The Cortland Community Center announced today the 24 finalists in the 2012 Citywide Holiday Lighting Contest.

These are homes that the Community Center board members chose by driving down every street in the city. Now it is the public's turn to vote for your favorite! So pile the family into the car, put on the Christmas music and check out the finalists. Then, back to this website to vote for your favorite home. One vote per person please! Winners will be announced at the February Common Council meeting. Prizes have been donated by many local businesses who have been tremendously supportive of this fun spirited community effort. Questions? Call the Cortland Youth Bureau at (607) 753-3021.

Click here to take survey

Ward 1

• 91 West Main St
• 13 Wheeler Ave
• 23 Parker Ave

Ward 2

• 22 Hamlin St
• 35 Homer Ave
• 29 Jewett Ave

Ward 3

• 11 Townley Ave
• 207 Groton Ave
• 9 Melvin Ave

Ward 4

• 9 Abdallah Ave
• 41 Levydale Park
• 32 Squires St

Ward 5

• 13 Argyle Ave
• 24 Taylor St
• 8 Kent Drive

Ward 6

• 16 Harmon Ave
• 43 Rickard St
• 26 Grant St

Ward 7

• 103 River St
• 116 River St
• 1 Cleveland St

Ward 8

• 7 Cedar St
• 75 Randall St
• 13 Hyatt St

The above were selected by the Cortland Community Center Board Members. Now it is time for the public to weigh in on their favorite picks from the above selection. Vote through the online survey or by emailing Richard Stock, chairman of the community center board, at rstock47@gmail.com. We ask that people vote one time only for their favorite house of the 24 listed.

Happy Holidays to All

The search is on! T'is the season where our thoughts are completely taken over with what to buy for the loved ones on our list. A very daunting task, but one that the Cortland Youth Bureau hopes to make easier for residents by offering a variety of one-of- a-kind items that are sure to please just about anyone on your list.

Stop by the Cortland Youth Bureau at 35 Port Watson and check out our selection of gift ideas, ranging from copies of the Small Fry Football Highlights of the 2012 season, to gift certificates for Youth Center Summer Field Trips. Also from the Youth Center, gift passes for free band night admission, a perfect stocking stuffer for those hard to please teenagers!

New this season is the 2013 Wickwire Pool Calendar, a delightful collection of photographs of residents enjoying time at the city pool over the years. The calendar is sure to bring back many fond memories of growing up in Cortland and spending hot summer days at Wickwire. All proceeds from the sale of the calendar are earmarked for the Wickwire Pool Trust Fund to provide much needed repairs to the 66 year old facility. The calendar is the result of a project by the Cortland Community Center (formerly known as the East End Community Center).

Another local project of the Community Center includes two cookbooks full of delicious recipes from local residents and historical photographs of the City of Cortland spanning the last 100 years. Don't miss this collector's item that will be sure to be treasured for years to come!

Also by the Community Center are DVD copies of the History and Heritage Series (including the history of the Irish, Italian and Lebanese immigration to Cortland and the history of several local churches) and historical note cards.

And, in the true holiday spirit, several local businesses have graciously offered to carry several of the items mentioned above, the two cookbooks (A Taste of Tradition I and II) and the Wickwire Pool Calendar. The participating businesses are the following: Mullen's Office Outfitters, Sheridans Jewelry, Jodi's Hallmark, Cortland Picture Frame, the Elm Street Emporium and Olde Homer House. The Wickwire Pool calendar is also available at the 1890 House Museum, call (607) 756-7551 or visit their website at www.the1890house.org for hours of operation.

For more information about the holiday gifts, hours or locations, please call the Youth Bureau at (607) 753-3021. Happy Holidays from everyone at the Cortland Youth Bureau, and remember, shopping local benefits us all!

The Cortland Community Center (formerly known as the East End Community Center) is hosting a "Back To School in Style" event at the Cortland Youth Center on Saturday, September 22 from 10am to 3pm. In preparation for this event, the Community Center is asking residents to donate "gently worn" clothing for children and teens. Please bring your donations to the Cortland Youth Bureau at 35 Port Watson Street in Cortland. For more information concerning this event, call the Bureau at 607-753-3021. Please help send a child or teen back in school "in style."

The Cortland Community Center (formerly known the East End Community Center) and the Cortland Youth Bureau are teaming up to create a calendar for 2013 depicting the history of a beloved fixture in Cortland, Wickwire Pool. In 1946, local industrialist Charles C. Wickwire has the vision to donate a swimming pool to the City of Cortland. Sixty five years later, Wickwire Pool is just as popular as ever and continues to be the major attraction for youth and families during the hot summer months. But the pool is showing its age, and in 2010 an engineering report concluded that major renovations are required to keep the pool operating. The Youth Bureau is in the midst of kicking off a major campaign to raise funds needed for the pool renovations and the Community Center has offered its help.

The 2013 Wickwire Pool Calendar will serve as just one of the fundraisers in the planning stages for this year and next. The Youth Bureau and the Community Center are seeking photos and stories about Wickwire Pool spanning its 65-year history. Bring your photos and stories for inclusion in the calendar to the Youth Bureau at 35 Port Watson St in Cortland. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 5, so please look through those photo boxes and scrapbooks quickly! Scanned photos ( high resolution only ) can be emailed to Cecile@cortland.org. Be sure to include a caption with the photo. Photos dropped off at the Youth Bureau will be returned to the owner if name, address and phone number are on the back. Questions? Please call the Bureau at 607-753-3021.

The Cortland Community Center, formerly known as the East End Community Center, is now in its 7th year of operation! Although the community center does not currently have a base of operation, the center's board is busy providing services and events for the entire Cortland community. The center's annual "Back to School" event will be held at the Cortland Youth Center, at 35 Port Watson Street, on Saturday, September 22. The center will also have a presence at this year's Great Cortland Pumpkin Fest on both Saturday, October 6 and Sunday October 7, with cookbooks and the 2013 calendars for sale. The 2013 calendar will feature Wickwire Pool through the ages in photographs. All proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go to the Wickwire Pool fund. For more information about both the "Back to School" event and the Pumpkin Fest booth, check on this web site or call the Cortland Youth Bureau at (607) 753-3021.

The Feb 21 Common Council Meeting was the setting for the awarding of the 2011 Holiday Lighting Contest winners. The citywide contest is sponsored annually by the East End Community Center. Richard and Linda Stock, community center board members served as presenters for the awards.

The Grand Prize of $100 went to the Donna Davis-Howard family of 22 Delaware Ave in Cortland. Donna's three children were present at the meeting to accept the award along with their mom. The $100 prize was donated by O'Shea Tire.

The First Runner Up Award went to the Paul Sweger family of 16 Harmon Ave in Cortland. For their efforts, they were awarded with an overnight stay and breakfast for two donated by the Ramada Inn.

The Second Runner Up Award was won by Bonnie and John Toomey of 65 West Main Street in Cortland. They received a gift certificate for dinner donated by Commando's Restaurant.

The final prize of the evening, the People's Choice Award, went to a very special resident, Leon Harvey of 3 Pearl St in Cortland. Leon is 90 years old and decorates the outside of his home every year with beautiful handmade wooden holiday scenes and lights that are timeless in their beauty. The People's Choice Award is determined by residents who vote for their favorite entry on the East End Community Center's web site. Leon won at $50 check donated by the local Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

There were also 21 honorable mentions awarded, in a year that, according to Richard Stock, was a very difficult year for judging, with many more families taking advantage of the extended warm weather to decorate for the holidays. The honorable mention winners are as follows:

• WARD 1: William Funk of 23 Parker Ave, Al and Joanne Homer of 4 Elizabeth St
• WARD 2: Michael Swartwout of 53 Floral Ave, Steve and Jill Kowalewski of 22 Hamlin St, William and Melinda Young of 11 Jewett Ave
• WARD 3: Richard and Mildred Kuss of 194 Groton Ave, Patrician Lord of 23 Helen Ave, David, Karen and Alexis Crandall of 14 Pinecrest Dr.
• WARD 4: Kim Roman of 11 Townley
• WARD 5: Bernard and Dawn Harvey of 15 Frederick St, Sam and Elsie Ferro of 15 Denti Way, Laura and David Stisser of 35 Sunnyfield Dr
• WARD 6: Edward and Alva Greenman of 14 Locust Ave, Archie Coon of 3 Kennedy Parkway.
• WARD 7: The Hicks Family of 103 River Street, Wendy Vandeusen of 90 River St, and The Field Family of 1 Cleveland St
• WARD 8: Doug Perine of 7 Cedar St, Stephen Joseph of 75 Port Watson St, Tom Kamps of 13 Commando Ave, and Frank Haven of 92 Bartlett Ave.

Each of the Honorable Mentions received a gift certificate donated by a local business. The Community Center would like to extend a warm thank you to all the businesses that so graciously donated prizes to the lighting contest.

Stay turned for next year's Holiday Lighting Competition by logging on to the East End Community Center's web site at www.eastendcenter.org . Thanks to all who entered!

The East End Community Center is pleased to announce the debut of their latest cookbook titled "A Taste of Tradition: Volume Two." The cookbook features a collection of recipes handed down through the generations of Cortland county families. Stop by the East End Center's booth (#36) at the Pumpkin Fest both Saturday, October 1 and Sunday October 2, and take browse through this delicious assortment of tried and true recipes, a must for any cookbook collector. The cookbook also boasts a collection of fascinating historical photos of restaurants and bakeries of days gone by. For more information about the Great Cortland Pumpkin Fest visit:

www.cortlandpumpkinfest.org

For more information about the cookbook and other locations for purchase, please call the Cortland Youth Bureau at (607) 753-3021. All proceeds from the sale of the cookbooks go to support the programs and activities of the East End Community Center.

The East End Community Center and the Cortland County Historical Society invite you to lend assistance with the new calendar that is in the process of being developed for 2012. The theme of the new calendar will be the same as this year's very popular seller, "Cortland Sports: 100 Years of History in Photographs."

Check your attics and basements for historical photographs of Cortland residents involved in any type of sporting activity, either team sports or individual sports. The time period from 1870 to 1970 will be highlighted in the 2012 calendar. If there is a story to go along with your photograph, please include it. Photographs with all individuals identified are the most valuable for inclusion in the calendar, but we can accept ones where some detective work is needed as well. Space availability limits the number of photographs we can use, so we cannot guarantee that your photograph will be used.

Please drop off all photographs to the Cortland Youth Bureau (35 Port Watson St) or the Cortland Historical Society (25 Homer Ave). You may drop off original photographs that will be returned to you upon completion of the project, or email high resolution scanned copies to Cecile@cortland.org For consideration in the 2012 calendar, photographs must be in to the Youth Bureau or Historical Society no later than Friday, June 24.

For more information, call the Bureau at (607) 753-3021 or the Historical Society at (607) 756-6071.

And, if you have yet to pick up a copy of the 2011 calendar, you're in luck! A small number of calendars remain for sale, but hurry to the Historical Society or the Cortland Youth Bureau before they're gone for good!

Photo Attached: Cortland High School Lacrosse Team on the steps of the old High School at 60 Central Ave. This team pioneered the game at the school in 1926.

Tuesday night's Common Council meeting was the setting for the announcement of the 2010 City-wide Holiday Lighting Contest winners. Former alderman, Harold (Butch) Hyde, representing the East End Community Center, and John Poli, Vice President of the Cortland branch of the Tompkins Trust Company were on hand to make the announcement and hand out the prize money donated by Tompkins Trust.

The winners are as follows:

Grand Prize: Frank and Cheryl Mrozowski

First Runner Up: Thomas Root

Second Runner Up: Leon and Jane Harvey

People's Choice Award: Sam and Elsie Ferro

After the winners were announced, Mr. Hyde presented a plaque to Mayor Feiszli and the Common Council. The plaque, which was purchased by the City's Crossing Guards is engraved with the winners names. Each year, the new winners will be added to the plaque. The annual competition is sponsored by the East End Community Center.

Congratulations and thanks to all the contestants that participated this year!

Following the successful premier of their first edition, the East End Community Center is currently developing a second cookbook comprised of recipes donated by residents of the City of Cortland. The cookbook will be titled, "A Taste Of Tradition II." If you would like to be part of this effort, please send your tried and true recipes to the Cortland Youth Bureau, 35 Port Watson St, Cortland 13045.

You can also fax them to (607) 753-3023 or email them to Cecile@cortland.org.

The recipe collection form is available for download at www.cortland.org or www.eastendcenter.org.

You can also handwrite the recipe without the recipe collection form. If there is a story behind the recipe or a related historical photo, please feel free to include these as well. Be sure to print your name, address and phone number on the back of any photographs that you would like returned. The deadline for all recipes is March 31, but why not send yours today! That way, you will be guaranteed a spot in the cookbook. For more information, call the Cortland Youth Bureau at (607) 753-3021.

Download recipe form

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.A.! What is "pickleball" you ask? Here is your opportunity to learn all about pickleball, including a chance to play the game! The game is named after a cocker spaniel, Pickles, whose family invented the game as a way to bring all the family members together for a fun activity on their vacations. Interested in learning more? Bring the whole family to the County Gymnasium on Greenbush Street on Saturday, February 13 from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. Cortland's local pickleball team, The Cortland Cucumbers, will be presenting this fun workshop on the art of pickleball. The game is easy to learn and tons of fun for all ages. Just bring a pair of sneakers and wear comfortable clothing. Equipment consists of a plastic whiffle ball and a paddle, both of which will be provided to all participants.

Hope to see you Saturday, February 13th at 3:30pm at the county gym. The program is sponsored by the Cortland County Office for the Aging, and the City of Cortland Youth Bureau. For more information call the Bureau at (607) 753-3021.

More information on Pickleball

Photo Attached: John Busch, member of the local pickleball team, the Cortland Cucumbers, at a recent pickleball practice at the County Gymnasium. Photo credit to the Cortland Cucumbers.

Looking for the perfect gift for that special someone who seems to have everything? Here are some unique gift ideas from the Cortland Youth Bureau and the Cortland County Historical Society.  These two organizations have teamed up to produce a delightful set of 8 note cards depicting various historical scenes and people.  The famous Dexter House, shown here, at the southeast corner of Main and Clinton Streets, provides the backdrop for the rally of motorbike enthusiasts early in the 20th Century, is just one example of what you will find in this collection.  The cards make great thank you notes or just perfect for keeping in touch for any occasion.

Other items to be found at the Historical Society that are sure to please any history buff on you list include anything from old photographs to new publications.  One such popular book is titled "Cortland County Remembers, From the Forties to the Seventies."  Another popular item is the limited edition Cortland County Bicentennial plate.  You can even purchase a beautiful afghan to cuddle up under as you learn more about the history of Cortland.  The gift shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.  For more info, call 607 756-6071 during the hours listed above.  The Historical Society is located at 25 Homer Avenue in Cortland.   Shoppers can also stop by the Cortland Youth Bureau at 35 Port Watson Street in Cortland to purchase the same historical note cards in packages of 8, or individually.  Proceeds for the cards purchased at the Youth Bureau go to support the East End Community Center.

Another popular item available at the Youth Bureau only, are the East End Community Center's "History and Heritage Programs," including ones about the History of Cortland's East End, the Irish, Italian, Lebanese and Ukrainian immigrations to Cortland, and the very popular, "One Hundred Years of Music in Cortland."  All programs are available on both VHS and DVD at a very affordable price.  Contact the Youth Bureau at 753-3021 for more information about these items, or stop down Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.  

The East End Community Center is in the process of developing a cookbook comprised of recipes donated by City of Cortland residents.  The cookbook will then be sold to raise much- needed funds for the community center.  If you would like to be part of this effort, please send your tried and true recipes to the Cortland Youth Bureau at 35 Port Watson Street in Cortland.  Please include your name, address and phone number and as detailed a recipe as possible.  If you have any questions, please call Linda at (607) 753-9441 or Colleen at (607) 753-3017.  It is hoped that all recipes will be collected and chosen for inclusion in the cookbook by mid-November, so please, consider sending your favorite recipe today!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION

Habitat For Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties has, as its mission, the elimination of homelessness and substandard housing throughout Tompkins and Cortland Counties.  With volunteer labor and tax-deductible donation of money and materials, we work together to rehabilitate existing homes and construct new ones for families in need.  The result is a modest home, a zero percent interest mortgage, and a brighter future.

The Tompkins/Cortland chapter of Habitat for Humanity is currently in dire need of community members to step up and help us fill the following positions:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Church Relations Committee Member
• Fund Raising Coordinator
• Large Donation Fund Raising Coordinator
• PR/Media Relations
• Family Support Committee Member
• Family Partner

If you or someone you know is interested in more information about any of these positions, please call (607) 220-3947 or send an email to: VolunteerforTCHFH@habitatnys.org

Classes are held Monday through Thursday from 9:00am until noon at the East end Community Center.  This beginner English course is open to all local area residents.

For More Information Call (607) 758-1111

Sponsored by OCM BOCES