting in favor and 189 voting against. There were 2.4 votes in favor for every vote against.

639 people voted on the proposition to purchase school buses, with 445 voting in favor and 194 voting against. There were 2.3 votes in favor for every vote against.

617 people voted on the proposition to purchase instructional computer equipment, with 446 voting in favor and 171 voting against. There were 2.6 votes in favor for every vote against.

609 people voted on the proposition to create a position for an high school student to be a non-voting member of the school board, with 457 voting in favor and 152 voting against. There were 3 votes in favor for every vote against.

At 478, Douglas Land received more votes than Jeffrey Williams, who received 446. Both school board incumbents were re-seated, however, given that they had no opponents.

However, we do have the chance to vote on the school budget, which is lower than last year’s budget. There are also three propositions on the ballot today: One for spending on school buses, one for spending on computers, and another to create a position for a student representative on the school board.

Polling booths are set up at the Ulysses Historical Society.

Update: The budget passed, and all propositions passed as well.

People driving down route 96 yesterday might have thought that Stick and Stone had hopped across the road. Accompanied by encouraging musicians, a group of adults and children worked the ground, hauling out turf and rocks, and working in compost in a new garden area. Ground was broken back in April, but the earth was made truly ready to be planted yesterday.

Bridgid Beames, the school’s Directress, explains that the garden is actually associated with the 4-H group that she has stared for our area. The idea is that the garden will become something many people in Ulysses, including people who have never had children in Namaste, feel some ownership of, and feel welcome to visit and contribute to.