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Bound Volumes
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Saturday, September 20, 2008
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175 YEARS AGO
Lost, on the evening of Thursday, the 19th, in the village of Cooperstown, or between said village and Orin Winegars, in Middlefield, a flesh-colored calfskin pocket-book, containing two $5 bills, one $2, and three $1s, all of the Otsego County Bank, with about one dollar in silver. The finder will greatly oblige a poor man, and shall be generously rewarded, by leaving the pocket-book at this office. The subscriber’s name is written on the inside of the pocket-book. Marvin Malison, Middlefield.
October 7, 1833
150 YEARS AGO
The County Fair – Never before were the Fair Grounds of Old Otsego graced by so attractive and intelligent a representation of the Wives and Daughters of the Yeomanry of the County. Otsego will become as noted for pretty girls as for Hops! Crumwell’s Band gave out most excellent music, every little while. It was a new and pleasant feature. The crowd upon the grounds was estimated at seven to eight thousand.
October 1, 1858
125 YEARS AGO
The trial of Mrs. Sargent for the murder of her infant was concluded. Instructions to the jury were given as follows, this being the first murder trial under the new code, and without precedent: "A person is not excused from criminal liability as an idiot, imbecile, lunatic, or insane person, except upon proof that, at the time of committing the alleged criminal act, he was laboring under such a defect of reason as either (1) Not to know the nature or quality of the act he was doing; or (2) Not to know that the act was wrong." The Jury was out about one hour, and then came into court and rendered a verdict of "Not Guilty," by reason of irresponsibility on account of her insanity at the time the act was committed. This verdict was agreed upon unanimously upon the first ballot.
October 6, 1883
100 YEARS AGO
Ira Shoemaker, industrial agent of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, holds automobiles responsible for the greatly reduced receipts of the railroads for excursion travel this year. He says, "As I figure it out, our reduced passenger revenue is probably due to the fact that there are 60,000 automobiles owned in the state of New York. Say 30,000 take weekend trips during the summer vacation season. Each car will carry on average four persons, or 120,000 in all. Thus, you see the automobile is competing with the railroad in vacation trips and this fact, to my mind, is responsible for the decrease in passenger earnings.
October 1, 1908
75 YEARS AGO
The Cooperstown High School opened its home football season Saturday afternoon with an impressive victory over Morris High School on the Iroquois Polo Field. Lewis Winne at quarterback carried out instructions perfectly. Harry Nevil, Jr., Vic Necrason and Blondie Smith thrilled the crowd with their long runs. "Dutch" LaDuke, the consistent ground gainer of last year’s team did no toting of the oval and played very little on account of a leg injury. Jack Nevil replaced LaDuke at fullback, and to him goes the credit for the longest run of the game, which netted 50 yards. Jack was well on the way to the goal line but tripped on a blade of grass after straight-arming three tacklers to get into the open.
October 4, 1933
50 YEARS AGO
Cooperstown Central School defeated the Generals of West Winfield, 19 to 7 in a Center State League football game Saturday afternoon. The Redskins triumph in the rain at West Winfield was their first in the newly organized scholastic all-sports circuit. They lost their season opener to Clinton the week before. Bill Burgess and George Mitchell carried the brunt of the Redskins’ ground attack, rolling up 150 of the Redskins’ total 177 yards. Cooperstown’s offense was managed by George Daly at quarterback assisted by Butch Welch. Burgess and Mitchell and Don Burgess, Stu Fink, John Goddard and Ted Hargrove turned in sparkling performances on defense.
October 1, 1958
25 YEARS AGO
Craig G. Haney, 17, of Fly Creek and Maribeth Swihura, 17, of Cooperstown, both seniors, have been chosen as this year’s homecoming king and queen at Cooperstown high school. They were picked by a unanimous vote of the student body last week for the festivities Friday and Saturday, October 14-15, according to school principal Barry Gould. Haney participates in varsity baseball and basketball, the student council, Varsity C and the honor society. Swihura, who is senior class treasurer, has been a cheerleader and participates in varsity track, the GAA, and the senior high band.
October 5, 1983
10 YEARS AGO
Advertisement: Autumn – A time to put away the light, airy looks of summer and turn to the warmth and texture of fall. From rugged outerwear to snuggly nighties, from casual chic to dressy elegance, Lake Classic has the clothing and accessories to ease you smoothly into the cool months. For weekend walks through the foliage, trips to the cider mill and dinner parties at home, Lake Classic has the looks to enjoy the season in style. Elegant fashions, uncompromising gifts, distinctive jewelry and accessories – the inclination of Autumn toward relaxing, feeling warm, having a good time and looking good doing it. Lake Classic Clothiers, 59 Pioneer Street.
October 2, 1998
Bound Volumes is compiled from resources provided courtesy of the New York State Historical Association Library. Tom Heitz is the Town of Otsego historianLabels: 10-03-08, Bound Volumes, Columns |
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Letters To The Editor
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Sweat Equity Earned CYB Stake In Ballpark
To the Editor:
As many people are aware, the Village of Cooperstown has been reviewing many options for the property located at the end of Linden Avenue. Those of you who have attended meetings related to this project have seen many proposals, and much discussion, about the future of Linden Avenue.
I am writing to make the public aware of the proposed project’s potential affect on the youth of our community, and more particularly, on Cooperstown Youth Baseball (CYB).
The CYB’s history on Linden Avenue began in the early ‘90s when the village and CYB entered into a 99-year lease agreement providing CYB the use of the facilities on what was once the village dump.
Through extensive fundraising and sweat equity, then and now, the facilities at Beanie Ainslie Field have grown to be one of the best little league facilities in upstate New York.
We now have an excellent baseball field, clubhouse, outdoor batting cage, practice field and visions of an indoor batting facility.
Through the Linden Avenue improvement project, the village wants to move CYB. On several occasions we have expressed to the village our desire to remain where we are. We have expressed our concern with many major issues related to a possible move. We have asked for open dialogue with the village about our concerns.
The village has thus far chosen not to engage CYB in any open public dialogue about our concerns. It chooses to go forth with its plans and use the project architect as the intermediary, rather than have to deal with its leaseholder itself.
The architect now wants to proceed with investigative digging on the property leased to CYB. Several holes – 4 by 8 by 20 feet deep – are to be dug throughout the property. We have urged them to stop until proper dialogue directly between the Village and CYB occurs.
We believe CYB has a valid, binding lease at its current Linden Avenue location. The land at issue for a proposed move currently has two owners, neither of which is the Village of Cooperstown. No one has come forth to even begin a dialogue of future property rights for CYB, which are critical to any considerations for the future.
We believe that CYB, both past and present, has been a very good steward of this property. On behalf of the children of our community present and future, we ask for the support of our community to help CYB continue its long standing commitment to the physical, mental, emotional, and social growth of our children.
On behalf of the Cooperstown Youth Baseball board of directors, I urge you to attend the Village Gateway Technical Committee Meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, and/or the village board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, to express your concerns.
DAVID BORGSTROM
President
Cooperstown Youth Baseball
Let General Public Enjoy Otsego Lake’s Tranquillity
To the Editor:
When my former husband and I moved to Cooperstown in 1984, we purchased Bob Cook’s antique shop on Lake Road, the original farmhouse to his estate. On snowy days, Laurence drove Bob’s old truck with a plow to clear both our driveways.
In summer, we were often included at Bob’s parties, held in his charming summer house now the centerpiece of Brookwood Garden. Laurence and I lived there five years.
Bob was an affable curmudgeon. He delighted in entertaining his friends with true stories of survival at Pearl Harbor, chauffeuring Richard Nixon at Duke University and inadvertently meeting Winston Churchill in the Caribbean. A few years ago, Bob packed The Fenimore Art Museum for a lecture entitled, "Main Street Cooperstown."
It was clear Bob loved this area, never forgetting his roots as one of the people. He had multiple opportunities to sell his 22 acres of prime lakefront property for a fortune and retire comfortably to Hawaii, another of his favorite places. Instead, he chose to leave his real property to the public, ensuring its access and protection for future generations.
It is my understanding that a local board of directors was created to oversee Bob’s request. Currently, the board is in the process of privatizing a portion of Bob’s land. The board’s intention is to generate revenue by selling the piece of property where Bob’s house stands.
Admittedly, the house has been in an irretrievable state of disrepair for years. Razing it makes economic sense, but why not consider allowing Brookwood Point to revert to its natural state, leaving the small formal garden for daily access?
The fear is, once this property moves from public domain to private ownership, the decision is irreversible. This injustice can be avoided.
We live in a community of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Without the protection of the original gift, not all of us will have the opportunity to experience the tranquility and beauty of Otsego Lake from this pristine vantage point.
Bob referred to Brookwood Point as his "jewel in the crown." We extend our gratitude to Bob and urge the board to revisit its decision for development.
KRISTEN KARASEK
Springfield Center
Forget Fees, Enhance Tax Base
To the Editor:
Dear Grace, I am not trying to pick on you, and I think I am well aware of the facts. With your help we know all.
From your words, parking on Main Street will be a definite, and we only need to pay $10 a year. What you need to repeat is that residents do not need to pay anything to park on Main Street, except of course $10 is not like paying nothing.
Will the $10 parking fee on Main Street be based on a household pass per license plate or for each car a resident owns? I am sure this has already been worked out, so why not let us know.
Don’t worry about me; I have a parking space behind our business.
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In this time of dire straights, we all need to be looking for ways to pay our bills.
With the financial markets struggling to stay alive and tax dollars being lost in the tens of thousands, I once more want to suggest to our mayor that direction should be given to our Planning Board to not add additional restrictions to acquiring building permits or for updating properties that have the wherewithall to complete these upgrades.
Tax bases should be a frontrunner in our village to raise tax dollars.
The real money raised from additional tax bases will reflect not only maintaining our village but also adding to our school tax dollars available from New York State.
Fees paid in lieu of taxes are not recognized in setting our tax revenue from New York State to our school budget. Whoever came up with this new layer of administration for our Planning Board must be part of a zero growth syndrome, as this will lead to one more level of government, not allowing things to be done.
I understand that the ballpark committee is recognizing the need for the adult teams to be able to play on Doubleday Field. This year these teams played in Cherry Valley, Milford and Cooperstown Camp Grounds.
Again, this cost us thousands of dollars in revenue. I would like to thank this committee for recognizing this past year’s problems.
TED HARGROVE
Coooperstown
Let State Decide If NYRI Needed
To the Editor:
The local citizen’s group STOP NYRI, Inc. of Madison and Chenango counties condemns the FERC (Federal Regulatory Commission) recent decision to guarantee a rate of return for the New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) power line’s Canadian investors as absurd. Instead FERC should be protecting New York State ratepayers from this unwanted and unneeded project.
The only thing FERC got right in their decision was the fact that the NYRI project must first satisfy New York State regulators. We are confident that the upcoming PSC (state Public Service Commission) hearings will show that the NYRI proposal will not improve reliability, reduce congestion or lower electric rates for consumers in the state. In fact, the 2.75 percent incentive rates granted by FERC virtually guarantees that the NYRI project would raise electric rates for all New Yorkers.
FERC should leave the economics and the siting of transmission projects to the state.
CHRIS ROSSI
Hubbardsville
EVE ANN SHWARTZ
Earlville
Co-chairs, STOP NYRI
Lambert Ready For Judgeship
To the Editor:
John Lambert and I have been good friends for 10 years.
I know he has all the fine qualities one has a right to expect from any public servant: smart, sincere, honest, hard working, fair, considerate, dependable and loyal.
John is a solid family man, devoted husband and father, with great moral conviction.
And professionally, John is more than ready to step up to be our county judge. I had the privilege of working with John for three years while he was serving as Cooperstown village attorney.
He is a very skillful lawyer and guided our community through many legal matters and always did so in a timely and competent manager. I know that John Lambert will guide our county Court in an extremely ethical and even-handed manner.
I feel very safe and confident knowing that John Lambert will be our next Otsego County judge.
PAUL T. KUHN
Cooperstown
Sitting ‘Judge Jil’ Most Experienced
To the Editor:
Judge Jil Ghaleb will have been an interim Otsego County judge for half a year by the time the term ends. Why would we not want to have all that actual on the job experience when electing a judge?
Of course, many may be qualified, but Jil also has 17 years of prior experience as an attorney in both criminal and family court cases. Let’s vote for the most experience and also the one vetted and found to be highly qualified and then elected by a unanimous vote in our State Senate.
"Judge Jil" sounds good to me!
MARY DUNKLE
Cooperstown
Anna Snell Hit It; So Why Ruin It?
To the Editor:
Kudos go out to Anna Snell on her article, "As Close to Perfection As Anywhere." Her commentary is why we visit Cooperstown six times a year!
As for your "possible" downtown paid parking, we visitors will pay it, but it’s really a slap in the face to you residents. Why cheapen and scar your beautiful downtown setting?
TOM DAHULICK
Omaha, Neb.
Diplomats: Obama Right For The World
To the Editor:
My overseas career began in 1962, when I left our Richfield Springs dairy farm for a two year Peace Corps teaching assignment in Iran.
From this initial challenge that demanded the use of a different language (Farsi), and getting used to a variety of unusual foods, customs and living conditions, I joined the U.S. Foreign Service.
For the next 30 years my wife, children and I lived in Africa and Southeast Asia, working with the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Peace Corps to promote agriculture, health and education progress.
We are now enjoying both grandparent duties and retirement life here in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Given our exposure to critical development problems in the world, and the deteriorated standing of U.S. leadership in foreign policy, we have joined more than 240 former career diplomats by signing a declaration to support Senator Barak Obama.
These former officers have had long experience in implementing national security strategies and foreign policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The full declaration, "Experience Speaks Out: Former US Diplomats for Obama," and the full list of signatories can be read at: www.foreignpolicyforobama.com.
A major theme in today’s presidential campaign is the need for America to re-establish its international credibility. We strongly believe that Senator Obama has the qualifications required to restore the leadership and respect that once characterized our standing in the world.
He has the capacity to make bipartisanship possible again and the judgment and vision to set our nation on the path to a better future. Here on DELMARVA and in the rest of the country, that leadership will enhance our prospects for success in a troubled economy, by reducing our reliance on imported oil, and by improving the access of our farms and factories to foreign markets.
JACK HUXTABLE
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Come To Mother!
To the Editor:
To the patrons of the Cooperstown, Hartwick and Cherry Valley Libraries: the magazine Mother Jones is available for your information and pleasure.
PATRICIA WILSON
Cooperstown
County Helped Her Regain Health Insurance
To the Editor:
I write this to say "thank you" to the Office of the Aging, a true treasure that Otsego County offers its residents.
In September I made an appointment with the Office of the Aging in Cooperstown to learn more about Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance plans and Medicare D prescription plans. I was changing plans and wanted to become more informed about new possibilities.
During my meeting with David Polley, coordinator for services of the aging, we learned that my current heath insurance plan had just been cancelled retroactive to last October without any notification to me. We both were shocked and needless to say I was frightened. To be without health insurance and to know that I would now be responsible for all doctor, hospital and drug bills incurred since last year was a helpless feeling.
David was relentless in weaving his way through the health-insurance and Medicare bureaucracy. It was a case that he will never forget, and we were both relieved when he was successful in having my health insurance reinstated until Dec. 1, 2008.
Since then he has helped me immensely in determining what future programs are now best for me.
I write this because I was so impressed with the professionalism, knowledge, and caring that this county official demonstrated as he handled my case. I saw my county tax dollars being spent on an extremely qualified and talented advocate for the senior citizen.
That office is a great asset for the "seasoned adult" and I highly recommend that he/she takes advantage of it. They will save you money, they will find ways to increase your quality of life, and they will give you guidance for finding affordable financing for long-term care.
Kudos to the county and to David Polley.
BARBARA LASHER
Cooperstown
Senator Seward Works For All Constituents
To the Editor:
Throughout a long career I have had many opportunities to work with state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford.
When I was serving on the Otsego County Board of Representatives and as mayor of Oneonta, he was always accessible, and provided both advocacy and support for items that were needed to make a positive difference in our lives.
Senator Seward supported municipal revenue sharing – a welcome relief to help out businesses and taxpayers while keeping local spending in check.
While working as a volunteer for SUNY Oneonta, I have seen Senator Seward on many occasions as he sought funding for both students and facilities, with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities at the lowest cost.
Recently, he assisted in providing funding for the renovation of Fitzelle Hall, the Physical Science Building and their on-going maintenance; these projects are now more energy efficient and provide a better academic environment for both faculty and students.
Senator Seward also supports the newest plans for combat veterans to receive tuition assistance as they return to civilian life.
Senator Seward knows that effective representation requires working for all his constituents throughout the year.
These are just some of the reasons why I am supporting Senator Jim Seward in his reelection bid.
DAVID W. BRENNER
Oneonta
Seward Smart, Thoughtful, Hardworking
To the Editor:
Last spring, when Jim Seward asked me to co-chair, with Alan Donovan, his campaign for re-election, accepting it was an easy decision.
I am not a registered Republican and have never voted along party lines, choosing rather to align myself with people rather than political party.
From observing Jim’s performance over my five years in Oneonta and during my three years prior to that working in state government in Albany, I am convinced that those who reside in this district could not have a better representative in the state Senate.
By my observation, Jim’s opponent is a fine person, but he cannot improve upon the kind of common-sense representation already provided by Senator Seward to the 51st District.
Sometimes incumbency can be a problem if it results in the misuse of power or lack of responsiveness to elected official constituents.
With Senator Seward, neither is the case. His concern for the needs of local citizens and organizations is in my view exemplary.
In Albany, his integrity and professionalism are beyond question. Jim’s seniority also allows him to play a key role in Albany, and to do more for those in the district.
Jim Seward is a smart, thoughtful, hard-working senator, he deserves re-election and his constituents will benefit from his continuation in office.
RICHARD P. MILLER JR.
Oneonta
Thanks For Help!
To the Editor:
Several Cooperstown Businesses helped Herkimer County Community College welcome 11 students from China over the summer.
The students are studying at HCCC this academic year as part of the "SUNY China 50" initiative, which is providing educational opportunities for 150 Chinese students effected by a massive earthquake in the Sichuan Province of western China in May.
Coordinated through the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, the following businesses have generously contributed to the educational and social experiences of our students: B & V Artworks, National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Farmers’ Museum, The Fenimore Art Museum, The National Soccer Hall of Fame, Glimmerglass Opera and TJ’s Place
JANET L. TAMBURRINO
Herkimer CCC
Don Barber Has Energy, Intelligence, Honesty
To the Editor:
Dan Barber deserves your vote for state Senate. Town supervisor for 10 years, owner of a small construction firm and lifelong farmer, he has the qualifications to challenge successfully the 22-year incumbent, James Seward.
Here is what Barber stands for:
• Quality, affordable health care for all: Don Barber wants the chance to put his energy to work to bring down the cost of health care for everyone. He is eager to bring out of committee a publicly financed, privately delivered universal health care bill now languishing in the state Senate.
• Property tax reduction: Barber wants to place a tax on millionaires, the 1 percent of top income earners in the state, in order to pay for substantial property tax cuts for the rest of us. He would also roll back unfunded mandates, which put too much of a burden on local families.
• Unions: Barber has been endorsed by unions because he understands how important they are to promoting economic stability for everyone.
• Minimum wage: Barber supports increasing the minimum wage, unlike Seward, who has voted against increasing the minimum wage when it was only $5.15 an hour.
• Car insurance: Barber will work to lower high car insurance rates.
• Gas prices: Barber would cut gas taxes, as long as the cuts did not add to our state’s $6 billion deficit.
• Business development: Barber will work to build a new economy through small-business and clean-energy development. Also, he will support the infrastructure of the rural economy by supporting family farms and farm-related businesses including innovative marketing programs.
• Family planning: Barber supports a woman’s right to choose and will work to advance health education to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
• Gas drilling: Barber supports gas drilling after a time out to put the proper environmental protections in place.
• Government bailouts: Barber advocates common sense oversight of the nation’s financial system. Furthermore, he has taken issue with his opponent’s position that giant insurance companies should police themselves. After Seward warned that government can "only muck things up" when it exercises oversight of big corporations, Barber replied, "That rings pretty hollow at this time, especially when one Wall Street giant after another begs the federal government to bail it out. From Love Canal to West mega-business mucks it up. It’s time to get back to locally owned business where integrity is the measure of a business."
In contrast, Seward is so opposed to regulating the insurance industry – despite the fact that taxpayers are bailing out the world’s largest insurance company, A.I.G., to the tune of $85 billion – that he currently serves as president of the National Council of Insurance legislators. This group’s central mission is to prevent the federal government from passing any regulations regulating A.I.G. or any other insurance company.
We see the result. Without common sense government oversight, A.I.G. has engaged in such reckless business practices that our children and grandchildren will still be paying the bill. Senator Seward is just too cozy with the insurance industry.
For all the above reasons, it is my personal conviction that Don Barber has the energy and intelligence and honesty to represent us well. I hope you will vote for him on Nov. 4.
HILDA M. WILCOX
Cooperstown
If MSGE Needs To Be Wanted, Forget It!
To the Editor:
On Sept. 4, the Springfield Planning Board proposed the following resolution: "The Town of Springfield as Lead Agency has determined that the proposed Springfield Music & Arts Festival may have a significant ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT and that a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared."
The motion was made by David Staley and seconded by Robert Tracy to adopt the resolution and the vote was carried.
C.T. Male’s consultant engineer, John Munsey, who was hired by the Town of Springfield, made the suggestion to add the word "ADVERSE" to the impact statement. Elizabeth Salerno stated that many citizens in the town have voiced their opinions about the festival and adjustments were made in Part III of the environmental assessment form (EAF) to reflect the opposition to MSGE within the community.
David Staley brought up the need to investigate shifts and changes that occur in population and character of the community as a result of music festivals of this magnitude. Joy White wanted a comparative study done on property values in other areas where concerts have been held.
MSGE’s recent full-page advertisements in all the local newspapers were likely issued for "damage control" to offset the statements of adverse impacts declared by the Planning Board. The ads stated there would be "significant increases in annual revenue to Springfield, generated by increased property taxes on the land used by the festival."
Although we may get increased taxes from this property, our property and home values will actually DECREASE because of the festival. The Amish have said they will leave if MSGE comes here. Many summer residents have said they will no longer come here and will sell their property if they can’t continue to enjoy the peace and serenity of this area.
Currently our equalization rate is at 51 percent. The drop in the equalization rate caused the increase in Springfield’s school taxes. The actual school budget increased less than 1 percent. In other towns such as Cherry Valley and Roseboom, the equalization rates stayed about the same.
The increase in the school budget caused the Springfield tax rate to increase because Cherry Valley and Roseboom’s rates didn’t change and Springfield’s dropped. If the Town Board had elected to have a revaluation done, that action would have brought our taxes in line.
According to the MSGE ads, there are many references to "economic benefits," but few references to the potential adverse impacts. Let’s not forget that this project is a huge investment ($15 million) for them. They will use our town and resources to benefit their pockets, at the expense of ours.
The numerous negative environmental and community impacts are listed and stated clearly in The Evaluation Statement of the Importance of Impacts document that is on file at the town clerk’s office and at the town library. This document is available for inspection by the public.
You will read about all the adverse impacts such as noise, pollution of groundwater, depletion of private wells, contamination of water supply (all part of the Otsego Lake watershed), substantial erosion of topsoil, traffic congestion and decrease in air quality. This project will limit access to farmland and interrupt agricultural business, will cause compaction of the land, and will adversely affect aesthetic and historical resources. It will interrupt the habitat and migratory patterns of endangered and non-endangered species, (deer and others).
There will be impacts on public health such as waste management, insects, communicable diseases, and community character. Emergency services and police and fire protection may not be as available to townspeople, because the festival needs will cause an emergency overload.
One way recommended to mitigate the traffic, for example, is to widen Route 20 by adding extra lanes, shoulders and sidewalks and pedestrian paths. This seems like an extreme measure just to accommodate a three-day festival.
MSGE’s plan is not designed to fit the community or reflect its history or character. The character of Springfield is not consistent with the models of the Bonnaroo and Coachella concerts, nor is 75,000 people in a town with a population of 1350.
Our history is that of a hard working farm community. Springfield is not a playground for noisy partying and drug and alcohol abuse. We don’t want an increased crime rate, our taxes raised or additional stress placed on our resources that will destroy the character of the town, in exchange for ANY benefits offered by MSGE.
Don Simpson, representative for Madison Square Garden Entertainment, said that he is "listening carefully to the input from the community."
It is a fact that the highest vote count in the Town of Springfield during a controversial election was 468. The petitions against MSGE had over 355 signatures on them. The NO MSG signs, numerous news articles, and public opinion in Springfield and surrounding towns show overwhelming numbers against MSGE.
Don Simpson said on June 4 in front of 250 townspeople, who all heard him and I quote, "If everybody in the community says, we don’t want you, then obviously we’re not gonna be here. If we can’t work with you, IT’S NOT GONNA WORK."
The handful of people you have listened to do NOT reflect the majority of the community. DON, IT’S NOT GONNA WORK! CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?
ROSEMARIE HARRISON
Springfield
Wake Up, Smell The Slurry
To the Editor:
I know the community is aware of the proposed Springfield Music & Arts Festival. The sponsor of this festival was forthcoming with information presented on June 11 at the Springfield Community Center.
Let me recap the presentation’s high points: The event is going to be geared for ages 6-60 and most of the concertgoers will camp on site. This will be an event the whole family can attend and will have music for everyone, Don Simpson the event promoter stated. The music could consist of country, rock, jazz, blues and pop.
This event will mean many seasonal jobs and some full-time positions. It was also said that anyone with a construction background, or any other goods and services that the construction and operation will require will come from Springfield first.
Mr. Simpson stated MSG wants to be partners with the community; the goal is to work hand in hand. He went on to say that "If it’s not a success for you, then it won’t be a success for us," and, "We want to give back to everyone in the community."
Now I would like to give you a heads-up on what the option could be on this same site. There has been a gentleman from Texas also looking at this land to start a very large dairy operation. He has expressed interest in the same 1,000 acres as the festival promoters.
This farmer is proposing to put 5,000 head of cattle in Springfield. We as a community will have little say in this happening. There is a Right to Farm Act which will allow this to move forward quickly and unhindered.
Do you who are so concerned about protecting Springfield from corporate America realize the impact the farm would have on Springfield? Here is a small insight: the manure produced by the 5,000 cows equals 87 tons per day; that’s approximately 32,000 tons per year.
Will this affect the quality of your life? YOU CAN BANK ON IT! This is not for a week but all year long. Think back to when the two farms on the property were spreading slurry; now think eight to 10 times that.
Instead of trying to stop the Springfield Music Festival, consider what we can gain as a community. It’s time to stop and listen to MSGE and help make this a successful event for Springfield and MSGE. Wake up and smell the roses before all you smell is slurry!
MICHAEL BECKINGHAM
East SpringfieldLabels: 10-03-08, Letters to the Editor, Opinion |
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Don’t Overdevelop Brookwood Garden, But Keep It Open To Public
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EDITORIAL
How much public access to Otsego Lake is a good thing?
That’s a question in many people’s minds.
Over the years, it generally hasn’t been a high priority.
James Fenimore Cooper, for instance, railed against trespassing at Three Mile Point during his lifetime; after his death, the land was eventually acquired by the village and is one of its public parks.
Stephen Clark Sr. donated what became Lake Front Park to Otsego County, which so impressed the supervisors they sold it to the village as quickly as they could for $1.
When Ed Smith sought to provide land to expand Lake Front Park to the west, the debate was so heated – think of the loss of tax base! – that he changed his mind and built a lovely home there instead.
When the state proposed expanding the boat launch at Glimmerglass State Park in the 1990s, that likewise caused an outcry that the lake would be overused, and the proposal was withdrawn.
As it is, some 1,200 boats ply the lake each summer, some of which recently introduced zebra mussels, whose sharp shells will eventually limit swimming, or at least make it more hazardous than it is now.
Just in the past few days, the Otsego County Conservation Association has raised concerns that houseboats that have entered the lake in the past half-dozen years are emptying their septic tanks into the somewhat less than pristine waters.
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So that the Cook Foundation, formed in 1985 to preserve the late Bob Cook’s property across Otsego Lake from Kingfisher Tower and make it available to the public, is now interested in selling off the bulk of it, fits the pattern.
You can understand how the trustees, almost all of whom use the lake and several who have homes alongside it, may be ambivalent about the foundation’s mission, to manage Brookwood Garden "for the enjoyment of local residents and visitors."
As it is, the delightful enclave, no more than a mile from the Village of Cooperstown and its half-million visitors a year, is little publicized or promoted. The tiny sign – you have to know what you’re looking for to find it – marks the beginning of the long driveway.
The barn associated with the property declined to the point where it collapsed and had to be removed. The house itself, originally a modest early 19th century structure that grew snail-shell-like, chamber by chamber, into an imposing summer camp – perhaps the lake’s oldest – is likewise in steep decline.
That isn’t to say it isn’t a charming spot. It is, very much so.
The garden house, built in the style of the Arts & Crafts movement, is a delight. Pat Thorpe, a foundation director and a formidable gardener, has created a horticultural wonder.
Most of the property is untended, and this creates a sense of wildness and wistfulness. As letter writers have avowed in recent weeks, it will draw you back again and again.
•
The Cook Foundation had about $200,000 in the kitty when a neighbor, Richard Hanna, offered $2 million to buy the parcel north of Leatherstocking Creek that contains the rambling summer house. His plan is to demolish it and build a new home there.
The advantage, and the drawback, is that it would limit public access to the lake. In part, though, public access to the beauty he enjoyed in his lifetime was part of Bob Cook’s intent.
The Cook Foundation board is populated with heavy hitters who certainly could come up with the wherewithal to do more with the property if they wished.
If they don’t, perhaps it’s time for the foundation board to find another entity – perhaps the Otsego Land Trust, perhaps the OCCA, perhaps the SUNY Oneonta College Foundation, (as happened with Mount Tom last year) – to manage the property on its behalf.
Perhaps a collaboration with a horticultural school – the way Niagara College collaborates with maintaining the Canadian side of The Falls – would be just the thing; Brookwood Garden is too big a job for Pat Thorpe alone.
Just because a property should remain accessible to the public doesn’t mean it has to be Disneyland; in this case, quite the opposite.
But Fairy Spring and Three Mile Point are much used and enjoyed, with little impact on the lake at large.
And you can’t help but look at Ed Smith’s place a little ruefully, particularly during crowded events like the Pumpkin Fest Regatta or the Fourth of July fireworks, and wonder what might have been if the village trustees had been a little more broad-gauged in their thinking.
They aren’t making any more lakefront. To lock up such a substantial piece as the Cook Foundation is considering would be a great shame, one that would be much regretted in the years ahead.Labels: 10-03-08, Editorial, Opinion |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:40 PM |
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Paul Donnelly/Special to The Freeman’s Journal
Shortly before 12 noon on Wednesday, Sept. 24, a sky blue engine, hauling a deep dark green Cooperstown “lettered” passenger car and a red 1959 Delaware & Hudson caboose crossed Chestnut Street just north of the village “Welcome” sign. According to Bruce Hodges of Oneonta, Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad president since 1985, a train had not crossed this intersection since July 1992. That was when the late Walter Rich, Delaware & Otsego president, had three cars brought here to his offices on Railroad Avenue to be on hand for festivities surrounding that year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction of Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers. In 1993, The Leatherstocking Railroad Historical Society bought the 16 miles of DO track from here to Cooperstown Junction. The crossing marked the end to the clearing and repair of track to allow railway access to the Glen Avenue termination point. Pictured, from left, are President Hodges; brakeman Brian Panaro, Norwich; engjneer Tex Gorden, Oneonta; conductor Fran Puffer, Oneonta, and Millie Hodges, Oneonta, board secretary.Labels: 10-03-08, Area Briefs |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:12 PM |
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letter
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Well-Thought-Out Parking Needed
To the Editor:
Now that paid parking has concluded its trial run at Doubleday Field, village trustees who voted it into law are claiming great success – so much that paid parking, once again, is being considered for Main Street.
As everyone surely remembers, at a village meeting last winter a record gathering of citizens overwhelmingly opposed paid parking and urged the Board of Trustees not to implement it. But implement it they did!
So, who was right – those trustees of the residents at the meeting? To find out, let’s compare the questions raised at that meeting to the answers now in hand.
Were those trustees right that local businesses would not suffer from paid parking? Quite the contrary: The Doubleday experience demonstrates unequivocally that if paid parking surrounds a local establishment, customers will simply abandon it.
One such business that’s been at Doubleday for decades, Metro Cleaners, lost its customers in droves the day paid parking began. The owner estimates his losses at $100/day during the summer and now has to rebuild his customer base from scratch.
So despite the catastrophic damage to this venerable establishment, those same trustees are now willing to subject our few remaining local shops on Main Street to a similar fate.
Were those trustees right that paid parking would reduce congestion in the village? Despite claims of success, the facts tell a different story.
During last summer’s slower tourist season (with attendance at the Hall of Fame down considerably) once-quiet outlying streets were clogged with parked cars, as visitors refused to park at Doubleday, which was virtually empty in the morning, and rarely full in the afternoon.
Even Estli Avenue had a daily string of parked cars, something that previously only occurred on Hall of Fame weekend.
Were those trustees right about how much revenue paid parking would earn for the village? Hardly: Not only was revenue far short of “conservative” projections, but the accounting seems to be more wishful thinking than fact.
For example, it appears that the numbers don’t include such costs as parking tickets that go unpaid, the cost of issuing those tickets, the cost of collecting those tickets, the cost of emptying and repairing the machines, and the cost of hundred of protested tickets to the village court.
Finally, were those trustees right that paid parking would have no adverse effects on the character of the village because tourists “expect” to pay? This is subjective, but based on the number of irate visitors (and locals) I overheard arguing and ranting about their tickets, any reasonable observer must conclude that Cooperstown got a black eye.
While it is true that many of those tickets were issued outside of Doubleday, remember, paid parking pushed many drivers to “free” two-hour parking spaces – ergo, the huge increase in parking tickets.
So when will our trustees finally realize that parking should not be treated solely as a cash cow to be milked, but rather, as a complex problem desperately in need of a well-thought-out comprehensive solution?
Absent such a plan, paid parking has proven to yield a host of unintended and onerous consequences for village residents and businesses alike.
ROD TORRENCE
Cooperstown
Nicest AND Unfriendliest Village? No!
To the Editor:
What happened to Cooperstown’s leaders using common sense? One would think after making so many mistakes in this past year that our mayor and deputy mayor would learn not to be so obstinate.
Again, with a grin Jeff Katz can defy the judge’s ruling and again spend our money on an issue that should not even be contested. Harrison House and the property around it belong to Bassett and they should be able to use their property to its highest and best use.
Under the direction of Mayor Waller, the Planning Board in Cooperstown is contentious and arbitrary in almost all of its decisions. This board has always made decisions on the whim of a few.
If our village residents really understood the benefits of tax bases and the benefits to increasing the tax base they would be up in arms over these arbitrary decisions. Not only do our village taxes collected reflect in these decisions, but also our school taxes would benefit from a higher tax base.
Following the leadership of the Pied Piper and joining hands and circling the wagons does not a good government make. Unanimous decisions are made from the input of one person. Whichever board member brings forward these points of view should have the courage to stand up.
This past year’s revelations should tell all residents of the mistakes that have been made. Either through poor decisions or the inability to see the mistakes that were made does not make for a sound result.
Every business decision in trying to produce net income needs to have someone with the ability to see the beginning, the middle and the end, and leaders must be able to adjust their decisions as needed immediately, along the way and to the end.
Working hard and trying to do your best in accomplishing these endeavors does not mean you will be successful.
Residents, if you want to stop some of this constant tearing of our friendly village atmosphere, then you better start standing up to be counted.
Let your mayor and your deputy mayor know your feelings. Being in the silent majority is going to put our village in bankruptcy. It won’t be long before our lovely village that everyone tries to maintain will be in the national news as “one of the nicest, unfriendly villages in America.”
Please don’t let that happen.
TED HARGROVE
Cooperstown
Contact Cook Foundation Decisionmakers
To the Editor:
Recent letters to the editor have detailed some of the serious misgivings rippling through the community with regard to the proposed sale of part of the Brookwood property by the Cook Foundation.
The Brookwood property has not been widely publicized, but many local residents are aware that the 22-acre estate is one of the prime pieces of real estate on Otsego Lake, and its potential as a much-needed community resource is what is at stake here.
With minimal improvement, it could provide low-impact public access to the lake for strolling, picnicking, swimming, cartop boat launching, etc., in an atmosphere unsurpassed for serenity and beauty.
When Bob Cook deeded his land to the non-profit Cook Foundation in 1985, he stipulated in the deed that “the property shall not be subdivided or sold for commercial or residential purposes” and that “no buildings of any sort shall be erected on the propety which shall materially affect the natural beauty of the site.” His intent seems very clear.
Unfortunately, no money was provided to fund the foundation, clearly a handicap, and the trustees over many years have been unable to raise the funds needed to maintain the 1820s historic house, or to provide for other solutions. The house has fallen into serious disrepair and the carriage house has collasped.
Largely thanks to the personal labor of Trustee Pat Thorpe, only the garden has been kept going.
Now the trustees have decided to deal with these problems by entering into a preliminary agreement to sell part of the property, including the house and most scenic area, to Richard Hanna, currently the Republican candidate for Congress in the 24th District. His intention, apparently, is to scrap the old house and build a new one for himself.
Unfortunately, selling part or all of the property to any private individual violates the spirit and apparently the letter of the foundation. And it is hard to see how any money from such a sale, even if it were valid, could ever compensate for the loss of this spectacular property.
What could that money possibly purchase that would be of greater value than Brookwood itself?
The most basic point of historic preservation and community access is to preserve the land in question, as Jim Dean has argued in a recent letter to the editor.
Surely the foundation could manage the land without the house at minimal expense if funds to preserve the house cannot be raised.
If the foundation cannot do even this, however, it ought to transfer the whole parcel to someone else who can do the job, perhaps to another non-profit such as the Otsego Land Trust, or to the village or town.
Selling the land back into private ownership is the worse possible outcome.
The foundation board is comprised of two groups, members and trustees, and Trustees. What follows is a list of the full board:
Members and trustees: Robert Poulson, president; Henry S.F. Cooper, Jr., secretary; C.R. Jones, treasurer; Bruno Talevi, James Plowden-Wardlaw, Kent Barwick, Arthur Clarke, Michael Moffat and Henry Weil.
Trustees: Robert Schneider, Donald Raddatz, Pat Thorpe.
Those interested in preserving Brookwood in its entirely as a community resource might consider contacting any of these individuals they know personally, and urge them not to sell the land.
Otherwise an important local resources will be privatized, and we will all be the poorer for it.
ADRIAN KUZMINSKI
Fly Creek
Thank God For Brookwood
To the Editor:
As an RN at Bassett, my 12-hour shift is over. I’m exhausted.
My sister Mary calls. “I know you just got off duty, but would you like to go paint with me and my art class at Brookwood this morning?”
Since I’m off that night, I readily agree to go. I’ve experienced the joy, peace and renewal of painting at Brookwood many times before.
This time, however, it’s a bittersweet gathering, since we heard that the Cook house would be sold to private citizen, Richard Hanna, and would be torn down and replaced with a new home.
We set up our easels on the front lawn of the manor, Otsego Lake behind us and the morning sun on our backs. There is stillness, and all encompassing peacefulness, a sense of becoming whole again after a long night’s work.
I look up at the manor house, analyse her lines, the mismatched windows, her colors and the shadows of old maples across her porch and front lawn.
I thank God for a place so lovely and I feel eternally grateful to Mr. Cook for his generosity in providing his home for the public to enjoy. I find it unthinkable and unconscionable that those he trusted to carry out his wishes would attempt to betray that trust.
ANNE NOLAN BISHOP
Cooperstown
Trustee Speaks For Herself
To the Editor:
In his letter to the editor in the Sept. 19 Freeman’s Journal, Ted Hargrove states, “The last thing that Grace Kull and Jeff Katz want to go through is another public meeting.”
Don’t EVER speak for me, Ted. I will not speak for Jeff, but as for myself, I am happy to “go through” any public meeting that is called. I expect that Jeff feels the same way, but I would not presume to speak for anyone but myself.
Even another public meeting as contentious as the one held in the CCS auditorium when paid parking was voted in for the Village of Cooperstown.
That is just one of the things that we are obliged to do when we take on the responsibility of being a village trustee.
We sit there politely and listen to the public, even if some are rude and abusive, and believe it or not we put in many hours discussing the pros and cons of what we hear and do our very best, according to our consciences, to address all of the concerns.
Here is another quote from the same letter, “Will the residents of Cooperstown please call your Mayor and let her know that you do not want to pay $2 per hour to park your car to do business on Main Street.”
Ted, I would expect by now that you would have your facts straight. If Pay & Display machines are put on Main Street, residents of Cooperstown, and ANYone else for that matter, do not have to pay ANYTHING to park on Main Street, if they purchase a permit at the Village office for $10 a year – let me repeat that – $10 a year.
At the present time there is a parking lot behind the Chamber of Commerce on Chestnut street where there is free parking for anyone holding a $10 yearly permit.
Another fact of which residents should be aware is that there is never a charge for parking in a handicapped zone. Of course, if you are not handicapped you will be fined a substantial amount.
You are not promised a parking spot, that is a whole other problem.
GRACE KULL
Village Trustee
CooperstownLabels: 10-03-08, Letters to the Editor, Opinion |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:07 PM |
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Enjoy Baseball, But Think For Yourself
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EDITORIAL
In a way, it demonstrates the fleeting nature of controversy.
In 2003, when actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon were disinvited from the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 15th anniversary celebration of “Bull Durham” – to many’s surprise had become something of a baseball movie classic – the controversy resounded from the editorial halls of The New York Times to the inner sanctum of the Los Angeles Times, with numerous echoes in between.
Robbins and Sarandon had pronounced anti-war views, unpopular during the ramp-up to the Iraq War after 9/11.
HoF then-president Dale Petroskey, who would become a lightning-rod for the controversy that followed, wrote the thespian couple, “As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict.”
Robbins called that “absurd.”
At least Petroskey and Robbins had the sufficient courage of their convictions to debate the issues out loud.
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By contrast, the epilogue that played out in the Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater Friday, Sept. 19, was a little silly in the extremes that were adopted to ensure nobody would draw any larger conclusions from the re-invitation of Robbins and Sarandon to kick off the third HoF Film Festival on, now, the 20th anniversary of “Bull Durham.”
Heavens, we wouldn’t want anyone to think that maybe the Hall of Fame had second thoughts. Maybe, horrors, this might even constitute a little bit of an apology, or even an olive branch, to a couple of Oscar since-winners who had made something of an enduring contribution, however small, to the genre of baseball movies.
First, there was relatively little publicity; the appearance – along with the movie’s director Ron Shelton and supporting actor Robert Wuhl – was characterized as merely another of the continuing “Voices of the Game” series, like that very interesting, but hardly provocative, interview with Randy Newman last year about his score for “The Natural.”
Second, the host, NBC’s placid Jeffrey Lyons, couldn’t have been any more just-the-facts. Clips were shown. Anecdotes were teased out of the interviewees. Nice, but no hint of sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat repartee.
Third, just a couple of questions from the audience were allowed at the end, written one, easily manipulated to avoid anything iffy.
The front-of-everyone’s-mind topic in the Grandstand Theatre that evening was deftly consigned to that outer darkness of expression, where the First Amendment floats in limbo and nobody says anything that anyone else might find embarrassing. No wailing and gnashing of teeth here; any wrenting of garments was purely coincidental.
When it was over, Tim and Susan were whisked back to New York in a limo.
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And so the controversy ends, with five years of bangs in Iraq but a whimper at 25 Main.
The lesson here: When trouble strikes, gear low, ride it out, you probably can.
A traveling version of the Hall’s museum titled “Baseball as America” toured the country for the past six years, our sports correspondent Charlie Vascellaro advises. An accompanying coffee table text opens with 30-page chapter on “Our National Spirit.”
Nice marketing, but say it ain’t so. The stuff of our national spirit is messier than a Hall of Fame can tolerate.
But, of course, the Hall is an institution, and institutions have logics of their own.
What’s so valuable about the National Baseball Hall of Fame is not what it purports to tell us, but the varied, multi-leveled contradictory treasures that it holds, from a bloody sock – a symbol of the ability to endure pain for a larger goal – to a ball with an asterisk on it – a symbol of the willingness to cheat for a larger goal.
We can look to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for fodder – fodder for debate, for understanding, for larger lessons – but not for debate and understanding themselves. We need to chew the fodder and come to our own conclusions.Labels: 10-03-08, Editorial, Opinion |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:02 PM |
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Locals
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TV Keeps Daughter, Ike-Battered Kin Connected
COOPERSTOWN
DirecTV kept James and Kami Yasko in closer connection with their Houston-area families during Hurricane Ike than they’d ever anticipated.
James’ parents live in Missouri City, southwest of Houston, but Kami’s parents were in Baytown, an eastern suburb that “was hit dead-on by the eye of the hurricane,” the husband reports.
Neither parents were evacuated. His simply got a lot of rain and lost a fence.
But Kami’s parents were right on the water, 30-35 feet above sea level; nonetheless, they had to contend with 22-25 feet of water and $100,000 worth of damage.
The Yaskos were in their Lake Street home watching a local Houston station on DirecTV – “and this is the cool part,” said Jim. The station kept checking in with “a man in the Lakewood subdivision in Baytown.”
By text messsage, Kami discovered the man was her dad. Throughout the night, the TV correspondent kept referring back to “the Lakewood man riding our the hurricane” and she knew her parents were alright.
Strohl Promoted To Senior Director At Hall of Fame
COOPERSTOWN
Erik Strohl had been promoted to to senior director of exhibitions and collections at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.
Strohl joined the HoF in June 1999 and most recently was curator of research and education since 2005.
A native of Coplay, Pa., Strohl, 36, will continue to report to Ted Spencer, vice president and chief curator.
A 1994 graduate of Moravian College with a history degree, he earned a masters from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in 2003.
Surgeon Joins Bassett Here, In Cobleskill
COOPERSTOWN
Brent C. White has joined Bassett Healthcare as a general surgeon and will practice at its Cooperstown and Cobleskill hospitals.
Dr. White recently completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, where he’d also done his undergraduate work. He recieved his M.D. from Duke, and completed his residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.
He has been published in Bariatric Times and The American Surgeon.
SLAM WON: Ruth Livermore and Sue Bauman bid and made a bonus slam when seven tables gathered for bridge Sept. 23 at the Clark Sports Center. First prize was won by Victor Salvatore with 6,130; second by Janet Gray, 4,990; third, Marge Schellhammer, 4,720; fourth, Mona Buckley, 4,420. The Special prize was won by Janet Gorman. The group meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays; bring a lunch. Coffee or tea is provided.
AT YALE: Eliza Weyland Higgins, CCS Class of 2001, is attending Yale University’s master of architecture program, beginning this fall. She graduated from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island with a five-year bachelor of architecture degree, and was until recently an associate architect at Cannon Design, Buffalo. She is the daugther of Kenneth Higgins and Patricia Weyland of Milford.Labels: 10-03-08, Locals |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:51 PM |
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Locals
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Nancy Waller Turns 90
MARY ASHWOOD
IN APPRECIATION
ROSEBOOM
 Saturday, Sept. 27, was a perfect day to celebrate the 90th birthday of someone as rich with life and beauty as Nancy Waller is.
The meeting house was decorated as if for the set of a great movie. Perhaps it was – another scene in the long and eventful life of a woman who so many admire.
The toasts for Nancy began. Each one gave us another glimpse of her life.
Other than two stays in the United States as a child, Nancy lived in China until after her freshman year of college in Nanking.
"My life reaches back to six weeks before the end of World War I," the guest of honor remembered, "and I had a happy childhood in tumultuous times."
She spent her sophomore year in Switzerland and her final two years at Smith College. While in college Nancy had a blind date with a Princeton student named Jerry Waller. (This year they celebrated their 65th year of marriage.)
After college Nancy pursued a certificate in business administration through a joint program between Radcliff and Harvard. At this time no women were allowed in the Harvard Business School.
From this came a stint at Time Inc., working in the personnel department until Jerry returned home from 2 1/2 years og soldiering overseas.
Jerry had wanted to start a school like South Kent, which he had attended as a boy, with a friend. Nancy spotted a Strout Realty advertisement in the New York Times for a farm for sale in Roseboom. She bought the farm, but the school never came to fruition because Jerry’s friend was killed during the war. The farm became the hilltop farm, their tree farm and a place where many of us have been welcomed over the years.
Upon his return from Europe, Jerry taught for one year at a private school in Cooperstown.
From there Nancy and Jerry moved to South Kent where Jerry taught Latin and French and they raised three dynamic girls: Anne, Sydney and Peggy. Jerry taught there for 35 years until his retirement in 1982.
But that did not mean 35 years of monotony. For neither Jerry nor Nancy has life been like a job they had to go to, but rather it has been a celebration and an opportunity to learn and do more.
The Wallers had a two-year stay in Poitiers in 1957-1959, during which time the girls were enrolled in a French school. Jerry returned to South Kent to teach French. Nancy was then asked to teach French as well.
She studied at Central Connecticut State College and received an M.S. in education. She taught French in the South Kent elementary school for eight years before the commute and caring for her parents in Philadelphia became too much.
While in South Kent, Nancy studied art and developed her love of painting. She’s had two shows of her paintings in Connecticut and has shown her works locally as well.
The toasts for Nancy continued. The room was filled with smiling people. You couldn’t help it; the enthusiasm with which she spoke of the start of her 90 years of life still bubbles from her. Over the years she has continued to pursue her many loves: painting, gardening, traveling to see family and friends, volunteering at the hospital, protesting wars, corresponding with prisoners, writing letters to the editor, and inviting neighbors and friends to join them in their sunny house on the hill for afternoon tea and brownies.
Our neighbor Lisa toasts Nancy’s beauty and vibrancy which she attributes to her generosity, compassion, and her kindness to the smallest creature citing a story of Nancy’s sparing the lives of a family of mice living in her mailbox.
Nancy thanked all of us for coming. "All of you here have added great pleasure to our lives," she told us.
And then, although it was her party, Nancy gave flowers and birthday wishes to Patricia Seybolt and Maggie Millner who share the same birthday.
Kernan OCCA’s ‘Conservationist of 2008’
COOPERSTOWN
The Otsego County Conservation Associatin will honor Henry Kernan of Worcester, a forester who has given away more than 50,000 white spruce seedlings, with its Conservationist of the Year Award when it gathers Wednesday, Oct. 15, for its 40th annual meeting. The dinner will be at The Otesaga.
Kernan is an international forestry consultant who has managed 1,200 acres of forest land on his South Worcester property since 1947. From dawn to dusk, rain or shine, on the first Saturday in May since the 1990s, he has held a tree give-away at his Worcester property.
A Harvard graduate who did post-graduate work at the Yale School of Forestry, he bought land in South Worcester and worked for what then was called the state Conservation Department. As his expertise grew, his work took him to Canada, South Carolina, Idaho and Bogota, Colombia. As an independent forestry consultant, he also worked in Iran, Spain, Korea and Vietnam.
Kernan has published nearly 400 articles on trees and forestry and has written scholarly pieces and editorials for publications such as "American Forest," "New York Forest Owner," The Baltimore Sun and The Daily Star.
The OCCA will also seek to recognize people who have contributed to the organization over the years, and in particular are seeking information about Frederick V. Mecklenburg, Irene Mozolewski and John New, all of whom made important contributions to OCCA in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
To make reservations, call 547-4488. The deadline is Oct. 10.
 RETURN VISIT: Jane Hollingsworth and Tom Miller, who lived in Cooperstown from 1981 to 1984 while she completed her medical residency at Bassett Hospital, swung through the village Friday-Saturday, Sept. 26-27, on their way home from a conference at The Sagamore on Lake George. They stayed at the Green Apple and had dinner with Dave DeLong and Lynn Marsh of Cherry Valley that Friday evening. The visiting couple have resided in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the past 25 years.
EAGLE COURT: An Eagle Scout Court of Honor will be convened Sunday, Oct. 11, for Kenneth Root, at the site of his Eagle Project, the outdoor classroom at Cooperstown High School. The project will be dedicated to Kenneth’s grandfather, Kenneth Weeks Root, Jr., a CCS graduate and Eagle Scout.
ON DEAN’S LIST: Audrey Henkels, CCS ‘07 and a National Merit Scholar, is on the Dean’s List at the University of Chicago.Labels: 10-03-08, Locals |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:23 PM |
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PUMPKINFEST
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...It’s How You Play The Game
JOHN KOSMER
JUST A THOUGHT
COOPERSTOWN
I dropped by the PumpkinFest on Saturday, Sept. 27. They had big pumpkins, really big pumpkins. The winner was over 1200 pounds. Little did I know I was witnessing the prologue to being tapped to help in the next day’s event.
Lonetta Swartout, my friend and owner of Cooperstown Stay, called me and asked if we would help out on Sunday. She is a member of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce and volunteered to participate in Sunday’s Pumpkin Regatta.
Boy, are we rural. People are defaulting on their mortgages in record numbers, financial institutions are folding all around us, people are yelling "Depression 2" and we’re racing pumpkins.
I didn’t even know they could float. It just goes to show you that life goes on. I also didn’t know that the way you race them was to hollow them out and, you guessed it, that’s where Linda and I came in. We became the pumpkin pit crew … literally.
After hollowing it out, each pumpkin was moved to the boat launch next to Lake Front Park and put in the water. Once in, the racer (in this case Lonetta) was assisted in getting in the boat. She had asked that I take some pictures of her, so I was on the dock next to the launch.
Now this is where it got real interesting. Lonetta’s pumpkin just would not stay upright. It kept rolling forward and back, threatening to dump her in the water if the helpers let go from steadying it. After a long series of tries she got out (to much applause for trying) into the water and pushed the pumpkin to the side next to the dock.
She was already too far away from me to take any pictures, so I left the dock and sat down.
I thought it was over for Lonetta. I noticed Linda walking farther out to the dock’s end and wondered why. When I got up to look, Lonetta was walking in the water and had pushed here pumpkin all the way to the end of the dock. She was attempting to push it all around to the starting point.
If it didn’t stay upright here, it sure as heck wasn’t going to stay upright at the starting line. I thought maybe she was going to give it one more good ole college try. I couldn’t see out that far, especially with all the crowds, so I sat it out.
When the race ended, I found Lonetta and gave her belongings back. To my surprise, she told me she was in the race after all. She didn’t win but, by golly, she did race. Some people had gathered and re-cut and re-configured her pumpkin to allow it to float properly. Bravo!
On of my favorite cartoons is of a frog in the mouth of a pelican with his head and arms sticking out of the pelican’s pouch. The frog has his hands around the pelican’s neck, trying to strangle him. The caption reads. "Never, ever give up!"
I try to follow that credo myself with varying degrees of success. To actually see it in action is a joy. I want to issue my first my first "No Frog Left Behind" award to Lonetta Swartout for "pushing pumpkins past people’s predictions" and never, ever giving up.
John Kosmer ranges the Otsego Lake region from his perch in Fly Creek.
Labels: 10-03-08, Columns, Cooperstown, Images, John Kosmer, Just a Thought, Pumpkin Regatta, Pumpkinfest |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:13 PM |
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Cooperstown and Around
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 RABBIT’S EMMY: Rabbit Goody’s Thistle Hill Weavers in Cherry Valley won its first Emmy at the recent awards ceremony, for Costume Design, for fabrics in the acclaimed mini-series "John Adams."
NEW PRESIDENT: Hartwick College’s 10th president, Margaret Drugovich, will be installed at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in ceremonies in front of Yager Hall.
NO BUTTS: CCS’ SADD/Reality Check Club will collect cigarette butts in Cooperstown parks Saturday, Oct. 4, an ongoing campaign to create tobacco-free parks. The "evidence" will be presented to the village trustees’ Parks Committee.
SUDAN BRIEFING: A Sudanese pastor, Yousif Matar Kodi, wil give a first-hand account of his country’s situation to the Cooperstown Men’s Interchurch Fellowship at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Cooperstown Methodist Church. All interested men are welcome.
PLANNING HARTWICK: The Town of Hartwick is reviving its Comprehensive Plan Committee. Those interested in participating should send letters to Town Supervisor Pat Ryan, Box 240, Hartwick NY 13348 by Oct. 10.
FETING PATI: Reservations are due Monday, Oct. 6, for the Otsego County Chamber’s Small Business Banquet Thursday, Oct. 9, at The Otesaga, where Pati Drumm Grady’s Cooperstown Cookie Company and Gary Laing’s Shipping Room in Oneonta will be honored. Call 547-4500.
WALK TO SCHOOL: CCS students will join the International Walk to School Day Wednesday, Oct. 8, gathering at Chestnut and Elm at 7:40 a.m. to march to school together. Labels: 10-03-08, Cooperstown and Around, Front Page |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:54 PM |
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New ‘Kid City’ Rises From Splinters of Old
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Futuristic Playground Geared To How Youngsters Grow
By JEANNINE BOHLER
COOPERSTOWN
 "But I love Kid City!" was the cry of many Cooperstown kids this past year as the aging structure faced its last days. It was the cry of many Cooperstown grown-ups who had been kids or teens when the play structure was built in 1988.
And "I love Kid City!" will be the cry again when construction is finished, the fences are down and kids flood the new play area behind Cooperstown Elementary School sometime in the coming weeks.
Work on the new Kid City has been under way since just before school began in September. The former structure was dismantled and taken away, making way for the new modern playground that is sure to thrill the town’s eager youth during recess and after school.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It has taken a village to raise this playground. The idea was conceived by Martha Heneghan, mother of four, who hoped to see the creation of a new playground behind the school that would be safe for use during the winter months.
The former structure, although beloved and solidly built, was past its prime. It had to be closed during the winter due to problems with icing and because it was constructed of pressure treated wood, presented safety problems and health risks throughout the year.
Heneghan approached the school board and formed a committee to study and plan the building of a new structure.
The committee, comprised of Bud Lippett, Mary Boland, Glen Falk, Jeanne Dewy, Walter Bennett and Mikal Sky-Shrewsberry, approached the creation of the new playground from many angles. The group hoped to create a fun, safe and inclusive space for all children, a space that would meet their unique fitness and exercise needs.
A series of playground "field trips" followed. Heneghan visited many other communities to gather information and get a sense of what types of equipment were available and would be appropriate for the elementary-aged students of Cooperstown.
After the tours, and interviewing three playground companies, Heneghan and her committee decided to work with Parkitects, Inc., a Lansing-based firm that specializes in the creation and construction of parks and playgrounds.
The firm is no stranger to Cooperstown. In fact, it helped the The Friends of the Village Parks design the new playground at Badger Park.
"The first thing people will notice is that this will be quite different from the original Kid City. This will be a much more open space," said Parkitect’s Landscape Architect Steven Lauzun. In the past three years, people have really been thinking about playgrounds being more open."
The Cooperstown committee was committed to creating a play area that would be accessible to students in wheelchairs, Lauzun said. Their goal will be realized with the new area. Students will leave the building and be able to run and move across a clear, grassy space before reaching the equipment.
The playground will be comprised of different areas, each connected by a walkway. The space will include one of the newest innovations in playground equipment, a structure called a Sway Fun Glider, a type of swaying ship, that is the only product on the market which allows children in wheelchairs to actually wheel themselves onto the equipment and then move with it as it glides.
The path will then lead to a more traditional castle-like structure, also wheelchair accessible, complete with climbers, bridges and at least three slides. A rock climbing area, constructed of two specially made boulders will provide students with a full body workout, and challenge them to develop coordination between their hands and feet as they think their way through the climbing challenge.
A strength, fitness and balance area made of overhead ladders and balancing loops will help students enhance their upper body strength and balance.
No playground would be complete without swings, and the new Kid City will not disappoint, but there aren’t too many playgrounds that feature a dinosaur dig area. Cooperstown kids will be digging for dinosaurs when the playground opens, searching for a surprise buried in pea stones, Lauzun said.
"This space will be very different," he said. "This is a new concept in design. It is much more open and park like. There will be much more open space, more grass, but it will still be challenging and fun for the students."
Another improvement will be the poured rubber surface under all of the equipment, a feature that will enhance safety.
"There will be no more pea stone piling up in the laundry room of every family in Cooperstown," Lauzun said. "No more pea stone falling out of pockets and tumbling around in the clothes drier. No more pea stone all over the basketball court making it slippery and dangerous. It will be a huge improvement."
Funding the playground has been a community effort. Its construction is included in the district’s 2008 capital project and will receive 81 percent building aid from the state Department of Education.
The site work cost of $445,000 includes the demolition and removal of the old Kid City, removal of the old asphalt play area, grading and site preparation for the new Kid City, installation of all new equipment and foundation material, new pavement, basketball standards and fencing, and replacement of the outdoor storage building.
The playground equipment cost about $111,000. The community is responsible for the about $120,000.
"An effort has been underway, lead by parents and community members to help offset the cost for the taxpayers," said Cooperstown School Superintended Mary Jo McPhail. "Those efforts will continue."
To date, approximately $60,000 has been raised, including a $10,000 grant from state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford. The donations have come from primarily from individual efforts, including children’s birthday parties, memorial contributions, yard sales, private donations and a penny drive at the school, according to Mikal Sky-Shrewsberry, a member of the playground committee.
The construction of the playground has progressed well and is expected to be completed in mid-October. The Cooperstown Foundation for Excellence in Education is planning a celebration to officially open the new Kid City once it is complete..
"Many people had a real attachment to the old Kid City," Sky-Shrewsberry said. "But I think as this has progressed, people have been excited. We really tried to think about safety, inclusion, multiple use and multiple activities. I hope it proves to be exciting."Labels: 10-03-08, Cooperstown Elementary School, Front Page, Kid City |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:48 PM |
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More Big Cats Prowl Neighborhood
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HADE HOLLOW
 Lynda Selover looked out her back window the other afternoon to a surprise: There was what appeared to be a mother bobcat, along with two small kittens.
"I didn’t get the little ones, but got several pictures of her," Lynda said later. She lives on Route 33 along Red Creek.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation, after receiving a copy of the photo, confirmed the cat was a bobcat, not a lynx or any of other big cats that only occasionally are seen in Upstate New York.
Tom Sutter, a DEC biologist, said in the 25 years he’s been in the department he’s observed the bobcat expanding its habitat from the Hudson Valley into central and western New York, then down to the Southern Tier and into Pennsylvania.
"We’re seeing both all age classes and sexes" in Otsego County, he said. "If you’re seeing that, then you know you’re seeing a healthy population."
If the cats brought to their attention – either through road kills or trapping – are "big old males," that would suggest otherwise: that the population is just beginning to migrate into an area.
Otsego County is in the third year of a three-year "experimental" bobcat-hunting season that the first year yielded 20 cats and a few less the following year.
In most cases, DEC receives reports – more and more often, via the Internet – from drivers who see the bobcats run across the road in front of their cars.
While the population is growing, Sutter said, there’s little reason to worry.
"Bobcats are like a lot of species," he said. "They don’t want anything to do with us. In most cases, they will avoid us."
Almost exclusively, the big cats spotted in New York State are bobcats, Sutter said.
"We hear rumors all the time of ‘that other big cat,’ the mountain lion, but no sightings have been confirmed" east of Missouri, he said.Labels: 10-03-08, Big Cat, Bobcat, Front Page |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:40 PM |
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Food Bank Serves Fewer
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Clients Cut Off South of Milford
COOPERSTOWN
Faced with a 60 percent increase in demand in the past year from people needing emergency help, the Cooperstown Food Bank has announced it is drawing the line at Milford.
"We are no longer able to provide emergency food assistance to all of Otsego County," co-directors Audrey Murray and Ellen St. John announced in a statement. "Service will be limited to persons living in northern Otsego County."
The local food bank, hosted by Cooperstown Presbyterian Church, buys its food from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York at Latham.
August brought a 13,000 pound delivery, and another 13,000 pounds were needed in September, the co-directors said.
Of the record 169 families served in August, 60 were from the greater Oneonta area.
Going forward, those people will have to patronize the three food banks, plus food conditions, in Oneonta. Specifically, Oneonta, Otego, Worcester, Schenevus, Maryland, Portlandville, Colliersville, Morris, Butternuts, Wells Bridge, Gilbertsville,
Unadilla and Laurens were ruled out.
"This is the first time in the 30-year history of the Cooperstown Food Bank that we have limited access to assistance," the co-directors said.
They anticipate that, with skyrocketing increases in the price of oil, matters will only get worse this winter, and they appealed for volunteers and donations to help meet that demands.
Anyone wishing to volunteer should call 547-8902.
Volunteers collect donations of food and funds, stock shelves, drive deliveries up from Southside Mall, and perform administrative tasks.Labels: 10-03-08, Cooperstown Food Bank, Front Page |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:37 PM |
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Otsego 2000 Suggests: Rethink Property Sale
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By JIM KEVLIN
COOPERSTOWN
Otsego 2000 has passed a resolution that appears to suggest – in the gentlest possible way – that plans to sell Brookwood Point to a private individual may not be the Cook Foundation’s best way to exercise its stewardship.
The resolution, passed at the Sept. 26 annual meeting of the Otsego 2000 board of directors, "encourages" the Cook Foundation to seek an unspecified "long-term solution for the preservation and restoration of this important public and historic property."
No specific mention is made of neighbor Richard Hanna’s $2 million offer to buy the Brookwood Point section of the property; Brookwood Garden comprises the smaller section to the south of Leatherstocking Creek.
Hanna plans to tear down the former Robert Cook home – Kingfisher Tower may be viewed across the lake from its porch – and build a new one.
Otsego 2000’s interim director, Nicole Dillingham, de
clined to go into the details of the vote, but said directors who serve on both boards – Henry S.F. Cooper Jr., Robert Poulson and Kent Barwick – recused themselves.
"It’s not our role to be telling the Cook Foundation, what to do," said Dillingham. "It’s our role to encourage preservation and support preservation throughout the region."
The resolution was prepared by a subcommittee of directors Margaret McGowan and Scottie Baker, and is pretty general.
"Otsego 2000," it begins, "believes the Otsego Lake region constitutes a unique confluence of historic, environmental, cultural and scenic resources, and we seek to protect these attributes for the benefit of present and future generations."
After more scene-setting, it notes the late Robert Cook’s estate is "one of the oldest" in the Glimmerglass National Historic District and that its dimunition "by subdivision, private sale and demolition of the Brookwood Manor House would be a loss to the entire community."
Since the news surfaced of the possible sale of the land, Martha Frey, the former Otesgo 2000 executive director, began circulating a petition that reportedly has more than 300 signatures on it objecting to the idea.
Since the Cook Foundation directors would be acting against specifics in their benefactor’s will, the sale would have to be approved by the state Attorney General’s Office in Binghamton.
In the past few days, nothing had been received there.
For his part, Hanna, who is in the midst of running for Congress against incumbent Michael Arcuri, D-24th, said he has received no recent communication from the Cook Foundation and is simply waiting to hear about any next step.
Also at the Otsego 2000 meeting, Alison Hill-Edgar, James Northrup and James Patrick were named to the board, replacing Jim Bernegger, Michael Moffatt and Nancy Iversen, who had resigned in recent months.Labels: 10-03-08, Brookwood Garden, Front Page, Otsego 2000 |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:27 PM |
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