The Ithaca Journal from Ithaca, New York • 4

1 FOR THE RECORD The Ithaca Journal Tuesday, May 21, 2002 Milton (Continued from Page 1A) in the Cavaliers in the mid-1960s. "He was an entertainer all the way his life was being on stage and pleasing Milton toured the Northeast college circuit for years, playing everywhere from Vermont to Virginia. "Every road trip was memorable," said Mike Vitucci, who played guitar with Milton for more than 20 years. "We'd pile into a van to go to far-away 1 places, and half the fun of the gig was getting there and back. Going on the road with Bernie was always exciting because you didn't know what to expect, but you were always sure to have a good time." Since 1983, Milton had hosted WICB's "Looking Back" at 10 a.m.

on Fridays, playing classic soul and tracks from the 1950s through the 1980s. "A lot of people told me over the years that they didn't schedule meetings for Friday morning so they wouldn't miss the show," said Chris Wheatley, WICB's manager of radio operations. Milton would frequently invite local musicians to plug their latest projects on his show. "Anytime I had anything new, he put me on, even though I'm not an artist," said local favorite Johnny Russo. "He always went out of his way anyone he could help.

He was very kind and extremely helpful to younger musicians." Milton suffered a double heart attack in 1993 that sidelined him from performing for several months. But he pulled through that crisis with help of his family and friends, and an outpouring of community support. voice was untouched, thank the Lord," he said in 1998. "As long as people keep calling, I'll keep playing." But he lamented the changes in the local music scene, citing the increase in the drinking age, decrease in the number of venues, prohibitions against hanging posters, and greater restrictions on fraternities. "Times have changed," Milton said.

"You can't make a living in Ithaca anymore." Still, he continued to play festivals, frat parties and weddings. One local fan, Alan Falk, hired Milton's band for his 1993 wedding to Laura Winter. "Bernie had such soul," Falk said. "That sounds trite, but he was always so right there. For our reception, he learned the pop standard 'Laura' he was a little reticent to learn it since it was outside his genre, but did a great job with Milton also became a favorite a at Homeowners (Continued from Page 1A) But sales in some areas, especially Cayuga Heights, the Village and Town of Lansing, and two city neighborhoods, have been quick and high-priced in the past two years, driving up assessed values.

Homeowners facing higher tax bills are not happy. Lee Teichthesen, another Cayuga Heights resident, watched his tentative assessment increase 22 percent, from $160,000 to $190,000, since 2000. He said he disputes his assessment based on what he has learned about recent home sales in his area. Of 14 homes sold nearby in 2001 whose assessed values were between $160,000 and $195,000, he said, the average selling price was $178,000. He said he hasn't received a satisfactory answer from the assessment department about whether they used any of that information to determine his new assessment.

County calls methods fair County officials said they sympathize with people such as Blumin and Teichthesen but defend their methods. Defining what is fair about assigning a fair market value is difficult business, said Assessment Director Valeria Coggin, but one that her office takes seriously. Coggin and Jay Franklin, deputy director of assessment, attended a community meeting Monday night in Fall Creek, another neighborhood where assessed property value increases left some residents bewildered. The meeting was organized by Alderman Dan Cogan, D-5th Ward, and County Rep. Kathy Luz Herrera, D-5th District.

Coggin and Franklin attempted to dispel some myths about reassessDistrict (Continued from Page 1A) Committee on Financial Services. LaFalce, first elected to Congress in 1974 at age 35, said Lacey erred by forcing the elections in new Upstate districts while protecting the Downstate region, including New York City and its suburbs. He said his district, which includes Buffalo and the Niagara County area, should be protected. "This has been split apart," he said. "All of this was necessitated by trying to preserve the Southern Tier.

At the very least, I think Judge Lacey's plan requires modifications in Western New York." Hinchey called the plan an "imperfect result," saying his new district would have substantially more Republicans than Democrats and make it more difficult for him to win the election. He said Lacey's "intention was to be open and fair in a situation that defied openness and fairness." Lacey and others who helped OBITUARIES "Ithaca's King of Soul dies BERNARD LAWRENCE MILTON Bernard Lawrence Milton was born on January 30, 1942, in Ithaca, NY to Agnes and Curtis Milton. He attended Ithaca High School and worked at Camp MacCormick for several years. Bernie first Milton child in the Calvary BapChurch, where he peralongside his mother the organist at the For the past several Bernie has been a of the Church on the Ithaca, NY. lifelong entertainment began in earnest at age of 11, when he ena talent contest at the Apollo Theatre in NY.

From the miduntil his sudden passBernie's unique soulful and beautiful voice led Silvertones, Bernie and at 60" the Blazers, Bernie and the Cavaliers, Bernie Milton Soul Train, The Bernie Milton Band, Bernie Milton and the Soul Patrol, and the Bernie Milton Experience. His many recorded hits include "My Love, I Have You," "By the light of the Silvery Moon," "The Waddle," "Poor Town," "Do You," "Barefootin," and his signature song, "60-40." Bernie also served as the host of the popular radio shared singing as a tist formed Agnes, Church. years, member Rock, His career the tered famed Harlem, 50's ing, style the show "Looking Back" on WICB for the past 20 years. Bernie also enjoyed a lifelong interest in the martial arts. He was a Tae Kwon Do Master, achieving his sixth dan (six degree black belt).

He founded the Quiet Society Tae Kwon Do school in Ithaca. A true icon, honored as one of the most influential people of Ithaca, Bernie will always be remembered for his vibrant performances in the local community and throughout the east coast. He leaves to cherish in his memory his loving wife of 25 years, Renee (Steele) Milton; his brothers, Curtis Milton and his wife, Patricia, of Ithaca, NY, Duane Milton and his wife Carol, of Groton, NY; eight children: Terry Holland Lewis of Ithaca, NY; Anthony Milton of San Diego, CA; Faith Milton of Ithaca, NY, Dion Milton of Fredericksburg, VA; Valerie Milton of Ithaca, NY: Eric Milton of Syracuse, NY; Jude Milton of San Diego, CA; Nick Milton of Ithaca, NY; 12 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a host of close nieces and nephews, and many close friends. A viewing will be held at Herson's Funeral Home, 110 S. Geneva from 6:00 p.m.

to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2002. Funeral services will be held at the First Assembly of God Church, on Bostwick Road, at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 23, 2002. In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted by Church on the Rock and Calvary Baptist Church on behalf of the Milton Provided Bernie Milton is surrounded by an undated publicity photo. He his long career, including the Soul 'Looking Back' Bernie Milton hosted WICB's "Looking Back" at 10 a.m.

on Fridays, playing classic soul and tracks from the 1950s through the 1980s, since 1983. A special tribute show Friday will feature an appearance by a former bandmate, local deejay Tom Joseph. Trumansburg's GrassRoots Festival, where he would annually pack the Cabaret Hall. "He wouldn't come out until the third song, then he'd make his grand entrance," said Dave Hinkle, who runs the sound system each year. "He always rocked the place, and got people dancing on the tables.

And at the end of the show, you couldn't get rid of him; he'd sit backstage and hang out the rest of the day." Also a staple at the Ithaca Festival, Milton was booked to perform at 6 p.m. on June 2 at Stewart Park. That slot will be reserved for a special trib- To challenge an assessment To dispute the assessed value of your property, you may appear before the Tompkins County Board of Assessment Review. The board will meet on May 28. Appointments will be taken for hearings from 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m. The board will hear complaints from 4-8 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call the Department of Assessment at 274-5517 or e-mail assessment ment namely, that it's done to raise revenues, and that certain neighborhoods are picked at random. Rather, reassessments are done independently of political influences to eliminate inequities on the assessment roll so everyone has their fair share of the tax burden, Coggin said.

And reassessments are not done selectively, she said. Assessors look at all 33,199 parcels in the county each year, but will reassess entire neighborhoods if their statistical analyses of real property transfers show that properties are selling at more than 5 percent above or below their assessed values a percentage set by the state. That's what happened in Fall Creek, they said. Of the neighborhood's roughly 829 parcels, 622 increased in value, 184 showed no change and 23 lost value. Of the 622 whose market value increased, the average dollar gain was $13,888, or 13 percent about the amount that West Falls Street resident Jack Bacon's assessment went up.

create the plan told the panel they purposely tried to design districts to keep the population of individual cities together. They said they also tried to force sacrifices to be made both Upstate and Downstate. For instance, they said, the number of districts in New York City and Long Island was reduced from 18 to 17. New York must redraw congressional lines to trim its congressional delegation from 31 to 29 to conform with population changes revealed in the 2000 census. While the state's population grew over the past decade, it did not do so as fast as states in the West and the South, which picked up seats.

A three-judge panel that listened during Monday's public hearing did not immediately rule. Lacey's plan will be used only if legislative leaders in Albany fail to settle on their own proposal with approval from Gov. George Pataki. members of his band Soul Patrol in performed with other bands during Train and the Cavaliers. ute performance from past and present members of his band.

Despite experiencing health problems in recent years, Milton, who had a black belt in karate, still gigged whenever he could. "It was what kept him said Duane Milton, his younger brother. "That was his number-one love, music, along with his family, friends and sports." "He always managed to find a way to get out there and play," Wiener said. "A large part of him lived to be a performer and for the excitement of connecting with the audience. Sometimes he could barely walk or get on stage, but he out there." Milton's last gig was earlier this month at Rulloff's.

"From all accounts, it was the best show they've had there," said his bass player, Frank Henry. "As ill as he had been in the past, we had the feeling he was pretty much invincible. "He could've stopped performing after his first heart attack, but he probably figured if he was going to go out, he wanted to go out singing. And he went out at the top of his game." Bacon said he didn't disagree with his assessment, but that he resented the fact that his property was reassessed twice in two years. And he didn't buy the argument that reassessments are not conducted to generate revenues.

"The way I look at it, the county needs more money, so they're raising our assessments," Bacon said. Other Fall Creek residents expressed concerns about increased assessments compounded with a potential double-digit county, tax increase. The county adopts its budget and sets its tax rate in November. But Coggin pointed out one advantage of the neighborhood's red reassessments. "Today, in Fall Creek, you are very fortunate because you can name your price," she said.

Many seek second opinions The increase in assessments has increased the demand for the services of John Bentkowski. Bentkowski has been 1 appraising properties for 30 years. He said many residents have called his Ithaca office in the past three weeks looking for his opinion on what their homes are worth. In many cases, Bentkowski said, he's sided with homeowners. "I don't understand where (the increases) are coming from," he said.

Bentkowski also thinks the changes are essentially a hidden tax increase, engineered to create more revenue for local governments facing shortfalls this year. Rep. Tim Joseph, chairman of the Tompkins County Board of Representatives, disputed that per- THE ITHACA JOURNAL (USPS 271-120) Published daily except Sunday Ithaca Journal-News, 123-125 by. State Ithaca, N.Y., 14850. Periodical-class postage paid at Ithaca.

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188th YEAR No. 121 ROBERT D. TILLIE VARGO Drake and Alice Vargo; 13 TOWNSEND JR. NEWFIELD Tillie Var- grandchildren; 24 great- Robert Townsend of Gastonia, N.C. died April 26, 2002.

Rob was raised in Groton with his grandparents Charlie Alyce Livingston who predeceased him in 1993 and 1997. He is survived by his father Robert Sr. (Ann) of Moravia, his wife Kimberly Townsend and his girls Marcie, Mikki, Sabrina, Samantha of Cortland and Sara of Groton, two sisters, Tammy of Sterling, Melissa of Freeville and four brothers Edward of Sterling, William of Duanesburg, Thomas of Missouri and Ted of Florida, several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Services are to be held June 1 at 11:00 a.m. in Fair Haven Community Church, Fair Haven, ception.

"I understand people's frustration," Joseph said. "But if that were true, assessments would have gone way up everywhere. And the average was under 5 percent, which won't have that kind of effect." Joseph said the problems people have this year with reassessments reflect, in his opinion, the underlying unfairness of property taxes. The deadline to dispute property assessments is May 28. go, 82, of 74 Rockwell Newfield, NY, formerly of Titus Towers, went to be with the Angels after a brief illness, and was surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, May 19, 2002.

She was much loved and admired and will be sadly missed by all. Predeceased by her husband, Alexander Vargo, also three brothers and two grandsons. Tillie is survived by her children: Roger (Joyce) Vargo; daughters, Betty McFall, Esther Saunders, Mary grandchildren; and 7 greatgreat-grandchildren; also sisters, Elsie Hollister, Anna Kunz, Mary Magnus, Bessie Brewer, Margaret Poelvoorde; and a brother, Charles Havlik. Graveside services will be held Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 11:00 at the Woodlawn Cemetery, Newfield with Rev. Earl Andrews officiating.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to either Hospicare of the Enfield Rescue Squad. Bangs Funeral Home will be in charge of arrangements.I IN MEMORIAM IN LOVING MEMORY William Hooton Your memory lives within our hearts forever. Your loving family DEATH NOTICE BERTHA M. RUSSELL The family will be present to MECKLENBURG Bertha M. receive their friends at the NessRussell, 82, of 4394 County Road Sibley Funeral Home, 23 South Mecklenburg passed away at Trumansburg on Wednesday, the Seneca View Skilled Nursing 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.

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