2006 News:

Proposed revisions to Cornell's transportation study: Several local neighborhood organizations have worked together to develop proposed revisions to a draft of Cornell's Transportation-focused Generic Environmental Impact Statement (t-GEIS) for Ten-year Transportation Impact Mitigation Strategies (TIMS). Read the proposed revisions here.

Events in Forest Home during 2005:

Annual Meeting: The Forest Home Annual Meeting was held on November 3rd. Read the minutes here.

Looking out for Forest Home community interests:

Opposition to the proposed 10-foot-tall Arboretum deer fence: On April 27th, residents of Forest Home met with Don Rakow, Director of the Cornell Plantations, to discuss a proposed plan for a 10-foot-tall deer fence to surround the 150-acre Newman Arboretum. Strong concern about the plan was expressed by many of the 30 residents in attendance. A committee of concerned residents had prepared and distributed a deer fact sheet and a memo itemizing issues of concern to the Forest Home community and proposed alternatives to the fence, prior to the meeting.

After that initial meeting, the Forest Home Deer Committee members continued to have conversations with the Plantations. The result of these conversations was a plan to work together to find solutions to the Plantations' deer damage problems. They agreed that the Plantations would assemble a committee made up of representatives from the Plantations, the Town of Ithaca, and Forest Home. David Gross, Dani Novak and Darcy Binns were chosen to represent Forest Home. After a lengthy holding pattern during which time the full committee never formed or met, in late October 2005, the proposed deer fence was handed off to the Cornell administration, which is taking a look at deer management issues across the whole campus. The Forest Home community continues to express strong concern about the proposed deer fence.

Traffic Calming:This past spring, our consultant Walter Kulash returned to Ithaca to meet with representatives from various stakeholder groups to discuss and refine the Forest Home traffic calming plan. Out of these meetings came a general acceptance for the concept of traffic calming in Forest Home. Since then, the plan has continued to undergo refinement, and implementation has already begun. John Foote paid for resurfacing his sidewalk above the wall on the "S" curve of Forest Home Drive. The walkway was laid out according to the draft traffic calming plan, and a private contractor constructed it (although some of this has now been torn up by construction work on the barn). The walkway consists of stone dust over crushed stone, and is a prototype for future walkway surfaces in the rest of Forest Home. Efforts this summer also focused on the design of the Warren Road hill, which is scheduled to be rebuilt next year, in general accordance with the Forest Home traffic calming plan. The reconstruction plan calls for the pavement to be narrowed to 18 feet with a concrete gutter and a granite curb on each side. The existing informal path on the eastern (up-bound) side will be upgraded to a 4-foot wide walkway for the full length of the hill, and the grade of Halcyon Hill Road will be reworked to make it less steep near the intersection with Warren Road. We are very pleased that the Town and County are incorporating so many of our suggestions into this project.

Overweight Truck Count:On November 10, volunteers conducted an 11-hour count of overweight trucks passing through Forest Home. Read their report here.

Warren Road clean-up: On April 16th, there was Community Cleaning of Warren Rd.  Pictures
This fall, a group of Forest Home residents picked up litter, did minor regrading, trimmed back bushes, cut up a fallen tree, and left a huge pile of branches for the Town to pick up as part of its annual fall brush collection. Now that the growing season is coming to an end, we hope that this pruning back and general cleaning up will see the walkway through the winter.

Lecture Series:

On Thursday, November 10th, Jon Miller talked about his radio documentary series, "Worlds of Difference: Local Culture in a Global Age," which is airing this fall on public radio stations across the country. Jon played selections from the series and answered questions about life as an international radio producer. For more information about "Worlds of Difference," visit http://homelands.org/worlds or contact Jon at mil@twcny.rr.com.

On Tuesday, March 29, 2005, Lee Miller discussed "Edible and Medicinal Trees," and provided some fascinating history of the Northeastern forests and native peoples. 

Celebrations:

There was an Easter Egg Decorating Party  Thursday, March 24, in the Forest Home Chapel basement.  Continuing in the tradition of Mary Swan's annual Easter egg decorating party, all kids big and small were invited to come together in the FH chapel basement to decorate Easter eggs while the superintendent had her conference day (school holiday). 

On Saturday, February 12, 2005 there was a young musicians' concert in memory of Mary Swan, who lived in Forest Home for many years and passed away recently. Many people came and the music was wonderful.

Here is a picture of the young musicians.
 
 

Pictures from the closing bridge ceremony in summer 2004.

Forest Home Chapel News:

On Sunday, November 6, there was a Chapel concert to celebrate Forest Home Chapel's new organ, dedicated to the memory of sisters Martha Warren Hertel and Mary Warren Swan, long-time members of both the Chapel and the community. The concert featured organist Dr. William Cowdery, formerly at the Chapel and currently musical director and organist of the First Congregational Church of Ithaca. Bill performed a program of works by Bach, Handel, Mendlessohn, Brahms, Widor and others that showcased the abilities of this fine new organ.

On Sunday, October 23, Dr. Robert Hill returned to Forest Home to Celebrate 90 Years of Forest Home Chapel history. To further commemorate this occasion, a memory quilt documenting 131 Chapel members and friends was hung. For more detailed information on the Chapel's unique history, please contact Elizabeth Mount at elizamount@yahoo.com.

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