Parking, Doubleday-Field Changes Costing Thousands

To the Editor:
It has come to my attention that our parking machines have broken down several times and the village has even run out of paper for these machines. Our trustees and their leader, the mayor, who constantly stands behind the so-called business practices that are being initiated but not followed through on, are destroying our village.
We have just gone through one of the worst Hall of Fame weekends in my memory, and that goes back 18 years in business on Main Street. The visitors were more than angry about the parking tickets handed out in Doubleday Field.
All of Main Street has been striped off, with more than 50 parking spaces being taken off of Main Street. The new rules of parking in the spaces that are available limit each driver to only two hours on the whole street.
Tires are no longer being marked. Are you, the citizens of Cooperstown, aware that your license plate number is now being written down, so that – believe it or not – your car can be fined for exceeding the two-hour limit no matter where in the village you move it? The idea is to force you into the new paid parking.
If you think these antics are for the sake of the village residents, guess again. Council members will tell you that all of this business is about you, the residents who voted them into office. Is that true?
By the way, if you are interested in how much money we have lost on Doubleday Field this year due to the arrogance of Mr. Katz, go to your village office, get a list of the games and count the open spots compared to last year. It looks like the village could lose somewhere around $20,000 in the month of August.
If you think I am blowing smoke, give me a call and I will be glad to explain it to you. Also, I think the village should publish in this paper every week exactly how much parking-ticket money has been paid each week. Not how many parking tickets they write, but how many have been paid. We have a right to know.
TED HARGROVE
Cooperstown

All Ages Would Enjoy MSG Musical Festival

To the Editor:
As culture enthusiasts, it would be great if the Town of Springfield could support the currently proposed MSG music event. I think the event will be exciting and enjoyable to people of any generation. It will become a fantastic three-day event if more people could participate in and collaborate with the process.
It will give the members of the local community the opportunity to be involved in the entire process of the world-class music event. It will also create opportunities for people in the area of Springfield to get many seasonal jobs and possibly some permanent positions at the facility.
It may not be easy for some people who would like to maintain their current life styles to accept change, but I think it is important to develop and improve our way of life and to have open minds. We should give our younger generation a chance to appreciate the culture as well as a chance to grow financially.
We will be able to participate in an unusual, wonderful experience and play host to some of the best music in the world.
AKIRA & YUKO NITTSU
East Springfield


Thanks For Support

To the Editor:
The family of Phyllis M. Selan would like to express their gratitude for the cards, phone calls, and food at the time of her death. Special thanks go to my brother “Randy” for being there. Also to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth and the Rev. Betsy Jay for their support.
Jerry Selan
Fly Creek

Many Made Book Sale A Success

To the Editor:
This past year the Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown held its annual Fourth of July Book Sale from June 28 to July 13. The response from our local community was amazing!
Thousands of books were donated to the library for the Friends yearly fund raiser. All proceeds from this sale are used through out the year to support children’s and adult programs and improvements to the library.
THANKS go out to so many people who made this book sale so successful. Thank you for all of you who donated books.
Thank you to all of the volunteers who gave countless hours to collect, transport, organize, box, sort and sell books.
Thank you to everyone who came out to buy books.
Special thanks to Giles Russell and Hugh MacDougall, who have spent so much time during the collection days and during the two weeks of the sale making the day-to-day operation so successful. The success of the sale would not be possible without their involvement!
Also, THANK YOU to the David Kent and the library staff, Janet and the art association, the maintenance staff, Dottie Hudson for all the wonderful posters, Rebecca Weil and the Friends of The Village Library, Tom Selover, Frank Farmer, Kay and Keith Additon, Jean and John Finch, Mary and Herb Marx, Amy Stack, Drew Kotalic, Jane Russell, Martha Clarvoe and her recycle team, Dick Kelly.
Also, Leigh Connor Leo, Joe Siracusa, Steve Elliot and The Farmers’ Museum for use of its tables, the Cooperstown PTO for the use of its tents, Alice Stiles, Jeannine Bohler, Barb Havlik. Hilda Wilcox, Suzanne Stack, Karen Schlather, Pat Duncan, Grace Hull, the Fanion Family, Catherine Russell, Doris Stein, Meg Tillapaugh, Mary Harmon and her daughter, Nancy Irving, Ivy Bishop, Doug Gable and Ireland.
Also, Anne Leonard, Mike Toulson, Sandy de Rosa, Victoria Annania, Shya Miller, the Brown Family, Diane Greenblatt, Doug Walker, Anna Weber, Tom Craig, Pat Thorpe and Karen Katz .
And to the many more volunteers who have given your time to the Friends of the Library and their book sale this year, Thank you! Happy Reading!
LYNDA SELOVER
& AMY BROWN
Co-Chairs
Book Sale Committee
Friends of The Village Library

Natural-Drilling Makes Windmills Look Good By Comparison

To the Editor:
Our elected officials take an oath to protect the economy of the United States.
They must stop thinking in the 1970s and 1980s and start thinking of the future! Nothing can be done about the past. Population has increased 400 percent; energy consumption increased 600 percent, and food demand up 800 percent.
Our government thinks the solution is to import food. This will cause a food crises, like the energy crises we are in now. When you have more demand and less supply, COSTS RISE. That is why fuel bills will be outrageous this winter. Foreign energy suppliers realize we are not willing to take steps for other sources of energy.
A huge question I have is: Why did Senator Jim Seward introduce two bills, S3073 and S3074? They are solely directed at the Jordanville Wind Farm. We need industry to come to our area.
The wind mills would bring jobs and help alleviate our energy crises. Wind turbines do not affect the environment or water. All studies were done.
It appears Senator Seward is encouraging drilling thousands of feet and pumping water to extract natural gas from the ground in the Springfield vicinity. Forcing water into the ground will put aqua furrows and water supplies in great danger.
I agree with Don Barber, “Studies need to be done,” and they should be contracted to private companies, NOT done by the state Department of Environmental Conservation or the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency.
Wind turbines in Cherry Valley could be up and running NOW and the Jordanville Wind Farm could have been 90 percent finished. Cut the political games and special-interest groups and think of everyone’s future.
I was disgusted by the ruling made by Judge Donald Greenwood in Onondaga County on the wind turbines. In my opinion, he infringed on our Bill of Rights and took away citizens’ rights to “not be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”
I believe this decision was based on special-interest groups, by Martha Frey of Otsego 2000 backing a handful of local people on Article 78, which consisted of many questionable statements.
BIG QUESTION: Why Onondaga County Supreme Court and not Otsego or Herkimer county courts, needs investigating! Much was based on tourism and a red glow on Otsego Reservoir, which is impossible. This “Glimmerglass District” is based on a 150-year legend! James Fennimore Cooper was a writer of FICTION. If you believe in all his stories, then you must believe in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”!
LYLE PHETTERPLACE
Van Hornesville

Get Answers Before Drilling For Natural Gas

To the Editor:
We should extract the natural gas under us because it burns cleaner than oil and coal and it can be part of our New York State energy independence strategy. But it must be extracted in an environmentally responsible way and under contracts that protect our land and our private property rights.
However, as Elmira lawyer Chris Denton said, gas company contracts are “designed to help them in every way possible and to make your life miserable.” The state must provide minimum contract language requirements that protect the landowner.
The 2005 Federal Energy Act exempted gas drillers from the Clean Water, Clean Air & Safe Drinking Water acts. Now it’s up to New York State to keep our water pure.
On July 22, The Albany Times Union published a front page story entitled, “Toxic Gas Drilling Technique.” It cites numerous experts from around the country who explain the hydraulic fracturing technique gas drillers intend to use and how these techniques have spoiled ground and surface water.
According to The Times Union, “In New Mexico, oil and gas drilling projects that use waste pits like those proposed for New York have leached toxic chemicals into the water table some 800 times. In Colorado, more than 300 spills have affected water.” In fact, “The U.S. Department of Energy lists produced water from gas drilling as among the most toxic of any oil industry byproduct.”
Hydraulic fracturing requires millions of gallons per well. “There are tremendous amounts of water used for this process – where are they going to get it and what are you going to do with that?” said William Kappel, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
That is why I’m calling for an immediate moratorium by New York State on lease agreements and drilling permits until we have answered the following questions and have protections in place to preserve our pure water.
• What will our communities be like with a gas well every mile?
• What does the drilling process entail?
• Where will the millions of gallons of water required for each well come from and will the withdrawal process be monitored?
• What chemicals are drillers mixing in the water?
• What will happen to this water mixture after drawing it from wells? No treatment facilities have been identified yet.
• Since there is no guarantee that aquifers won’t be affected, what recourse is available for property owners?
• Will local taxpayers have to pay for roads damaged by the drilling process?
• Will gas lines be buried on our properties?
• Will these leases hurt our ability to sell our property?
Environmentally safe extraction can deal with these problems, but the state legislature has left it up to us to protect ourselves and our land. We also need to know where natural gas extraction fits into our long-term energy independence plan.
Unfortunately, our representatives haven’t made informed decisions that protect our interests; instead, they’ve decided in favor of the gas companies. As your next state senator, I will do better.
DON BARBER
Supervisor, Town of Caroline
Candidate, State Senate, 51st District


11th Hour Here On Browdy Mountain Subdivision

To the Editor:
There have been new developments regarding the proposed Walker subdivision off of Browdy Mountain Road, on the west side of Otsego Lake, and opposition is increasing.
Mr. Walker’s original plan for the subdivision was rejected by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, but a revised plan will be submitted to the Otsego County Planning Board at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 5. The revised plan still calls for division of the property into several lots for the purpose of eventually building three new houses on the mountainside above the lakeside houses and cottages just south of Five Mile Point.
The housing development will have a negative impact on the lake, both environmentally and aesthetically. For example, it would involve the clearing of acres of trees, and greatly increase run-off on the steep shale slope.
I urge all those who are concerned about this to take action by writing a letter to the Planning Board and, if possible, attending the Planning Board meeting.
It is the 11th hour in this subdivision application process. The board will soon vote.Mr. Walker’s neighbors and the residents of the Cooperstown/Otsego Lake community have two opportunities to make their feelings known and present their opposition to this development.
1) Write to the Town of Otsego Planning Board immediately, before the Aug. 5 Planning Board meeting: Town Hall, 811 County Highway 26 in Fly Creek.
Better yet, take your letter in person to the Planning Board meeting on at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Town Hall.
2) Come to the final Public Hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, and voice your disapproval. Let the Board members know the community doesn’t want steep slope development on the faces of the mountains immediately surrounding the lake. Make your feelings known, before the Planning Board votes.
Background on the Walker application and some of the issues and concerns have been documented in the minutes of the Planning Board meetings held in April, May and June, which are accessible online at http://townofotsego.com/planningminutes.htm.
If anyone wishes more information or has any questions, you may email me at:savethe-
mountainside@gmail.com.
Join us in our effort to defeat Otsego Lake steep slope development!
CAROL B. AKIN
Cooperstown

What About New York?

To the Editor:
A radical idea – but one whose time has come – in fact, already came, but has had to wait for over 200 years to be implemented: a government for the people and by the people.
What has been blocking it? Well, obviously, people’s natural desire for money and power. How do you get them besides working for them? Well, you could try getting the people into office who will look after your interests.
But you shouldn’t think these office holders have it easy. Not only do they have to attend all those meetings and read all those documents: They also have to spend countless hours phoning for dollars.
Whom do they phone? The clerk earning minimum wage? No, she can’t pay for all those ads. But the corporation executive can and he will; however, not out of the goodness of his heart, but because he wants what the official can deliver – such as big tax breaks and freedom from costly regulations.
A large percentage of his day has to be spent earning his keep this way, time better spent looking after the needs of his constituents. But he needs money to get into office and stay there. He is not a free man.
How can we free him to listen to all of us who voted him into office? In other words, to get that government for the people and by the people?
Only through publicly financed elections. Connecticut will soon have them. Maine has had them since 1995. Arizona even elected a governor that way.
What about New York?
HILDA WILCOX
Cooperstown

Labels: Letters to the Editor, Opinion