|
Friday, January 4, 2008January 4 2008Konstanty’s Return Splits County Board on 1st Vote  Any thought that a 10-4 majority can reimpose peace on a fractured Otesgo County Board of Representatives flittered away with the first few minutes of its organizational meeting Wednesday, Jan. 2.Jim Powers, the veteran representative from Butternuts, had been anointed the new chairman by the Republican caucus. But four stony-faced Democrats emphatically voted “nay” when, minutes into the meeting, his nomination was placed before the full board. Approved 10-4 nonetheless, Powers took the chair and declared that, despite the reception, he would “extend the olive branch, and hope we can work together.” Rep. Greg Relic, R-Unadilla, faced a similar vote for vice chairman. It was unclear to the general public what was going on until, a couple of resolutions later, the motion was made to once again appoint Oneonta lawyer and Republican warhorse Jim Konstanty as county attorney. Rep. Catherine Rothenberger, D-Oneonta, made a motion to take the “personnel matter” into executive session, but her motion was defeated. Then Rep. Marti Stayton, D-Oneonta, was on her feet, questioning “a selection process that excluded all Democrats.” When in the just-ended two years of Democratic control, the county board had questioned County Treasurer Myrna Thayne’s accounting of public funds related to resolving estates, Thayne hired Konstanty as her attorney to challenge the board. “To appoint him puts him squarely in a conflict of interest, according to the New York Bar Association,” Stayton said. Under Konstanty’s oversight, the Workman’s Compensation fund deteriorated, she said, further alleging that, while he was last county attorney, the county contracted with him for $200,000 in additional private services. “It is troubling to see the opportunity to move forward, with so many new representatives, turned backward with this choice,” Stayton concluded. In the vote that followed, Konstanty just squeaked in, 7-6, with county Rep. Steve Fournier, R-Milford, abstaining. Rep. Donald Lindberg, R-Worcester, who had made common cause with Democrats to give them control of the county board in the past two years, joined them in voting against bringing Konstanty back, and Rep. Keith McCarty, R-Springfield, joined did too. Konstanty was waiting in the hall and, as soon as the vote was announced, he entered the chamber and took his seat at the head table to Powers’ left. During a break, Stayton said she voted against Powers because, since he planned to bring Konstanty back, she couldn’t support him “in good conscience.” As for Konstanty, he said he was first appointed county attorney in 1987 by an 8-6 margin, but every time but once after that – until the Democrats replaced him with Rodney L. Klafehn of Laurens in the past two years – he was reappointed unanimously by Republicans and Democrats alike. Laura Childs, long-time clerk of the board, was unanimously reappointed, as were IT Director Brian Pokorny, Public Defender Richard Rothermel and Veterans Services Director Tex Seamon. McCarty voted “nay” on Hank Nicols’ reappointment as Democratic election commissioner. At the meeting, Cooperstown’s new legislators took their seats for the first time. Jim Johnson, R-Town of Otsego, represents the village on the west side of the Susquehanna. Floyd “Sam” Dubben, R-Roseboom, represents the village on the river’s east side. The Freeman’s Journal Begins 200th Year Look at the folio line at the top of this page: Volume 200, No. 1. With this edition, The Freeman’s Journal marks the beginning of its 200th year as chronicler of Cooperstown in the making. Very few newspapers in the U.S. have made it so far. For two centuries, this newspaper has been Cooperstown’s companion, creating a record of our common life, some of it statistical – births, deaths, the annual date of Otsego Lake’s freezing – some of it high drama, much of it of high literary merit. Tongue in cheek, Tom Heitz, Otsego town historian and long-time compiler of our Bound Volumes feature, likened 200 years of Freeman’s Journal accretions to guano deposits that were mined from South Sea islands and brought back to Upstate New York and elsewhere as fertilizer. So be it. Our goal this year will be to mine the rich deposits amid the fading ink and powdery paper – to celebrate not this newspaper, but this community as reflected in this newspaper’s pages. Tom Heitz will begin that process at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Jan. 10, with a presentation, “Buy A Revolver; Shoot The Tramps,” a look at Cooperstown through 200 years of advertising. (As it happens, the first ad ever was run by our founder, Judge William Cooper; he was trying to sell a slave.) Over 2008, The Freeman’s Journal will be reprinting original reporting from years past, reproducing historic front pages and sponsoring further lectures based on the aforementioned rich deposits. Past owners – we’ve tracked down a half-dozen – will be writing reminiscences of their toils. The first reading of an original play about Judge Cooper is in the offing. And a celebration is being developed for Oct. 23, the day when the first number of The Impartial Observer, our parent, appeared in 1808. Let the celebration – of our Cooperstown, as reflected in Cooperstown’s Freeman’s Journal – begin. JIM & M.J. KEVLIN Proprietors Historic Toddsville Bridge Sold, Saved It took a year, but 65 Toddsville neighbors have saved a 19th-century Pratt-truss iron bridge over Oaks Creek from demolition and plan to begin fundraising to preserve it for walkers, anglers and other recreational uses. Attorney Bob Birch, whose wife Marcy was among the neighborhood leaders in the effort to protect the bridge, said deeds were filed with the Otsego County Clerk’s Office on Friday, Dec. 28. One transferred ownership from the county to the towns of Hartwick and Otsego; the other transferred it to the Hartwick Historical Association. “It was a long process,” said Birch. “But ultimately it all came together.” The bridge had originally been owned by the two towns, but they abandoned it 12 years ago, and – under New York State law – ownership reverted to the county, which closed it. A year ago November, a county crew began tearing up the decking, preliminary to taking the bridge down, but residents of nearby Greenough Road and the west side of Oaks Creek objected; neighbors on the east side favored the demolition, as it would have converted Lower Toddsville Road into a virtual private thoroughfare. Birch estimated the bridge can be redecked for $15,000. CCS Board President Ponders 12 Years Of Education Battles Mark Rathbun, who grew up in Cornwall on Hudson, remembers high school fondly. He was on the student council and the National Honor Society. He played football, basketball and – his favorite – baseball. He was Orange County Player of the Year twice. He was on the New York Daily News’ All-Stars Team three times. But the Cooperstown Central Board of Education president – he plans to retire after 12 years when his term ends in May – remembers one moment in particular from all those years ago. “A ball was hit into the gap. A real shot. Very, very deep.” Rathbun played center field. There was no fence; if the ball was gone, it was really gone. He ran. He ran. He ran. He lifted his glove in the air. “It was a joyful feeling to be able to run down that ball and make the play.” When you think about it, that’s what Mark Rathbun has been doing for the past Cooperative Extension Funding Hike Blocked By a bi-partisan vote, the county Board of Representatives reduced a $195,000 allocation for the embattled Cooperative Extension of Otsego County to $175,000, the same as it received last year. Cooperative Extension of Otsego County, under fire since letting four long-time employees go last January, had a $20,000 additional county allocation lopped off after a revolt from the floor of the county Board of Representatives Wednesday, Jan. 2. The extra money was intended for a livestock specialist, but Rep. Donald Lindberg, R-Worcester, objected, and soon had company. Rep. Steve Fournier, R-Milford, said he had attended many meetings where the public was questioning the Cooperative Extension board, and “I never heard him once publicly defending himself or his program.” The “him” was Dinnie Sloman, Cooperative Extension executive director and architect of the five-year business plan that led to the layoffs. Rep. Marti Stayton, D-Oneonta, who heads the committee that recommended the increase, said the intent was to “separate the concerns (about the layoffs) from the mission.” Other representatives, who voted to reduce the county’s allocation from $195,000 to the same $175,000 it was last year, took pains to emphasize they don’t oppose farming; they just continue to be troubled by what happened. The layoffs, of one 33-year extension agent, one five-year crop specialist and clerical help led to months of angry meetings where members of the public confronted the Cooperative Extension board. County Board Chairman Jim Powers, R-Butternuts, said the money had been included in the budget by the last board, and he was reluctant to reopen the door. Labels: Archives
Subscribe to Posts [Atom] |
|
 |
