COOPERSTOWN

E. Bernice Steiner, widow of the Rev. Dwight L. Steiner of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church and a former resident of Woodside Hall, died Thursday, June 5, at Otsego Manor. She was 93. (For a full obituary, see the June 13 edition of The Freeman's Journal)

COOPERSTOWN

Penney Gentile, Chris's mom, is urging supporters of driver's-education enhancement to e-mail Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us) , chair of the education committee, asking her to vote out A-10293 for a vote on the floor before the General Assembly goes home June 23.

The bill would create an advisory committee, co-chaired by the state DMV and education commissioners, to report back by the end of the year on what can be done to upgrade the state's driver's-ed curriculum, which dates back to the 1950s. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, has already passed the Senate.

Seward also obtained a $35,000 member item to allow CCS to implement a futuristic driver's-ed curriculum, developed in Georgia by the Joshua Brown Foundation (www.joshuabrownfoundation.org), that would use simulators, parent participation and UPS' hazard-identification training to make sure new drivers are as ready for the road as possible.

Chris Gentile and Joshua Brown both were killed in car crashes while still in high school. Auto fatalities are the greatest cause of death among young people, ages 16-21, Seward reported the other day.

COOPERSTOWN

A dozen Friends of the Parks volunteers were on schedule to complete the new playground at Badger Park, behind the Great American, by early this afternoon. Friends President Jessie Ravage, Trustee Jeff Katz, FoP member John Odell and others were shoveling earth and moving woodchips throughout the morning, under the director of Parkitects' Karen Armstrong, a Richfield Springs native. Trustee Grace Kull and Rich McCaffrey were manning the refreshment booth. The $38,000 venture to create a playground for everyone -- preschoolers on up -- was paid for through donations.
CAPTION: Trustee Jeff Katz, near pole, and village DPW chief Brian Clancy, right, were among the volunteers who hoisted the rope climb this morning.

FLY CREEK

Some 50 homeowners in the Hickory Grove Inn section of the west side of Otsego Lake questioned Town of Otsego officials for two hours this morning on costs associated with the proposed sewer district there. Among questions asked were: Why can't the line be extended from Springfield to Cooperstown, utilizing an upgraded Cooperstown plant? Why are properties on the west side of West Lake Road (Route 80) included? Are the cost estimates -- a $5,000 hookup per house, plus a maximum $1,400 a year -- firm? If all goes as planned, construction may begin in 2009.
CAPTION: Town attorney Martin Tillapaugh surveys the crowd. At left is Town Supervisor Tom Breiten.

Friends --

What you see here is the first step toward a more interactive www.freemansjournal.com, which will include the full newspaper -- access it by clipping on the page icon to the left -- but will also allow us to easily update breaking news on a day-by-day, even minute-by-minute, basis.

The new home page is being developed by Michael Popek of Oneonta, The Freeman's Journal webmaster and a very bright guy. The goal is to create a way to communicate news and information to you as it happens, built on the foundation of a weekly newspaper.

Please come and visit us regularly as our concept evolves. Soon there will be a way for you to add your comments and news. All suggestions are welcome, so call us or e-mail us right away if you have advice and guidance for us.

Best regards,

Jim Kevlin, editor & publisher
(c) 643-2514
jkevlin@thefreemansjournal.com

MJ Kevlin, associate publisher
(c) 643-2513
mjkevlin@thefreemansjournal.com

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Allan Guiney, a graduating senior at Hamilton College, was among 16 classmates recognized as student-athletes by the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Each honoree is a varsity letter winner with a GPA of at least 3.35. His mother is Kathy Lloyd, Toddsville.

CORTLAND HONOREES: Local students on the SUNY Cortland Dean’s List for the spring semester included: senior James Aborn, sophomore John Aborn, sophomore Jesse Elliott and junior Colin Havener, all of Milford; junior Lindsey Potrikus and senior Shirley Tyler, both of Cooperstown.

REGULATION EXPERT: Jillian Harrington, Binghamton, has joined Bassett Healthcare as director of compliance and regulatory affairs, ensuring Bassett meets all areas of regulatory compliance, and also as HIPAA privacy officer.

HONORING THERING: The Town of Otsego is planning a retirement party for Ferd Thering at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at town hall in Fly Creek. Thering, who is 81, is retiring from the town assessor’s office after 26 years, according to Town Councilperson Meg Kiernan. Ferd, who has served on the Hartwick town Planning Board for decades, mostly as chair and co-chair, is being reappointed there as an alternate.

HONOR, AWARD: Andrianna Lyons, daughter of David and Janette Lyons, Fly Creek, has received a $2,000 scholarship from the American Red Cross for her efforts organizing blood drives at SUNY Cobleskill. Both Andrianna and her brother, Shawn – he attends SUNY Oswego – have been named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester.

BATTLE JOINED, WON: Two CCS teams bested Fort Plain in the first High School Battle of the Books Tuesday, May 20, to bring home the “House Cup” for Cooperstown. The high school team consisted of Virginia Ofer, Emily Snell, Amy Bishop and Erin Henrici; the middle school team, Tom Franck, Maya Bergamasco, Erik Mebust and Jack Siegel. The high school teams read 16 books; the middle school team, 20. Questions during the “battle” were based on the reading matter.

CUM LAUDE: Evan Jagels received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Wagner College in New York City, where he majored in English. A member of Sigma Tau Delta honor society, he was selected for both the English Literature Prize and the Instrumental Music Award. He is the son of Rick and Kathy Jagels, Cooperstown.

Labels: Area Briefs, Community

Labels: Health and Wellness

Labels: Cooperstown Homes, Houses, Property for Sale, Real Estate

Labels: Arts, Entertainment, Fun, Galleries

Labels: Automotive, Cars

Labels: Gifts, Retail, Shopping

Labels: Banking, Finance, Insurance, Law, Professional Services

George F. Schoradt, 76; Spent Career In Army, Then Navy

NEW LISBON – George F. Schoradt, 76, died Monday, June 2, 2008, at the Albany
Medical Center, after suffering a heart attack that resulted in a tractor accident.
He was born on April 11, 1932, in the hamlet of New Lisbon, the son of F.W.B. and
Natalie (Meyert) Schoradt. He married Virginia Allen on Dec. 28, 1952. They would have reached their 56th wedding anniversary this year. After graduating from Morris Central School in 1951, George attended Binghamton Tech (now Harper College) before joining the Army in 1952. Following his discharge in 1955, he worked as a field engineer in the Army Missile Command until 1964, then at the Naval base in Newport, R.I. At his retirement in 1977, he was head of Radar Development for Navy ranges. He and his wife returned to New York and bought a farm around the corner from one owned by Virginia’s parents’, Richard and Mary Allen. He later did consulting work, raised beef cattle and was an Otsego County voting machine custodian for many years. In addition to his wife Virginia, survivors include his daughter Karin Gann and husband Robert, of New Lisbon; two grandsons, Geofre R. Schoradt and Schuyler S. Gann, also of New Lisbon. He also leaves a sister and brother-in-law, Elsie and Ronald Lester of Peoria, Ariz., and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his half brother, Richard Schoradt, who lived in California, and a half-sister, Francis Joslin of Sidney. At his request, there will be no calling hours and the funeral will be private. In lieu of flowers and in memory of George, please treasure your families as he did his. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnstonfh.com Arrangements are by the Johnston Funeral Home of Morris.

Roger Newell, 79, Of Toddsville

TODDSVILLE – Roger Gavin Newell of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., formerly of Toddsville, died at home in Toddsville Friday afternoon, May 30, 2008, following a battle with cancer. He was 79.
Born Nov. 22, 1928, in Cooperstown, Roger was a son of Charles A. Newell, Sr. and Mary (Gavin) Newell. He married the former Louise Bliss on Dec. 18, 1948. Over the years, Roger was employed as a bus driver for Cooperstown Central School and was also in business for himself doing small engine repair. After moving to Florida, he was employed as a maintenance man for Wellesley Inn in Fort Lauderdale. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Louise, of Florida; two daughters, Cheryl A. Phillips and her husband Craig, of Herkimer, and JoAnn
L. Dow and John Schallert, of Cooperstown; one son, Roger W. Newell and his wife, Teresa, of Dallas; four grandchildren, Neil Dow and his wife Jaime, of Middletown, Brian Dow and his wife Teri, of Manhattan, Kan., Matthew Newell and his fiancé Tiffany, of Missouri, and Lindsay Phillips and her fiancée Jeff, of Connecticut; five great-grandchildren, Mitchell, Brianna, Kendra, Cooper and Bailey Dow; his mother-in-law, Mrs. Edna Bliss of Toddsville; four sisters, Mrs. Imogene Carter and her husband, Rodman, Mrs. Billie Williams and her husband, Quin, Ms. Noreen Newell, and Mrs. Marjorie Strait; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Charles A. Newell, Jr., and Donald Newell. There will be no services. Roger’s family wishes to thank the staff of Catskill Area Hospice, for the kind, considerate and understanding care they extended to Roger during his illness. Memorial gifts may be made
to Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820, or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Harnett Memorial Planned June 14

CHERRY VALLEY – A celebration of Bill Harnett’s life is planned at 5 p.m., Saturday, June 14, in the Old School Café. William James Harnett was promoted to the afterlife on Saturday, April 12.
The “Evening of Remembrance” will include a potluck dinner and music performed by Bill’s musically inclined family and friends. Music will be interspersed with open mic time to share words, stories and memories of Bill. (Soft beverages provided; please feel free to bring something
for the grill.) Donations to the Cherry Valley Old School, the Cherry Valley Health Center, the Cherry Valley EMS Squad, The Cherry Valley Fire Department and The Catskill Area Hospice are greatly appreciated. For more information call RBS at (607) 264-9300. Please remember, when you donate your organs, you donate life.

Service Planned For Dutch LaDuke

COOPERSTOWN – A memorial service for Dutch LaDuke who died Dec. 19, 2007, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Tillapaugh Funeral Home, 28 Pioneer St., with Father John Roos offi ciating. The family will be present from noon until the time of the service to receive friends.
Burial in Lakewood Cemetery will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that those who so desire make contributions in Dutch’s memory to either the Cooperstown Sports Booster Club, Box 141, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or the Lester G. Bursey Playground Fund, 22
Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326. Arrangements are under the supervision of Tillapaugh funeral Service.


Dual Rites For Sisters

Graveside Services for sisters Janis E. Murdock and Phyllis M. Selan will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery with the Rev. Betsy Jay, Bassett Healthcare chaplain, officiating. Janice, 67, died on Jan. 26; Phyllis, 71, on May 17. Arrangements are with Connell,
Dow & Deysenroth.

Petkewec Burial

COOPERSTOWN – A graveside service of committal and burial for Charles J. Petkewec, 85, who died Dec. 26, will be at 2 p.m. Monday, June 9, in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index, with the Rev. John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, officiating.
Arrangements are with Connell, Dow & Deysenroth.

Labels: Obituaries

Labels: Calendar

Labels: Cafe, Dining, Food and Lodging, Grocery, Hotel, Motel, Restaurant

The CCS spring concert Monday, June 2, also included the annual arts award. Winners included,
from row from left, Marie Di Lorenzo, Otsego County Arts Alliance Award; Julia Nelson, Friends of Music & Art award for two-dimensional art; Cailin Huggins, Ellsworth Award, presented by Eleanor MacDougall in honor of her father, Waldo Ellsworth. Back row, from left, Clark Dickson, FOMA honorable mention; Alison Weber, Ellsworth Award, and Kartin Kronberg, FOMA award for three-dimensional art. Margaret Leslie also received a FOMA honorable mention.

Labels: Community, Glimmerglass

By BRIAN C. HOREY

ROME

Cooperstown’s run for a second consecutive Section III Class C title was ended by one swing of Pulaski’s Ted Atkinson’s bat in the top of the third inning on Monday, June 2, at DeLutis Field. Atkinson sent a 1-2 offering from Jim Fort 340 feet over the leftfield fence and that was all the
#2 seed Devils needed for a 1-0 victory. Cooperstown played a very solid game but simply could
not get enough bat on the ball as Pulaski’s winning pitcher Ed Gray looked as strong in the
bottom of the seventh inning as he did in the first. The tall lefty, headed to St. Bonaventure on a scholarship in the fall, mixed his pitches well and continually confounded the Redskin batters. He finished with15 K’s on his way to a 2 hitter. Cooperstown had its chances, leaving two runners stranded in both the fi rst and third innings, but simply could not provide Fort (7-2) the support he needed. Fort had both the Redskins hits in the game. After losing seven starters from last year’s squad including his entire infield, Coach Frank Miosek said after clinching the league championship with a perfect 10-0 record at Canastota two weeks ago, that he was very proud of the way the team pulled together. Finishing the season at 18-5 was an outstanding accomplishment and a tribute to the dedication of the entire team. Without the efforts by the entire 15 man squad they would not gotten anywhere near this far. He especially noted the efforts of seniors Chris Gulotta, Drew Lierheimer and Quinn Snyder who joined returning seniors Josh Pearlman, Doug Kline, Tyler Combs, Jim Fort and Phil Pohl. Pulaski will take on #1 seed
and State ranked #3 Fabius-Pompey for the overall Class Championship. Cooperstown was ranked #14 in the latest State Sports Writers poll.

Labels: Sports

Labels: Home and Garden, Local Businesses

SAM GOODYEAR

If variety is the spice of life, you won’t have to go very far to spice up your evening on Thursday,
June 19. But let me digress: Nicholas J. Alicino was for 22 years a vibrant member of the Cooperstown community. Over a period of 19 years at Cooperstown Central School, he was
teacher of ninth-grade English, coach of the tennis team, adviser for the school newspaper, director of senior plays, and organizer (and chaperone) of multiple trips overseas. He was a lover of poetry and established a tradition of poetry readings in our area. He inspired a love of poetry, and Shakespeare, in many young people, no mean feat in this day and age of limited attention
spans and quick-fix entertainment. He also sparked interest in spontaneous performance by setting up a series of open mike nights where participants young and old, and in a huge variety of disciplines, could indulge in the generous give-and-take of their art. Nick died at a tragically
young age, but his spirit and the traditions he implemented live on in the form of Nick at Night
at the Hoffman Lane Bistro. The third of this year’s evenings will be 7:30-9:30 Thursday,
June 19. (I no longer digress:) Admission is free (always a plus); performers sign up on arrival for a specific slot during the evening. A jar is available for donations, the proceeds of which
benefit the Nicholas J. Alicino Memorial Award, given annually to a student who shows promise in theater or writing, plans to further his or her education, and has need of assistance. Food and drink are available from the Bistro’s bar. I had the pleasure of attending Nick at Night on Thursday, May 29. A fl oating audience of 50 to 60 people sat at tables, stood along the sides, stole in and out between numbers enjoying the relaxed and stimulating atmosphere provided by an infinite variety of performers and offerings. Carole Alicino, Nick’s widow, opened the evening by reading some of his poetry. (He was, in addition to everything else, a published writer.) Some of the other participants, ranging from teens to the more advanced in age, were: Ben Garcia/John Birch (guitar/voice/trumpet); Tom Lieber (piccolo bass/voice); Ragwan Huntington (rap song with Joey Katz on keyboard); Orion Palmer (ukulele/voice); Cheese of the Misty Ceremony (Karl Loewenguth, Kyle Hohensee, Ben Resnick, Tim Faller), and an aging adolescent who got up and belted out an original song called “Born-Again Geek.” It is bracing to be part of a regenerative legacy such as this one, whether as spectator or participant, or both. Don’t miss out on the fun and edification bequeathed to us by our friend, mentor, and inspiration, Nick Alicino.

Sam Goodyear’s column on the arts in and around Otsego County appears weekly.

Labels: Columns, Glimmerglass

ELIZABETH BUCHINGER

There is a photo of my older daughter, Bee, on my refrigerator that was taken two summers ago at Glimmerglass Park. I would call it a beach, but I am from Florida, where beaches have white sand that extends into the bodies of water they border. So I cannot call that particular lakeside destination a beach. First, the sand is all wrong. Secondly, it isn’t lined with high-rise condos that block out the sun and raise everyone’s property insurance rates when they’re destroyed by hurricanes every couple of years. I was looking at the photo Sunday morning, while Bee and her dad were standing at the stove making fried eggs. Actually, Bee was frying the eggs, and her dad was standing by for instructional purposes. It has been a major goal of his to teach her to cook, so she doesn’t end up like her mother in that respect. In the photo, she is all sunshine and smiles – a sweet little cherub with edible cheeks. I looked over at the girl who was standing on a stool,
focused as a laser with spatula in hand. As she executed a perfect sunny-side-up, she chirped
excitedly about one thing after another. She talked about how one of her classmates is in love with another one. (Insert sound of needle scratching across a vinyl record.) Yes – in love.
She is 5.
When I was a young parent the first time around, I was keenly aware of gender stereotypes,
and worked tirelessly to not pass them on to my son. (See – I’m not a lousy homemaker
– I was being political.) We provided gender-neutral toys, as well as a variety of both “boy” and “girl” toys. We avoided all toy weapons. When one day I found my son pulling out one of my old Barbies, putting her in a sitting position, then using her as a little blonde gun, I decided it might
actually be healthier for him to have a water gun. Now, many years later, as the parent of both a boy and two girls, it’s utterly clear to me that boys and girls are different in ways that go far beyond Barbies and toy guns. This awareness of school-yard romance is a big one. My son was seemingly oblivious to such things until almost fifth grade. Yet I can clearly remember my own kindergarten classroom at Cross & Crown School, where I asked my teacher to move me between Jeffrey Deutsche and Andy Huber, because of a crush I had on one of them.
After one day of their constant attempts to get my attention, I realized that the romantic
tension was simply too thick to allow me any room to concentrate on my work, and I asked
for my old desk back. I was 5. And I can tell you it was a lot more relaxing to be 5 than it is
to be the parent of a 5-year-old girl. That rambunctious 3-year-old with her dimpled elbows who used to bound around the house has become a prim young lady with long limbs and a newly
found habit of smoothing her dark hair behind her ears. And I find myself asking, just as every
single parent on the planet asks, “How did this happen? When did it happen?”
Don’t get me wrong – she’s not yet a tiny adult. She still stamps her foot when she doesn’t get her way. She bickers sometimes with her little sister Posey – both of them taking turns starting trouble and overreacting. She would rather stash her toys in high places where not even she can reach them than put them at normal toy level, where Posey might, I dunno, look at them.
She bears only a passing resemblance to that 3-year-old in the photograph.
And the most exciting, heartbreaking, thrilling thing is that I know, two years from now, she’ll be yet another girl. I’ll miss the girl she is today, but I can’t wait to meet the girl she’ll become.

Elizabeth Trever Buchinger knows someone who likes you for more than a friend. She can
be reached at VillageWordsmith@gmail.com.

Labels: Columns, Glimmerglass

12th Horse Show Features Thrills At Iroquois Farm
Head to Iroquois Farm on Route 33 south of the village with your morning coffee, rain or shine, to see the warm-up over the fences from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, June 8, at The Farmers’ Museum 12th Annual Benefit Horse Show. Hunt-seat riders will test their horsemanship skills in competition beginning at 9 in all levels, ages, and classes while spectators are sure to enjoy the course feturing handcrafted jumps representing Coopertown landmarks. New this year is a jump honoring The Otesaga, now celebrating its 199th year.

Walk/Run At Clark Seeks Family Fitness
Wander to the Clark Center later that day and warm up for the 2 p.m. Girls on the Run Family Fitness Event, a non-competitive community walk/run (1-mile or 5-K) open to all held by the Otsego County chapter of GOTR, the national organization for girls ages 8-12 Registration
is free for members, $15 for individuals, $30 for an entire family (up to six) or $100 for teams
of 10. The fi rst 400 registrants will receive a race bag, T-shirts and commemorative medallion.
(Register at the Clark on Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m. or contact Paula Huntsman at 547-7054 or at paula@otsegocountygotr.org)

Try Museum Hopping
Hey, it’s a great time for year for a drive. How about heading for the Cherry Valley Museum, where the diorama, now with an audio component, has just been rededicated. It brings the infamous Revolutionary War massacre to life. The, if you haven’t seen it yet, continue on to Sharon Springs and up to Canajoharie and the new Arkell Museum. The Winslow Homers alone are worth the trip, and many other American masters are represented in the collection.

Labels: Glimmerglass

Labels: Community, Front Page

Although I’ve lived
Upstate for a decade,
suburban friends
everywhere still query, with
varying degrees of puzzlement,
“What on earth are you doing
up there?”
They suggest, none too
subtly, that there are so many
places with so much more to offer.
Joe, my long-time pal from
Kansas City, usually punctuates
our conversations with “Have
you put the ‘For Sale’ sign in
the front yard yet?”
Joe and the others, for all
their good intentions, seem
to forget that I have already
lived so many places and have
sampled so much of what they
think I’m missing.
I came to the Susquehanna
Valley by choice, amicably
divorcing the suburbs. I gave
them the endless commuting,
the cookie-cutter shopping
malls, supermarkets fi lled with
overwrapped products , the
multiplexes, the big boxes, the
housing “developments” made
of ticky-tacky that all look just
the same, forever more asphalt
and concrete and cars, cars,
cars in the settlement.
Recently, I spent the day
researching a new book, savoring
the rural New York I love.
On the back roads and in valley
enclaves I discover how New
Yorkers diligently and passionately
spend their most precious
commodity – their time.
That day’s road trip took me
to Grant’s Cottage (north of
Saratoga Springs,) then to the
Sundae’s Best Fudge Sauce
production kitchen; lunch at
Troy’s local product-supporting
Ilium Café and then on to the
Savor New York chocolate producer,
Candyman Chocolates of
Catskill.
The way home included
a nickel tour of Irish East
Durham and a mental note to
arrange a visit to a Buddhist
temple, located deep in the
Catskills.
After my gratifying day of
discovery, I was happily nearing
home when a light fl ashed
from the dashboard. “Add Fuel
Now” it warned. Fuel? As in
gas? I drive a Prius hybrid and,
at 50 miles to the gallon, I don’t
fi ll very often.
Yet, with my mind a-whir
with new places and people,
new products, and new chapters
to write, I had overlooked
a basic tenet, even for a Prius:
put gas in the tank. There I
was on the beautiful, isolated
Upstate back roads, in the rain,
daylight fading, no cell service,
no prospect of an open gas
station, and my lone fuel bar
insistently blinking that I was
on fumes. This is one situation I
doubt I would face in suburban
America.
I did the only thing I could
do; I approached a roadside
house, knocked on the door
and fervently hoped that my
mother’s childhood fear mongering
would prove untrue and I
would not end up at the bottom
of a well.
My worst fears vaporized
when I was greeted warmly and
sympathetically by a pleasant
woman in cozy slippers and her
friendly dog.
She confi rmed that I was,
indeed, in a pickle. She also
confessed to being a kind
person who, with true Upstate
resourcefulness, had just replenished
the 5-gallon tank she
kept for her mower.
I needed only a gallon to get
me to petrol salvation, which
she gave good-humoredly, assuring
me that I was not the fi rst
soul she encountered in similar
straits.
Despite her protests, I paid
her for the fuel and for saving
me much time and even greater
vexation. We parted with her
open-ended invitation that the
next time I pass, if the fi re was
going, be sure to stop for a
friendly libation.
I wonder if my experience
would have been the same in
suburbia.
Brenda Berstler of Cooperstown
is a multi-faceted
entrepreneur

Labels: Columns

With all the changes at
the Village Library
of Cooperstown there
seemed to be one thing missing
from our entry into the 21st
Century. Although we provided
an online catalog, Internet access,
and the ability to make direct
holds on books from home,
to be truly “hip” we needed to
be a part of cyberspace itself.
Well, we can safely say we
no longer suffer from that missing
link. The library is proud to
announce the arrival of our new
website, www.villagelibraryofcooperstown.
org, providing the
means to discover everything
you ever wanted to know about
Cooperstown but were afraid to
ask. There is literally nothing
there that you can’t fi nd.
Before I talk about the website
itself I want to thank Steve
and Jeannine Bohler for making
our entry into cyberspace a reality.
They are exactly the kind
of people I was talking about
in my last column that perform
above and beyond the call of
duty.
They spent untold hours
designing this project trying
to make it right. We are truly
blessed with people like them
who really want the library to
be a community asset.
Now on to the website…
Once you connect to our
home page you’ll fi nd a colorful
photo of the library (clearly
taken in the off-season due to
the lack of a single tourist), our
hours of operation, and links to
everything you can imagine.
From the coolest children’s
book in the U.S. to the hottest
sports team at Cooperstown
High, you can fi nd it on our
website. You can become
familiar with our history, learn
about upcoming programs, and
discover what the Friends of the
Library are all about. And as a
bonus you can access websites
of other organizations in town.
I think it’s safe to say that our
website is basically a clearinghouse
of information (exactly
what we’re supposed to be!).
Obviously the most important
thing is to understand all
the services that our library has
to offer. The website provides
us with that opportunity. Now
it’s easy to fi nd out the time of
our weekly story hour and the
theme of our children’s summer
reading program. We can
let patrons know of upcoming
events and when we’re closed
due to holidays.
The adventure into cyberspace
is especially valuable for
the Friends as they now have a
vehicle to readily promote their
activities, advertise their annual
book sale, and post their dozens
of adult and children’s programs
throughout the year.
In addition, important community
websites that can be
accessed through our web page
including NYSHA, the Cooperstown
Chamber of Commerce,
and Cooperstown Central
School. And those only scratch
the surface.
You can also link to the Four
County Library System website
and through it our online catalog
and Research Center. There
are additional links to many
children’s sites (e.g., hottest
books) through our children &
young adults’ module.
The important thing to remember
is that it’s all there for
you in one convenient place.
About the only thing we can’t
provide is the ability to schedule
an appointment at Bassett
Healthcare. But for fi nding out
what’s happening at the library
and elsewhere in our community
our website is the place to
turn. We really are a part of the
21st Century now!
David Kent is library director.

Labels: Columns

JOHN KOSMER

I just read a short clip about riding boots sold in Manhattan (and other boutiques worldwide, I am sure) that cost $1,000-plus and not only come distressed, but also pre-caked in dirt so you can look like you just got off your horse and finished your riding chores in the barn. Let’s put aside the $1,000-plus price tag for a moment. I understand the cachet in being able to say that you are “country gentry.” But have we reached the point where, in an affected effort to look like we really do something, we have to actually import dirt on the accessories we buy? I will be the
first to admit that I may be out of the fashion loop, but this seems to me to be the prototypical example of the decadence some of the well-heeled devolve into during a deepening recession.
Can buying these boots actually be an economy? In a land where wealth is characterized
as “relative” (to excuse one’s level of it), spending $1,000-plus for dirty worn riding boots is much more cost-effective than actually having to buy and maintain a country home with riding stables that you may have, in part, to impress others. Just walk in with your dirty ratty $1,000-
plus boots and say, “Sorry Love, the ride ran a little long and I was squeezed for time so I didn’t change. Sometimes I just don’t know if it’s worth it. But I do so love a brisk ride in the fresh country air.” You don’t actually have to say that. The boots will say it for you. That’s the point.
I just bought a pair of Dunham Wellington Boots from Sierra Trading Post. They were supposed to be $136 retail (I don’t know if I should believe that). They were marked down to $84.95. Sierra had e-mailed me a special 20-percent-off coupon and I had a $10 gift coupon they had
previously mailed me. So I got the boots for $44.36, plus $9.95 for shipping, totaling $54.31.
Forget the discounts. I can pay the full fare of $94.90 with shipping, rub them in the dirt on my property and resell them as “Authentic Boots conditioned on Historic Leatherstocking Region land” in chic boutiques for $500 a pair, undercutting those riding boots by $500. Imagine the ad campaign: “Leatherstocking Treaded Boots – Feel historic land beneath your feet in the comfort of your home.” I like it. How can we capitalize on this trend locally? Perhaps we can buy baseball gloves for around $150 each and rub them in the dirt a little in Doubleday Field. We can then
repackage them as “Authentic Glove acclimated on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY” and sell them for $1,500 each. Don’t worry; we’ll bring in more dirt so we don’t wear out the field. The ad slogan will be: “Cooperstown Doubleday Field Glove – Catch the thrill of baseball history
in the palm of your hand.” I love it.

John Kosmer, former home-improvement
editor for Victorian Homes, holds forth
from Fly Creek.

Labels: Columns

The
Otsego County
Master Gardeners
raised $2,000 at
the annual plant
sale Saturday, May
31, at county Cooperative
Extension
on Lake Street,
tripling last year’s
take. Lemon balm
was among the
most popular herbs
sold; basil sold
out. Among fl owers,
Solomon’s seal
and heliopsis were
among the popular
items. Basking in
success are, front
row, from left, Annette McLeod, Wanda Jagochi and Darlene Crowe; back
row, from left, Nancy McMullen, Susan Blass, Cooperative Extension’s Jano
Nightingale, Marie Oppel and Susan Birdsall, Frank Stevens is in the background.
More than 200 people signed the guest book.

Labels: Locals

CCS students who, as Rotary scholars, are about to depart to spend a year studying abroad are, from left, Erin Sullivan, bound
for Slovakia; Anna Snell, Peru; Ben Garcia, Thailand; Kyle Mackie, Germany; Kaitlyn Breiten, Poland; Caitlin Murphy, India, and Jonathan Birch, Brazil. The students were hosted by Cooperstown Rotary on Tuesday, June 3, at The Otesaga.

Labels: Locals

State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, announces a $10,000 grant for the new Kid City, which will replace
the revered playground behind Cooperstown Elementary School that was built through a community
effort two decades ago. Accepting the check are members of the Kid City Committee, from left, Mikal
Sky-Shrewsberry, Dennis Falk, Mary Boland, Bud Lippitt, Martha Heneghan and Terry Gorman, CCS
elementary principal. Locally, $120,000 of public and private money has been raised for the project.
The committee is hoping the playground will be built in time for school opening in September.

Labels: Locals

HONORING THERING: The Town of Otsego is planning a retirement party for Ferd Thering at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at town hall in Fly Creek. Thering, who is 81, is retiring from the town assessor’s offi ce after 26 years, according to Town Councilperson Meg Kiernan. Ferd, who has served on the Hartwick town Planning Board for decades, mostly as chair and co-chair, is being reappointed there as an alternate.

HONOR, AWARD: Andrianna Lyons, daughter of David and Janette Lyons, Fly Creek, has received a $2,000 scholarship from the American Red Cross for her efforts organizing blood drives at SUNY Cobleskill. Both Andrianna and her brother, Shawn – he attends SUNY Oswego – have been named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester.

BATTLE JOINED, WON:
Two CCS teams bested Fort Plain in the first High School Battle of the Books Tuesday, May 20, to bring home the “House Cup” for Cooperstown. The high school team consisted of Virginia Ofer, Emily Snell, Amy Bishop and Erin Henrici; the middle school team, Tom Franck, Maya Bergamasco, Erik Mebust and Jack Siegel. The high school teams read 16 books; the middle school team, 20. Questions during the “battle” were based on the reading matter.

CUM LAUDE: Evan Jagels received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Wagner College in New York City, where he majored in English. A member of Sigma Tau Delta honor society,
he was selected for both the English Literature Prize and the Instrumental Music Award. He is the son of Rick and Kathy Jagels, Cooperstown.

NEW GRADUATES: Samantha Willsey of Cooperstown has graduated from SUNY New Paltz. She majored in psychology. Sean P. Kane, Fly Creek, received a bachelor of science from SUNY Cortland.

ADVANCED DEGREES: Rebecca M. Marzeski, Monica M. Wolfe, and Gregory J. Soposki, all of Richfield Springs, received certificates of advanced study from SUNY Cortland.

GOOD GRADES: Marcia Searles, daughter of Bob and Rosie Searles, Cherry Valley, finished her sophomore year at Cazenovia College with a 3.40 average. She is a 2005 graduate of Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Allan Guiney, a graduating senior at Hamilton College, was among 16 classmates recognized as student-athletes by the New England Small College Athletic Conference. Each honoree is a varsity letter winner with a GPA of at least 3.35. His mother is Kathy Lloyd, Toddsville.

CORTLAND HONOREES: Local students on the SUNY Cortland Dean’s List for the spring semester included: senior James Aborn, sophomore John Aborn, sophomore Jesse Elliott and junior Colin Havener, all of Milford; junior Lindsey Potrikus and senior Shirley Tyler, both of Cooperstown. Andrianna with SUNY Cobleskill Student Life Director Jeffrey Foote.

REGULATION EXPERT: Jillian Harrington, Binghamton, has joined Bassett Healthcare as director of compliance and regulatory affairs, ensuring Bassett meets all areas of regulatory
compliance, and also as HIPAA privacy officer.

Labels: Locals

Reports of coyote sightings are on the rise in the Town of Hartwick, and the county Department of
Health has issued a warning: Be careful. People are being cautioned to keep their pets inside, to
keep garbage cans secure, and not to approach any strange animals. To report sightings or ask
questions, call 547-4230.

Labels: Community, Front Page

By JIM KEVLIN

MILFORD



Jersey Girl?
“Buttery, smooth,” said Bob Sweitzer.
Celena?
“Rich and sharp,” he said.
“Tangy,” chimed in Sharon Tomaselli, his business partner in the Cooperstown Cheese Company on Route 28 just north of this village.
In an era where the Spaghetti Factory doesn’t make spaghetti (it’s a restaurant), the Factory at Franklin makes retail sales (it’s a mall in Tennessee) and the Shout! Factory doesn’t make shouts (it’s an online video store), you may be surprised to learn something called the Cooperstown Cheese Company (www.cooperstowncheesecompany.com) actually makes cheese. (Yes, it has a retail store as well.)
The house cheese?
“Creamy and nutty,” Bob continued.
Ransiera? “Smooth, pleasant.”
Krista Magno? “Mouth puckering!”
Don’t you find your mouth is watering already?
Most of these cheeses are of a style that originated in Northern Italy, home of Sharon’s ancestors. The style also happens to be called “toma,” which, you may have noticed, are the first four letters of her surname.
For all these reasons, it just seemed to make sense that the partners would adopt “Toma” as their company’s brand, as in Toma Tenero, Toma Celena and so on, cheeses she and Bob have been manufacturing in the low-slung former dairy for the past year now.
Bob focuses on production; Sharon on marketing, and she has been placing the company’s products in such outlets as Honest Weight and Eats in Albany, Adams in Poughkeepsie, Stinky Brooklyn in that very borough, and Green Star in Ithaca.
She had just returned from a sales trip to Zabar’s, the high-end New York City grocery, when she and Bob were interviewed the other day. Placing Toma cheeses there would be a real coup.
Locally, the cheeses are sometimes available at Danny’s Market, and one variety may be sampled on the Blue Mingo’s cheese plate.
If “Toma” just seemed to make sense as a brand name, the rest of the Cooperstown Cheese Company’s story is much more serendipitous.
Bob and Sharon actually spent their careers in the papermaking industry.
The future business partners met in Milford, N.J., where both worked for Curtis Specialty Papers, she as COO, he as mill manager.
Raised in Providence, R.I., she had gone to McGill in Montreal, later receiving an MBA from RPI. For Boise Cascade, Curtis and Mead, she bounced around from Windsor Locks, Conn., to Portland, Ore., International Falls, Minn., and Rumford, Maine.
Bob was born in Springfield, Mass., although his dad and mom were from Syracuse and Buffalo respectively. He received a bachelor’s in chemistry from Cornell and, once in the paper industry, received a master’s from the Institute of Paper Chemistry, then in Appleton, Wisc. His wife, Janice, had lived in Ithaca all her life; after they married, the couple moved 12 times.
Janice and Katie, an 11th grader at South Jeff, are living in the Watertown area until the daughter graduates. Sharon’s husband, Wayne Ransier, a computer programmer in the Boston area, will be moving here soon with daughters Brittany, 16, and Krista, 13.
Bob and Sharon ran into each other again at a mill in Deferiet; he was manager, she was a consultant. Throughout their acquaintance, they found they worked well together and began talking about going into a business of their own in – logically – papermaking.
One deal came close, but fell through, and they found themselves negotiating for a cheese factory in Upstate New York. That deal also fell through, but they caught the cheese bug – Sharon knew nothing about cheese except that she was “a serious cheese eater”; Bob made cheese as a hobby – and soon found themselves negotiating with Bob Myers, who runs an organic dairy in Morris, for the low-slung, red-roofed building they eventually bought.
“We had to set it up again as a cheese plant,” said Sweitzer, adding, “It’s an ideal floor plan.”
Plunging right in, the partners made five different cheeses in the first batch alone, including the house cheese – “our own invention” – that is “a little like provolone,” but very creamy.
They found an ideal source of raw material on Lester Tyler’s nearby Sunny Acres operation, Brown Swiss.
“Lester’s milk is perfect for cheesemaking,” said Sharon, “just the right blend of fats, proteins and sugars.”
The fledgling cheese company may very well have caught a wave, with concerns about energy causing Upstate New York and other regions to refocus on what might be produced locally, instead of trucked in all the way from California. Nine miles north in Cooperstown, partners Brenda Berstler and Melissa Manikas have launched Savor New York (www.savorny.org), seeking to market Empire State products.
For her part, Sharon was surprised to find how much is being produced upstate.
The Cooperstown Cheese Company’s factory store – artist Kyla Coburn of Milford did the cows-and-mountains mural, itself worth a visit – not only sells the locally made cheeses, but all manner of New York foodstuffs. (One product, It’s A Hit chili sauce, is being produced by a woman in Goodyear Lake.) The only exception: Sharon could only find two upstate cracker makers, so had to cast the net a little farther.
Another indication of that a regional food craze may be burgeoning is the sudden boom in farmers’ markets. In addition to Cooperstown’s, such markets have popped up in Richfield Springs and Oneonta in the last couple of years. Bill Isaacs is launching one in Cherry Valley this summer. And Cooperstown Cheese has started its own, from noon to 6 p.m.Tuesdays.
Asked about the challenges to date, the two point out they are the company’s only two employees; the time investment is significant, perhaps even constant.
The moments of jubilation?
The partners pause. In the rush of starting a business, they haven’t taken the time they should have to celebrate the achievements. The work itself is enough.
“It’s always really neat when we un-mold our cheese,” said Sharon, “and it looks good, and it smells good, and the taste...!”

Know Little About Making Cheese ... You’re Not Alone

The unexamined life ... It’s the rare person among us who isn’t a cheese eater. But how many of
us know how it’s done? Here’s a quick primer from Bob Sweitzer and Sharon Tomaselli, partners in the Cooperstown Cheese Company. “It all came from the same recipe originally,” said Bob, and was spread through Europe by the Romans; thus, similar cheeses are found throughout the continent, although under different names. You start with cheese curd; in effect, curdled milk.
You place it in a vat, and it begins to develop acidity; different kinds of cheese require different levels of acidity. Some cheese is pressed, some isn’t. Pressing determines the weight – the consistency – of the cheese, and the rind. How much salt is added, or what flavors may be added help determine the final outcome further. Feta, for instance, needs to be soaked in a brine. Cooperstown Cheese is using only cow’s milk, but sheep and goats milk can alter flavor to a
minimal degree. Most important in controlling the flavor is what the animals are fed, the partners said. Jersey Girl, for instance, made under contract with a farmer in Worcester, uses only milk from grass-fed seasonal herds, so the raw material is only available from late spring
until late fall.

Labels: Businesses, Community, Features, Glimmerglass

12th Horse Show
Features Thrills
At Iroquois Farm

Head to Iroquois Farm on Route 33 south of the village with your morning coffee, rain or shine, to see the warm-up over the fences from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, June 8, at The Farmers’ Museum 12th Annual Benefit Horse Show.
Hunt-seat riders will test their horsemanship skills in competition beginning at 9 in all levels, ages, and classes while spectators are sure to enjoy the course feturing handcrafted jumps representing Coopertown landmarks.
New this year is a jump honoring The Otesaga, now celebrating its 199th year.

Walk/Run At Clark
Seeks Family Fitness

Wander to the Clark Center later that day and warm up for the 2 p.m. Girls on the Run Family Fitness Event, a non-competitive community walk/run (1-mile or 5-K) open to all held by the Otsego County chapter of GOTR, the national organization for girls ages 8-12
Registration is free for members, $15 for individuals, $30 for an entire family (up to six) or $100 for teams of 10. The first 400 registrants will receive a race bag, T-shirts and commemorative medallion. (Register at the Clark on Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m. or contact Paula Huntsman at 547-7054 or at paula@otsegocountygotr.org)

Try Museum Hopping

Hey, it’s a great time for year for a drive.
How about heading for the Cherry Valley Museum, where the diorama, now with an audio component, has just been rededicated. It brings the infamous Revolutionary War massacre to life.
The, if you haven’t seen it yet, continue on to Sharon Springs and up to Canajoharie and the new Arkell Museum. The Winslow Homers alone are worth the trip, and many other American masters are represented in the collection.

Labels: Community, Glimmerglass