To the Editor:
The sun shone down on Cooperstown Saturday, Aug. 9, as 600-plus people came out to show their support for “Miss Mary” Turi.
A warm “thank you” goes out to all the kids, parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors, corporate sponsors (over 50!), bakers, volunteers, sign hangers and even several unsuspecting tourists!
Our community pulled together on very short notice. We could be amazed at the way this community responded to Mary, but we’re not amazed at all. The Cooperstown Community can always be counted on to rise to the occasion.
Again, thanks to so many, and please keep Mary in your thoughts as she continues to recover. Mary – see you back in preschool soon!
MARCIE BIRCH
and other organizers of ‘Mary Turi Day’
Toddsville

TOP PHOTO: Mary Turi’s family members from New Jersey and Pennsylvania participating in Mary Turi Day include, from left, Briana Turi, Justin Scott, Sean Turi holding Shawn Scott, and Darla Foley. The event, to benefit the pre-school teacher who is fighting cancer, was held Saturday, Aug. 9, at Barnyard Swing in
Hartwick Seminary.

BOTTOM PHOTO: Some 36 individuals and businesses contributed $100 each to sponsor holes on the miniature golf course. Here, David Baker, 4, of Milford, one of Mary Turi’s students, tests his skill.


353 Love Springfield, Don’t Want It Ruined

To the Editor:
The truth hurts and it’s becoming quite clear by the letters in the papers personally attacking anyone or group who takes the time to do independent research regarding Type I projects, such as the proposed MSG Entertainment festival in Springfield.
When the facts start coming out unfavorably, people pushing for the project who have no real information to defend their claims, distract us with statements that make no sense. It’s almost like they all read and copied from the same propaganda pamphlet.
One point repeatedly mentioned is jobs. Please tell me how dumping human waste and garbage for less than a week, and a few permanent grass-cutting jobs, are going to bring industry or provide long-term growth?
If this concert were to go through, some people would make some money, but money isn’t everything in life that matters. You know what they say, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Some people hear the word, “money” and their brains shut off. Our quality of life in Springfield is not for sale.
The example for a model of our concert, which MSG used from the beginning, was a concert in Manchester, Tenn., called “Bonnaroo.” Rolling Stone Magazine did an expose on this concert in a recent issue which showed: nudity, drugs, alchohol, crime, traffic jams for days, noise, litter everywhere, trespassing on private property.
This resulted in jails being full, hospitals overloaded and resulting environmental problems and decreased property values. When we called to check with the Sheriff’s office in Manchester, this is what they told us also. Some of our town officials and pro-everything people said these aren’t legitimate concerns.
These same people say our petition was gathered by a handful of NIMBYS (not in my backyard): 353 NIMBYS, that’s some big backyard! Let me tell you, this rock festival isn’t only going to affect a handful of NIMBYS; it will affect our whole town and neighboring towns as well.
They also accused us of using scare tactics and unfounded information, but the Planning Board just confirmed our concerns are very real. They must have us confused with their petition. Our petition was signed by 353 intelligent, knowledgeable, upstanding citizens and taxpayers who make up their own minds and can’t be coerced.
In fact, MSG’s plan being a Type I action and the moratorium calling for a nine-month halt of all Type I actions does reflect that our petition was also in favor of the moratorium. 353 vs. 189, and not all of these 189 were taxpayers.
The larger percent of the town’s wishes are reflected in the results of the questionnaire sent out by the Comprehensive Planning Committee, which these same people and some town officials also choose to ignore.
We are for appropriate development and new business. This festival is too large for this town and bad for the environment. It will likely bring real-estate values down and taxes up. The whole town will suffer as a result.
The motorcycle track project was shot down because the SEQR process proved it would be bad for the environment and inappropriate for this small town.
I’m getting fed up with some town officials and pro-everything people being quoted in the paper bad-mouthing our town, saying things such as “our town is dead,” “farming is dead,” and 45 businesses “failed” and the town has “no future.” Blah, blah, blah. Springfield is none of these things.
Your life is what you make it. Don’t blame the town if you are unhappy with your life. If you don’t like Springfield, move to a town that better suits you. Stop trying to ruin our town for those of us who truly love it and care about its future.
Contrary to an earlier letter, we are not all “part-time residents nor retired or rich.” As for me, I just want to live a peaceful, country life.
ROSEMARIE HARRISON
20-Year Resident
East Springfield

Vacant Doubleday Means Village Is Losing Money

To the Editor:
If I was to close my restaurant for four days in August, most people would think I had gone mad.
But the fact is no games were played in Doubleday Field Aug. 4, 5, 6 and 7, a loss of at least $4,800; a loss to merchants of four times that amount. If every member of the board is OK with this kind of scheduling, something is wrong.
The facts are that around 300 parking tickets are sitting on the judge’s desk waiting to be adjudicated, a value of $10,500.
If the board doesn’t understand the ramifications of these facts and if the residents of Cooperstown don’t realize how much these constant losses of revenue mean to us, then call me I will be glad to go over the losses of revenue that constantly occur in our village.
I would like to see one member of the board stand up and be counted as a bearer of the facts. I would like Grace Kull to explain that the mayor said we are generating $1,000 a day on the parking machines as a fact. I would like the mayor to publish the actual numbers earned from the Pay & Display parking machines.
Grace, if you want to know what I think, stop in at TJ’s. I will be glad to buy you lunch and you will be able to clear up all of the misstatements I have made. Bring any member of the board with you that would like to clear up my thoughts on how to run a successful business.
TED HARGROVE
Cooperstown

Who Are We Going To Believe?

To the Editor :
Which one are we to believe: Ted Hargrove or Mayor Waller?
Both had their monetary pronouncements in the Aug. 1 issue of The Freeman’s Journal. Ted says that we have a financial disaster at Doubleday Field, while the mayor describes the revenue success in the same area, Doubleday Parking lot.
I guess you could say that both are true, but if one offsets the other, who’s to worry? In fact the merchants would benefit more from Carol’s report than Ted’s.
Wait till next year when all of Main Street will have paid parking. What a revenue stream the village will have then.
BOB LETTIS
Cooperstown

‘Most Highly Qualified.’ Can We Do Any Better?

To the Editor:
With the ugly political season ahead of us let us look to one ray of hope on the horizon, Judge Jill Ghaleb.
Judge Jill Ghaleb was appointed by our governor to be our county court judge this year to fill the vacant slot left by Judge Coccoma.
She was also unanimously ratified by the full state Senate. Obviously, all agreed on her qualifications.
It is unfortunate that judges must also be backed by political parties to run for office when none of their decisions should be politically based.
All judges must abide by the same rules and base their decisions on current laws.
They cannot deny people’s rights that are given to them by law. They, in turn, cannot grant things that are not allowed by our laws.
I have known Judge Ghaleb for 10 years. In that time I have learned that her ethics and morals lend her to be a great judge.
She also has the compassion needed to deal with the many issues that arise in our courts today. If you’ve met her you immediately know what I’m talking about, and if you don’t know her I urge you attend one of the many events that she will be attending in the near future.
I urge you to vote for Judge Ghaleb in the upcoming Conservative Primary on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and then again in November, where she will appear on several lines.
Every vote counts. The main points to remember are that Judge Ghaleb has the most experience and she is the only candidate for Otsego County Judge that has been deemed “highly qualified” by the most strict review board in New York State.
You can’t beat that distinction.
MEG KIERNAN
Fly Creek

Labels: Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Blame Price of Gas, Not Trustees

To the Editor:
The Letter to the Editor, written by Ted Hargrove and printed in the Aug. 1 Freeman’s Journal, accusing Trustee Jeff Katz of being responsible for what Mr. Hargrove perceives as a loss of revenue for the rental of Doubleday Field, is incorrect.
This accusation is insulting to Jeff Katz and to the rest of the Board of Trustees.
No one trustee has the “power” to make a decision by him/herself that will affect the Village of Cooperstown in any way. Every decision has to be approved by a vote of all of the trustees and the majority dictates if the decision is accepted.
Mr. Hargrove blames the parking situation in Cooperstown for what he describes as the “worst Hall of Fame weekend in my memory.”
Come on, Ted, don’t you know what is going on in the economy? Do you know the price of gas? Do you actually think fans interested in coming to Induction Weekend will factor in the cost of a few extra dollars for parking and that will keep them away?
Mr. Hargrove states that the “new rules” for parking limit each driver to two-hour parking. The two-hour limit parking law has been in effect in Cooperstown for at least a decade. It is not a “new rule.”
He says it is to force the driver into paid parking. Has he forgotten that there is no paid parking enforced by the village anywhere except in Doubleday parking lot?
There are two independently owned parking lots in the village that require a daily parking fee, one on Chestnut Street and one at the Baptist Church on Elm Street. The Village has nothing to do with these and does not receive any revenue from them.
Mr. Hargrove asks in his letter that information be published in the paper informing the public about money coming into the village from tickets.
How about paid parking? I guess he didn’t notice the one-sentence article on the front page of the same Freeman’s Journal in which his letter appeared, that is headed, CASH ON HAND.
I quote, “Mayor Carol B. Waller said the Pay & Display machines in the Doubleday Field parking lot are generating $1,000 a day.”
Doesn’t sound like this “business practice is destroying our village” as Mr Hargrove states in his letter.
As for the loss of parking spaces on Main Street that Mr. Hargrove laments in his letter, these are the spaces reserved for delivery trucks to deliver goods to the merchants on Main and Pioneer Streets.
AND, the times that those spaces are blocked off to regular parking are limited to a few hours each day.
Before there were designated loading zones the delivery trucks, usually large trailer trucks, often double parked while unloading, presenting a hazard to pedestrians and drivers alike.
It is my guess that Mr. Hargrove would be the first to complain if trucks were not accommodated on Main Street enabling the merchants to receive their much-needed merchandise.
Ted, I think you ARE blowing smoke. Get your facts straight before going public. My suggestion to anyone wanting straight facts, not Mr. Hargrove’s interpretation of them, is to go to the village clerk and/or the village police for your information.
GRACE KULL
Village Trustee, Cooperstown

Preserve Nature, Yes, But Just Don’t Ban Drilling Outright

To the Editor:
A recent letter in The Freeman’s Journal grossly misstates my view of drilling and says I’ve offered nothing in the way of assistance to constituents. It’s campaign time, and that means truth is the first victim.
I have offered information to property owners at my office and put a special section on my Web site that offer property owners helpful information and links to resources on the subject.
My office has responded to calls from constituents, and I’ve attended meetings on the subject to listen to constituents’ concerns.
My view’s been clear – I support updating DEC regulations that flow from legislation enacted this year on drilling – but not a ban.
The DEC will prepare a generic environmental impact statement, and it’s my view that local governments should be an involved agency under SEQRA so that their views must be considered when drilling permits are reviewed.
That’s why I drafted a model resolution and circulated it to the municipalities I represent.
Careful review and strict environmental standards – yes. An outright state ban during a time of record high home heating prices – no.
JAMES L. SEWARD
State Senator, 51st District
Milford

If Village Won’t Act, Declare Your Property Pesticides-Free

To the Editor:
Though our village trustees are opting for an all-is-well attitude about pesticides and herbicides, some of us remain alarmed about progressive toxic-chemical accumulation.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) with offices in New York and Connecticut, is a group also alarmed by the wide-scale use of toxic chemicals that cumulatively affect people, especially children. They are trying to get New York State to ban the use of toxic pesticides in schools and school yards. CCE maintains that casual acceptance of toxic chemicals into the environment of children shows a lack of caring.
Mark Shapiro’s book “Exposed” compares the attitudes of the U.S. to the 98 other nations that have signed a global treaty called the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS). This treaty identifies “the dirty dozen” chemicals that have horrific consequences for people and the natural world. The treaty also allows additions to be made to the list of harmful chemicals. In spite of the fact that we already ban some of these chemicals, the U.S. did not sign on to this treaty.
This refusal to value people and the environment above the vital forces of economics reveals, to me, a tragically self-defeating philosophy.
The European Union has become a leader in embracing the principle of precaution in this matter and does not allow its hands to be tied in the face of formidable economic interests. Yet, the EU does not appear to be suffering economically by adopting this precautionary principle.
Since our government drags its feet about anything that will hamper some corporations, can’t we start at the community level?
Why can’t our village get out front and embrace a people-first principle by banning the use within the village of pesticides and herbicides considered toxic to people or the environment?
I encourage my fellow villagers to join me and others in declaring our properties to be free from the use of toxic chemicals.
SAM WILCOX
Cooperstown

Ultimatum: No Game? No Induction

To the Editor:
It is most disappointing that the Baseball Hall of Fame, a New York State museum that receives very little financial support from Major League Baseball, has so supinely acquiesced in the elimination of the traditional Hall of Fame Game.
Perhaps it’s time to play hardball with MLB – no Hall of Fame Game, no Induction!!! Let’s see who blinks first!
How infuriating that Bud Selig and the players’ union have so casually thumbed their noses at all the faithful fans who have supported them through the years.
Is it too much to ask a Major League team to come to Cooperstown once every 10 or 12 years to play one exhibition game?
One would think that any reasonable, moderately aware ballplayer, enjoying his princely lifestyle, might have it in his heart to give a little back to the very people who have made that lifestyle possible.
BERNARD J. ENRIGHT
Town of Otsego

Where Have All The Bats Gone?

To the Editor:
I have noticed that there are no bats on the lake. What has happened to cause this? At sunset, I used to see dozens of bats fly over the lake, catching insects.
I sat on my porch the other evening and saw not one bat fly over the lake.
I now have mosquitoes on my porch, which I have never had before.
What has happened? What do we do to bring back the bats?
SALLY SEAVER JOHNSON
Cooperstown

Hall Ought To Be Limited To Only Baseball Players

To the Editor:
Elect Marvin Miller to the Baseball Hall of Fame!!!! What next: the official scorer who records a perfect game or an outstanding groundskeeper?
Miller belongs in the Lawyers Hall of Fame. As head of the players’ union, he turned control of the teams from the owners to the players.
And in doing so he enriched the players beyond their or anyone’s belief. And probably enriched his own bankroll!
The only losers here were the fans who now have to pay outlandish amounts for tickets, to the point that a family of five shells out over $200 for good seats.
The Hall of Fame should have been limited to players only, generally pitchers who win 300 games and batters who hit well over .300.
Some choices for the veterans division are only favoritism, and umpires and owners should have their own Hall.
ED LYNCH
West Nyack

Every Time Someone Suggests Something Why Is Someone Else Always Against It?

To the Editor:
I don’t understand why every time something that could potentially enlarge our tax base, create jobs, and overall encourage economic growth for our community, the immediate response is, “How can we stop this”?
I have seen this here in Springfield with a ball-park project on County Route 31, a motorcycle track, and recently with MSG Entertainment and the ballfield project on Allen Lake Road. This is also the same mindset taken toward wind turbines and natural-gas exploration.
I’m not saying there is no reason for concern or that we shouldn’t be cautious. I myself am concerned that my neighbor, who shares a property line, has opened his land up to natural-gas exploration. One of the soon-to-be-wells will be on his property.
Did I have questions and concerns? YES! How will this affect my water, my property’s value and my quality of life are some of the big ones? The truth is I will stay informed and monitor my water quality. Mostly I will wish my neighbor good fortune because he is my neighbor and it is his land!
Recently, our town board voted down a moratorium which some hoped would stop all Class I projects in Springfield. I commend the board for its decision. Those who voted this moratorium down represented their constituents well.
As you can recall, there were 189 signatures turned in opposed to any moratorium that would impede or prevent economic growth and or development for Springfield. I know some will say that there were 353 signatures turned in the same evening as the vote that were ignored by the board. These signatures had nothing to do with the moratorium. They were aimed at the MSG project that is currently before the Planning Board, not the town board.
These signatures were gathered by a handful of NIMBYs using unfounded information and scare tactics. Believe it or not, I was not familiar with this term a year ago: Not In My Back Yard. NIMBYs seem to surface when it directly affects them. The group usually consists of 40-50 folks all wanting to know, “How can we stop this”? They will be at every meeting for as long as it takes to kill the project and then they are gone. As long as the next proposed project isn’t in their backyard they are seldom heard from again.
These people may want what’s best for Springfield almost always, except when it directly affects them. If they truly cared about the community, they would allow MSG and other projects to go through the process and address true concerns.
By true concerns, I am talking about traffic, ecological impacts, water quality and trash removal, to name a few; not a couple of women with body paintings at a concert in Tennessee.
Do I feel MSG is the best option for Springfield? Maybe not, but it will create economic growth, some full-time jobs, many summer jobs, an outlet for arts and products, and mostly it will preserve the viewshed. This is the same view that was such a hurdle in the approval of the subdivision of 20 lots on one of the farms MSG is proposing for the concert site.
Instead of, “How can we stop this,” Why not, “How can we grow through this?” Some things that will come from this are: a larger tax base, commerce, jobs and green space. We as a community could also negotiate to receive economic perks from MSG for our town’s willingness to allow this concert and all that is entails.
I know Bonaroo is continually used as a scare tactic to gather opposition to MSG, but has anyone asked what the community in Tennessee gains economically from this music fest?
Some things we could ask MSG to contribute to could be: Fire and EMT budget, town highway budget, scholarships for Springfield graduates, and a town park on a portion of this property. These are just a few suggestions of things that we as a community could gain from this.
This project could work, if we are open-minded and willing to work with MSG as a community toward a better Springfield. This is not to say we let big business walk on us, but with us, toward the future.
PAUL LEENTJES
East Springfield

What Development Would Be Satisfactory?

To the Editor:
Springfield seems to me to be in turmoil and I would like to address a few of the problems from my experience and point of view.
First, the anonymous letters. I received one earlier in the year and several more went out a month or so ago.
Anonymous writing is anonymous only so long as folks choose to allow it to remain anonymous. People who write write: letters, articles, paragraphs on applications, lesson plans, things that they sign and sometimes pieces that they choose not to sign.
In this day of computers there is a simple program that is not expensive to buy and free if it can be can borrowed. Put into it a few dozen letters and it will group the letters as to author with about 99 percent accuracy.
If the letters in question contain threats or are libelous or are intended to intimidate a public official, a court order can be obtained to check the suspect’s computer hard drive.
Or, we all know how easily companies can invade our mail boxes and send junk spams to everyone on our address list.
Not so easily done, but still not difficult and without physically touching the computer, a Trojan horse can be attached and the hard drive checked for the shadows of things written and long ago deleted. As the hard drive exists, our writings are immortal.
Only so long as no one wishes to take the writer[s] of these letters to court or to embarrass them before their neighbors will they be allowed to remain anonymous.
The letters in the paper concerning our public officials and town planning and the future of the town seem all to miss one point. By doing nothing our town is changing.
One writer speaks of growth that is negative. We have that today. Thirteen years ago, Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School had about 1,040 students. This year they are expecting around 600.
Every year a few more homes fall into ruin, a few more barns collapse.
This is true negative growth and negative growth that impacts our taxes and services, jobs for our children and the quality of our lives. Developers do not buy farm land to farm. Perhaps MSG Entertainment’s project is not the perfect solution for our town. Exploring the plans of the company has barely begun.
Any person who wishes to stop this project without both exploring what the project will entail and also considering possible viable alternatives for the land in question is intellectually dishonest.
Dan Rosen’s statement that town officials should not meet with people who are considering investing in our village is silly. How do people who wish to buy/build know what building in the Town of Springfield entails if they do not talk with our public officials?
Not only is there nothing illegal about these meetings they, are necessary if there is going to be any change in our town excepting the continuing degradation of our tax base and environment. A lecture on ethics and morality by Dan Rosen is farcically humorous.
I have not spoken with the three board members who voted against the moratorium. Still, I think it quite unfair to state that any of these men “sabotaged” the comprehensive plan.
There has been talk and more talk about zoning and a comprehensive plan and what comes of it is more talk and that talk still goes on. And on.
Could the people who are so emotional about putting the moratorium in place NOW not be as easily accused not of wishing to control development but of stopping this project and perhaps all development?
GAIL LARSEN
East Springfield

CCS Students: Thanks For The Help

To The Editor:
As everybody in Cooperstown already knows, the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction brings added work and, of course, enjoyment to the high school kids, staff and people involved in the community. A successful Hall of Fame Induction could never be possible without the help of some great people around the community.
On behalf of the Cooperstown Central School student body, we would first like to thank the community as a whole. To the students and their parents who came to help, thank you. You all did a very good job and worked hard.
Behind the scenes supporting the students were the custodians. Mr. Bennett and his staff worked long hours, and were doing whatever was necessary to keep the induction moving along smoothly. As all of the students know, a good number of us would have been lost without the help of Mr. Hascup and his son; the two always knew what needed to be done and they did so quickly. Mr. Smith and his family should be thanked in the same light as well, they did a great job of cleaning up after the induction was over.
Also, we would like to thank Mr. Kuch and the class advisers, Mr. Goode, Ms. Schliening, Ms. Pindar and Mrs. Murdock. Mr. Kuch and the class advisers put in many hours making sure that everything happened according to plan.
To the law enforcement personnel, security personnel, and the Cooperstown ambulance squad, we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to keep us safe. Permits were needed at the induction and the students thank those who kindly granted us the permits.
We would also like to thanks Coca-Cola and Blue Bunny for providing the soda and ice cream to sell at the induction.
Again, a huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone involved in the induction. We couldn’t have done it without your hard work!
THE CCS STUDENT BODY
Cooperstown

Labels: Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Parking, Doubleday-Field Changes Costing Thousands

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

All Ages Would Enjoy MSG Musical Festival

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


Thanks For Support

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

Many Made Book Sale A Success

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

Natural-Drilling Makes Windmills Look Good By Comparison

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

Get Answers Before Drilling For Natural Gas

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


11th Hour Here On Browdy Mountain Subdivision

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

What About New York?

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

Labels: Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Thanks, Cooperstown, For Memories ....a $35 Souvenir of Doubleday Lot

To the Editor:
Cooperstown already has figured out how to recoup lost revenue from the cancellation of the annual Hall of Fame Game.
For my recent 60th birthday, my wife and daughters treated us all to a weekend at the American Hotel in Sharon Springs (most enjoyable) and a trip to the Hall of Fame, which I had not been to in 50 years.
The day that we visited, June 7, was just a beautiful, warm, summer day.
After we parked the car, I did notice signs that said there was a two-hour limit and made a mental note that I probably would have to move the car.
The Hall of Fame was just a fabulous, nostalgic experience for me, finally seeing the plaques of my boyhood idols, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford.
After leaving the Hall of Fame, we stopped for snacks and soft drinks and for the obligatory search for the ultimate T-shirt at the souvenir stores.
Upon arriving at our car, as you probably can guess, there was my welcome from the village of Cooperstown: A $35 parking ticket. Was I guilty? Yes!
It was a 15-minute walk to and from my car, so, therefore, you only have one-and-a-half hours to enjoy the Hall of Fame and its surroundings.
Is everyone supposed to play musical
chairs every two hours with their cars? Is this as stringently enforced in January as it appears to be in June?
I just don’t understand ... but the Village of Cooperstown does.

BARRY G. BERMAN
Fairport

Keep All of Brookwood Garden Open To Public

To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in protest of the proposed sale of the Cook Estate, the property legally connected to Brookwood Garden.
As a resident and artist who has spent many wonderful hours painting at that site, I am dismayed to see that a deal has been formulated, with little public attention, to divide this property and allow a private home to be built on it.
According to those who knew Bob Cook, it was not his intention for the property to be divided or privately owned.
It has been stated that there is no funding to repair or maintain the property; however, public records indicate that the Cook Foundation has money available that is not being utilized for that purpose.
I cannot help but wonder why the Otsego Land Trust, Otsego 2000 and the OCCA have not been interested in restoring the historic home, to be used for their offices/headquarters.
In addition to bringing in revenue, it would be in keeping with their mission statements and goals of preserving the beauty and integrity of the Lake and its surrounds.
The Cook Estate is one of the last remaining areas on the west side of Otsego Lake open to the public, and it is unconscionable for it to be closed to public enjoyment.
It would be nice to see Brookwood Garden advertised more broadly, have a larger roadside sign and have different areas of the Cook Estate developed for the public to enjoy.
Even if it is not feasible to restore the main building, the grounds should remain open and accessible. An occasionally mown lawn and a few picnic tables would go far in creating an atmosphere that welcomes people to enjoy the beautiful views of Otsego Lake under the shade of towering trees.
The public needs to be made aware of the intentions of a few to affect forever this magnificent historical property.

MARY NOLAN
Fly Creek

CCS Elementary Just Great

To the Editor:
My youngest child just graduated from Cooperstown Elementary school, and I want to take a moment to thank the wonderful teachers and staff who have given so much of themselves to my children.
I have spent many hours inside the school as a volunteer, and have always felt that my children were in great hands.
The staff functions as a close knit group with the very capable leadership of Teresa Gorman. Their focus is on the child as a complete person - not just on teaching reading and math, but on teaching music and art and the behaviors that signify character (all of which serve to strenghten their reading and math skills!)
The physical education teachers, Connie Herzig and Bud Lippitt, are outstanding role models for the kids. They teach so many skills needed in life – including the crucial skill of letting yourself make a mistake, and how to move ahead afterwards.
When they bring the school year to its close with Field Day each June, one sees a marvelous celebration of all that has been accomplished throughout the year.
I always find myself wishing that the entire community had young children in school just so they could see the power of this school in action!

MAUREEN SEIGEL MICEK
Cooperstown

Trouble Is On The Way: Gas Drilling

To the Editor,
By now I expect most of us are aware of the fortunes some may make from gas drilling in our area. But unfortunately less is know of the likely impact on our region.
I have attended two informational meetings, one in Walton and the other in Liberty. I have seen some limited, rather scanty reporting on the negative impact of gas drilling in local press but nothing like I heard at these meetings. Let’s just say for those who think this is a great boon to our region you are in for a big surprise.
Imagine a 10-fold increase in traffic – I’m talking about trucks carrying 50 tons of equipment on back roads and bridges.
Dr. Robert J. Pammer, Jr., Ph.D., commissioner, Sullivan County Division of Planning & Environmental Management, Monticello, reported at the Monticello meeting that it costs $100,000 per mile to improve roads.
Trucks will carry loads of 85,000 to 100,000 pounds (50 tons) on Type One roads – that is dirt back roads. Expect 83 percent damage to roads, he says!
He suggests make road assessment
a prerequisite before issuing permits. Local municipalities have power over local roads. So a moratorium seems possible on road impact.
Oil and gas companies are exempt from zoning regulation – they can drill in any zone.
A well pad may be 1.2 acres and up to 20 acres in size and close to your house. You may have to live with this for up to 30 years as the extraction processes continues. There will be a decrease in property values.
This is an “industrial activity.”
They will come back and back till all the gas is gone - up to 10 times per well. Release of radioactive materials is likely and will be concentrated in workers over time.
It takes 800,000 to 4 million gallons of water to drill a well. (One million gallons of water is equivalent to one football field, 30 feet deep).
What happens to waste water?
There are 7-15 hazardous materials in this water after use. It could be tested but usually is not.
It may be hauled away to hazardous waste sites in Pennsylvania in large trucks. Maybe it will be injected back into the ground. Impurities are vented/flared releasing nitrogen and methane.
According to those who have experienced gas drilling the water holding ponds always leak.
In Colorado and Wyoming, where speakers at the meetings I attended came from, there was an increase in drugs and crime. This was also reported in the July 15 New Yorker:
“Letter From Wyoming: How natural gas has changed the way of life in Sublette County.”
The article reports on “…the depression and lawlessness that come with mineral wealth. A recent report by Ralph Boynton shows the Sublette (Wyoming) crime rate rising by 30 percent from 2004 to 2005; air quality and the quality of life have also been affected.
“With the arrival, since 2000, of nearly 3,000 roughnecks, off-rig boredom has increased and this helps explain some of exploding crime rate. Fueling all this is the growing use of methamphetamines-primarily crystal meth, the roughneck’s drug of choice.”
Family violence increased along with prostitution. No surprises here!
In Wyoming, over the next 10 years, 51,000 gas well will have been drilled, 17,000 miles of new roads installed and 1.4 trillion gallons of water used in drilling (enough for 16 million people or all Wyoming residents for 30 years).
We don’t really know how many drills will be installed in this region - the number is unknown. Proposed drilling sites are secret – it is impossible to get this information. Gas output relies on self-reporting by companies. Gas drilling creates haves and have-nots.
Compressor stations are very noisy – as loud as a jet engine for the duration of drilling. Peggy Utesch, member, Western Colorado Congress and the Grand Valley Citizens’ Alliance
reported at the meetings that the vibrations from the drilling vibrated her water tank off its foundations and shook the walls of her home non stop for weeks and 100 semis shone their headlights into her home daily.
Drilling mud pits holding millions of gallons of wastewater from drilling always leaks and contains noxious chemicals that may leak into aquifers. Expect expensive legal fees to fight breech of contract by gas companies (who have very deep pockets).
“If their lips are moving then they’re lying,” was how people who experienced drilling out west described it.
Their advice is to get your own consultants to create bio-impact statements and check your wells and water before drilling because the state will not do it so landowners need to.
Gas is of great financial benefit for the state but not for landowners with no lease and even if you don’t sign a lease its possible, because of horizontal drilling, for gas to be taken from underneath your land.
The Texas Supreme Court is currently considering a case of gas drilling, called the Garza case and the possibility that the practice of fracking as it is now practiced infringes on the rights of neighbors.
Passage of specific legislation seems necessary to protect the land. The town of Highland in Sullivan County voted unanimously to approve a six-month moratorium on new oil and natural gas extraction on June 24.
This seems a sensible approach to all areas impacted by gas drillers – to give people time to fully comprehend the impact of this industrial technology in our pristine rural areas.
By the way the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate flood run- off and flash flooding and pond overflow of polluted water is likely. Local government is responsible for storm water run-off.
The kinds and types of accidents we can expect from this industry will be completely different to those currently experienced by local EMS personnel - chemical spills for instance. Are we equipped and ready for this?
The advice from people in Wyoming and Colorado who have experienced gas drilling: “Get out front of this thing and shape it. You need to list what is important to you.”
• Develop a Community Development Plan.

• Seek industry best practice to protect community.

• Identify community values and create core interests.

• Form work groups and meet bi-weekly.

• Meet with gas companies - community and companies working together.

Note: These are not legally binding documents because the gas companies refuse to sign such agreements. They are “gentleman’s agreements.” Good luck!

ANDREW LESLIE PHILLIPS
Hancock Permaculture Center
www.permaculturedesignsolutions.com

Labels: Letters to the Editor

There’s No Reason To Destroy Beauty, Americana

To the Editor:
Another slice of Americana, please!
The day brought sunshine, and a large crowd of about 4,000 to the Town of Springfield for the Annual Fourth of July parade. Friends greeted each other with hugs, babies bounced to the Sousa marches on their grandparent’s lap and Brooks BBQ chicken smoke wafted throughout the air. School bands marched and folks stood with pride when flags were carried down the street.
This is Americana at its best. It is all about why we, who choose to live in the town of Springfield, do so.
Let’s hope those days are not numbered by the Type I development that threatens to rob us of our small-town values and small-town feel.
The majority of people another resident and I have spoken to do not want the MSG Entertainment Music Festival to come to town. Not only do the majority of residents along the lake object, but the Amish community objects, as well.
A large cross section of the town residents do not want it, and unlike the town supervisor, we actually did speak to a lot of residents, door to door, over the past week or so.
Almost unanimously they can see that having 75,000 people camping and attending
a huge concert will cause a myriad of problems, not the least of which is traffic, miles and miles of it. This Type I development will, in fact, affect the land by erecting a fence which will obstruct the view of the most beautiful view in the area, and fill the area with thousands of parked cars, which make this NOT a green concert.
Others will control this view by owning 910 acres or more of the best farmland around. Esthetically it will affect our town forever.
One particular road, Continental Road, the site of the monument, was where Clinton’s March occurred, which is significant to New York State history.
Native Americans used this land as home, as they hunted and fished here prior to European contact. Many of the roads we use now, were once Indian trails.
This is a unique and special area. If this concert comes about, which I hope and pray it will not, Andy Lynd of MSG Entertainment,
who spoke to the Advocates for Springfield on June 28, said, three times, that there “will be loud music ... a significant amount of noise ... a lot of noise, until 1:30 a.m.” And lighting as well.
Bouncing off the hills of Cherry Valley, which is an acoustically unique setting, the concert promises to destroy the peace of all, for miles around.
What about the animals native to the area? Should they rent a camper and “go away for the month,” too, as others tell me they plan to do?
This isn’t “minimal intrusion,” Mr. Lynd. We all know how the movie ends when “man is in the forest.”
A recent editorial asked, “why not?” I ask “why?” No reason can come up with destroying this beautiful area and changing the character of our Americana.
Take a ride some night over to Continental
Road. Look at the stars fill the sky. This view inspires a sense of awe, and calls up the happy memories you had here growing up in this area.
If you want to save it, speak up, speak out. Now is the time.

MAUREEN CULBERT
Springfield

Help Us Send Books To GIs

To the Editor:
The neighbors of the greater Cooperstown area have once again donated a great variety of excellent books to our annual book sale. Please stop by and check it out.
Usually we have books remaining at the end of the sale that we save for the ongoing sale and donate to groups that can utilized them. The sale will continue until July 15.
Last year, we were grateful to sent boxes to four local service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We selected general adventure, mystery and some non-fiction paperback books and mailed them in the Post Office fixed rate boxes.
I would be glad to receive the names of local service members. You can send me the names and addresses or let the library know.
We will celebrate if we ever get out of this tragedy. My friends and I “Support the Troops but Hate the Occupation.”

DOROTHY HUDSON
Cooperstown

Teens Need More Driver’s Education

Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to the articles “Father Advocates for Stricter Teen Licensing Laws” (March 2008) in AAA New York Car & Travel.

To the Editor:
I agree stricter graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws are necessary. Although the incidence of teen passenger fatalities has decreased since the implementation of GDL laws in New York, it needs to decrease more.
This, however, is not the case with teen driver fatalities. GDL laws and restrictions cannot replace education and training.
As my son Rob, 21, says, “If we are not trained to be good drivers as teens, we will not be good drivers as adults.”
Our high-tech teen drivers are driving in faster cars on busier roads under a variety of conditions they are not prepared to face.
My 18-year-old son’s first accident took his life. Chris was driving 60-65 mph on a 55-mph road without a seatbelt, on his was to church on Holy Thursday 2007. Someone swerved into his lane to avoid hitting a possum.
He drove into a rut on the side of the road (no shoulder because of flooding the June before) and overcorrected to get out of the rut, was headed for trees and overcorrected to avoid hitting them and rolled the Jeep. Fortunately, there were no other injuries or deaths.
According to many studies I’ve read, it is not uncommon for young drivers not to wear seatbelts, or drive minimally 5-10 miles above the speed limit; in Michelle Arout’s case, maybe 30 mph over the speed limit.
While I believe parents are strong role models, my wearing a seatbelt and driving the speed limit did not prevent my son from doing otherwise.
Our teens need to be trained by someone other than a parent. Studies prove this is not an effective method in which to train our teens to drive.
The June 2008 article ended with the statement, ... “now is the time for state lawmakers to do their part. As a historical leader in traffic safety efforts, New York should not continue to defer action on saving young lives.”

PENNEY S. GENTILE
Cooperstown

Letter From Castagnole Piemonte

Editor’s Note: Evan Jagels of Cooperstown, who was a stringer last summer for The Freeman’s Journal, is touring Europe and promises an occasional
letter.

Hey, Jim:
I just attended an jazz workshop in Italy and thought it would make a nice little mention, seeing as some of the finest living American jazz musicians were instructors and that I know there are plenty of jazz fans in Cooperstown.
Jazz music is alive and well in the small northern Italian village of Castagnole Piemonte, where recently more than 100 students from all over Europe (and one from the United States) gathered for the 16th annual “We Love Jazz” festival and workshop to study under American jazz masters.
Collectively, Buster Williams (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums) and Benny Golson (tenor saxophone)
have collaborated with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Sarah Vaughn and Count Basie, to name a few.
Younger professionals such as Joey Di Francesco (organ), Byron Landham (drums) and Paul Bollenbeck (guitar) also offered valuable instruction.
Benny Golson, who led the ensemble and composition class, stressed the importance of individuality and creativity – often reminiscing of his early days with John Coltrane in Philadelphia.
Nightly concerts were held in the central piazza of the village, giving students the opportunity to see their teachers stretch out artistically.
While English was the spoken language of the workshop,
it was quite apparent that music is the true international language. Following the concerts
were nightly jam sessions where one might find Czech, German, French and Italian musicians all playing jazz standards together – one finger in the air signifying the key of B-flat and a few snaps to set the tempo.
Driving 12 hours south from Dresden, Germany, to get to the workshop, I noticed plenty of American influence on the European
landscape – the golden arches of a McDonalds could be seen from the autobahn, for example.
However, being surrounded by so many jazz musicians in an Italian village smaller than Cooperstown, it was heart-warming to see that this piece of patchwork of American culture
has been so firmly rooted and has prospered in other corners of the world.
I am living in Dresden, and my next trip is to a jazz festival in the Czech Republic. I’ll be playing.

EVAN JAGELS
Dresden, Germany
Evan, son of Rick and Kathy Jagels, graduated from Wagner College in May and will be pursuing graduate studies in music at SUNY Oneonta in the fall.

I Learned To Be Good Neighbor. Everyone Can

To the Editor:
On Sunday, June 29, Emily Bliss, 16, spoke to the congregation at the Methodist Church about lessons she has learned. I was so touched by her talk that I asked her for a copy of it to send to the newspaper in hopes of getting it printed. The following is her speech.
“When asked the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’ a few years ago, I would’ve answered, ‘The couple next door.’
“However, as I’ve grown, I’ve come to realize that every single human being on God’s green earth is your neighbor. Whether it be someone you have never met, or someone you have known all of your life, we are all neighbors.
“When asked the question, ‘How can you be a neighbor?’, it took me back to the weekend when I found the answer.
“In June 2007, as a sophomore, I attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership conference
in Troy for three days. There, I found a strong sense of leadership and a desire to better myself and my community.
“Since June 2007, I have completed 260 hours of community service. I have done projects such as food drives for Thanksgiving, Christmas cookies taken to shut-ins, Edmeston Rotary Club events, and many more.
“That conference opened my eyes to see that you don’t necessarily have to save a person’s life to be a good neighbor.
“Those three days at the conference affected me so much that I returned this past June as a volunteer staff member.
“You can be a neighbor to anyone and everyone, and you should be.
“Whether it be an extreme act of kindness or something as small as a smile, we should all follow the actions of the Good Samaritan and remember that in our time of need we would want the same.”

LINDA SMIRK
Cooperstown

Dismissed by MLB, Let’s Go International

To the Editor:
Since everyone would like to see an outstanding game once a year in Cooperstown, why not go international?
How about the United States against Canada or Japan or Mexico or Brazil or England, etc. This might create enough international interest to start international competition prior to a Cooperstown championship game.
We are sure that many Canadians would love to come to a U.S./Canada championship game. How about a Chicago/Toronto game?

JIM and MARIE MURREY

Labels: Letters to the Editor, Opinion

Beware Of Folksy Presenters, And More...

To the Editor:
We have enjoyed reading The Freeman’s Journal coverage about the proposed MSG music festival. I must admit that I have partaken of such rock concerts in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and am aware of their unique appeal.
Four things seem to stand out:
1. Presenter – When going for an approval in a rural area, it is standard operating
procedure to use a folksy presenter.
So the local “face” of MSG is a casually dressed Canadian. Most of what he has told the audiences appear to be vague unregulated
equivocations.
MSG can put on whatever acts they want – heavy metal, rap – without restriction, as a matter of constitutional law.
And there is no way that they could limit to the number of people that attend - since some people will trespass.
2. Acoustics – MSG has said that “you will not be able to hear the concert two miles south” since the speakers will be pointed north.
Sound dispersion is a function of wind direction, not just the orientation of the speakers.
So if the wind is blowing hard out of the north, you could easily hear a band all the way into Cooperstown. “Sympathy for the Devil” at midnight.
Springfield and Richfield Springs will of course be inundated with noise.
3. Trespassersrespassers – Any freeloader will be able to hear the bands outside the boundaries of the venue - as trespassers on neighboring properties. At night. In the woods. In the late ‘60s, this is how we went to concerts for free. Such trespassers will be policed by whom? The Springfield constabulary?
4. Pollution – The main source of pollution in a campsite this size will be run-off, i.e. muddy, polluted water. There is no way to keep this from going into the lake - short of a dam of sufficient size to hold all run-off during a rain. Is MSG going
to impound 1,000 acres+ of run-off?
The town needs an independent consultant
to address all aspects of the pollution involved, including noise and light pollution.
Next time MSG makes a presentation, imagine the presenter is a corporate lawyer, in a dark suit, mumbling out of the side of his mouth.
Cheney style.
That might be a more accurate image of what the towns are dealing with.
JAMES NORTHRUP
Cooperstown

Labels: Letters to the Editor

Enjoy, Care For Badger Park Playground

To the Editor:
In May of 2005 the village commissioned Chris Pape, an artist from NYC whose work is exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, to paint a mural on the back wall of the Great American.
This was paid for by a grant from Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson, and agreed to by the Koniuto family, which owns the building.
The village and the Parks Board are grateful to them all.
The mural was the initial step taken to brighten up the area and eventually to build a much needed village playground.
The celebration of the official opening of Badger Park Playground was on Sunday, June 22.
A few months ago vandals, defaced the mural by painting two large areas of graffiti on it.
Blaze Cox, who is working toward becoming an Eagle Scout, chose as his required project to clear out the dead trees and branches in Badger Park and to generally clean up the area.
He also volunteered to paint over the graffiti on the mural.
This week he and a friend, Steven French, did a magnificent job of returning the mural to it’s original state. We thank them for a job well done.
It is our hope that everyone will respect the hard work and time that Blaze and Steven put in on the mural and will think of the cost of the original art and for the repair work, and help keep this mural graffiti free.
We are fortunate to have Badger Park with its playground and skating rink and there are more innovations to come. It belongs to all of us and let’s all protect it and keep it in good repair.
Most of all, let’s all enjoy this latest village park.
GRACE KULL
Village Trustee
Cooperstown

Two Words: Thank You

To the Editor:
The village Parks Board and the Friends of the Parks celebrated the completion of the Badger Park playground Sunday afternoon, June 22.
This marked having a municipal playground in Cooperstown – long wished for by Cooperstown kids and parents – and also the successful inauguration of the working relationship between the village and the new Friends of the Parks.
As the chair of the Friends, dedicated to the enhancement of Cooperstown’s parks, the two most important words I have to say are: Thank you.
Thank you to the village trustees, Mayor Carol Waller and Parks Board members who agreed to a planning and fundraising process to achieve the goal of a village playground.
Heartfelt thanks to Jeff Katz, trustee and Parks Board chair, who was rational, capable and unflappable in a sea of e-mails.
So also was Brian Clancy, superintendent of public works. He was unerring and unwavering in helping fill all the gaps left in the planning.
Thanks to all of the people and the two local foundations who donated money to the fund. We had a little debate amongst ourselves about how much the appeal letter would bring in. You exceeded even the most optimistic among us.
Several local businesses offered materials and services, including Bruce Hall Corp., Kiser Sand & Gravel, the Great American, Haggerty Ace Hardware, Cooperstown Holstein Corp., Mohican Flowers, and the Red Nugget.
Thanks to all who turned out to work in steamy weather, bringing your tools and your good humor. And thanks to Parks Board members Kathy Clancy and Shelby Cooper, who organized the work force, and to Grace Kull and Rich McCaffery, who fed the work crew.
We hope this playground is the beginning of partnership that will get better and stronger and achieve more good things for the village’s parks. I think the sense of cooperation displayed at the ribbon cutting – organized by Susie Knight, Rich McCaffery, Ashley Cooper, and Grace Kull – was a great way to put closure to this project.
JESSIE RAVAGE
Chairman, Friends of the Parks
Cooperstown

Unless Selig Truly Listens, Hall of Fame Game Is Lost

To the Editor:
You’re article encompassing the George Bush – Bud Selig scenario was right on the mark! Both have continually underscored their pathos via their repeated failures. Unfortunately for us as Americans, one has damaged us worldwide far more than the other.
Nevertheless, they both personify common denominators, one of which is an inability to truly listen to those around them, confining such “listening” only to what they want to hear. Both are the puppets of big business, prioritizing their actions relative to the monetary demands of the moment.
Selig recognizes the profit-margin far more than the fans who propagate the success of his teams.
In the end, like Bush, the unfortunate reality spells out the fact that Selig simply does not listen. He only plods on in his know-it-all manner. This does not portend any successful resolution of any future scheduling of the annual Hall of Fame Game, and that reality must be recognized

KENNETH J. KAVANAGH
Cooperstown

It’s Freedom That Creates Opportunity

To the Editor:
Governor Paterson and Mayor Nader of Oneonta have recently suggested eliminating or combining smaller, particularly local, government entities into more efficient economical bodies. In other words, centralization.
Our very successful well-liked adherent to constitutional principles of the past, state Sen. Edwyn Mason of Delaware County, always unfailingly insisted that “government closest to the people serves the people best.” This will never change.
It seems we’ve had enough of centralization in the name of efficiency and economic prosperity at the expense of guiding our future. After all, our own elected officials, our representatives in Congress, abrogated their responsibility to the rest of us by giving up their constitutional right to declare war, by giving up that responsibility to one efficient man, the President of the United States. This was easy, wasn’t it? Look at the consequence.
Margaret Thatcher in a letter to the Heritage Foundation in 2006 had this to say about President Reagan: “He taught us the economic principles which underpin our prosperity. He knew lower taxes and economic freedom brought boundless opportunity and increased wealth.
“He knew that helping people help themselves was better than state planning and regulation. State planning and regulation, far from building a land of opportunity, creates one of dependency.”
An article in the New American magazine by Jane Orient, M.D., January 2007, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, pointed out that, under Universal Health Care, your doctor will not decide your treatment, government bureaucrats would.
Medicare has tens of millions of dollars in unfunded liabilities. George Quinn, senior vice president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association told the House Committee on ways and means that Medicare pays only pennies on the dollar for actual costs, shifting huge administration costs onto doctors and hospitals.
BETH WHITCHER
Oneonta

Support Burn Ban

To the Editor:
If you think it is time for the burning of trash to be banned in New York State, then heads up.
Now is the time for all persons who are tired of smelling that noxious trash burning smell in your neighborhood to stand up and let your voice be heard. The state DEC is re-writing the regulations that pertain to trash burning and open burning across the state.
Write a letter and share your thoughts on trash burning, and send it to: Mr. Robert J. Stanton, Director, Bureau of Stationary Resources, Division of Air Resources, Second Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany NY 12233-3254.
It’s time people stop wasting resources, polluting the air, water and soil, and time to stop contaminating our food supply.
MARTHA CLARVOE
Co-chair
Burn Barrel Education Committee


Beautification Evident In Village’s Downtown

To the Editor:
As someone who walks Main Street every day for the pure pleasure of observing its beauty, it was a pleasant surprise to see the new flower beds surrounding the many trees lining the street.
In the past, the area around these trees was all too often trampled down and covered with debris. Hopefully, the civic-minded individuals who planted these new beds, along with those who are committed to maintaining them, will turn an eyesore into a real enhancement.
Many thanks to the many volunteers who donated plants, labored on the street and adopted a bed to maintain.
And special thanks to a few who made it happen: Charlene and Jim Vrooman for their initiative, organization and work, Eric Hage for supporting the program and setting an example of participation, and Neil Weiller for gathering volunteers, assembling tools and supplies, and getting the job done.
ROD TORRENCE
Cooperstown

5 Cars In Doubleday Field Lot Reflect Village Short-Sightedness Downtown

To the Editor:
This is Wednesday morning June 25, 2008. 11:30 a.m. Doubleday Field parking lot has only five cars parked. Village residents get their wish.
Two stores are now empty on Main Street and many more are to come. The customer count at our restaurant is down 500 people in the month of June. Parking tickets will now be given in Doubleday Field on Sunday. The village’s short-sightedness will turn Main Street into a ghost town.
Doubleday Field scheduling has 30 open spaces in June and July. That’s 60 teams or 1,500 people who will not be in Cooperstown for a loss of ball field revenue to exceed $12,000.
Mr. Katz took over scheduling and drove one of our best town employees out. She did the scheduling job well. Mr. Katz took the job away from her, so he could be sure that he could exclude the teams that he did not want to be in Cooperstown.
The open spaces also may be due to the 50 percent to 75 percent raise in fees. When you have no knowledge of scheduling or the teams that have used our fields year after year you would think that the job would have been left to the girl that not only had the knowledge of the teams using our field, took her own time in off hours to be sure the job was done correctly would have been able to continue doing this job.
So here we are less than one year later with parking meters and meter maids, a fairly empty parking lot, teams that have disappeared from our Doubleday Field and God only knows how much revenue lost. It is my understanding that more than 50 parking tickets at $35 per ticket were issued the first day the actual signs were installed. By the way, this was two weeks after the meters were installed. You would have thought courtesy warnings would have come first.
For the residents who were here 20 years ago and can remember the shape of our Main Street, store after store went out of business and the buildings were in horrible shape. Whether we want to admit it or not, only baseball and the patrons of baseball saved our village from empty stores and decaying buildings.
Residents, your town is being taken away from you right before your eyes. The two stores that are now empty could turn into four or six or eight. Wake up and smell the coffee. It may be too late.
TED HARGROVE
Cooperstown

Labels: 062708, Letters to the Editor

Food Kept Volunteer Army Marching

To the Editor:
The Village of Cooperstown’s newest playground has been installed in Badger Park, thanks to many volunteers who performed a variety of jobs to help make this dream a reality. They will all be duly recognized.
However, there is a group who worked behind the scenes and so were not visible on the days of the installation. They are the people who supplied the food and drinks to keep the volunteer workers energized and hydrated in the 90-degree weather.
Rich McCaffery and I volunteered to spearhead this project and there were many willing donors. Terry Andrews, manager of the Great American, graciously donated a variety of subs for lunch, Martha Clarvoe donated apples, Annmarie Leinhart donated watermelon and cookies.
The following all baked a fantastic variety of goodies that were “out there” for non-stop snacking by the workers both days: Charlene Vrooman, Stephanie Bauer, Dianne Kull, MayBritt Joyce, Kathy Clancy, Jeanne Dewey, Neil Weiller, Phyllis Orlowski, Alicia Chase, Sally Trosset and Susan Longhi.
Rich donated the morning coffee and donuts and more of the lunch food and I donated the bottled water and paper goods. It is fitting that all be recognized for their contributions. Thanks to each and every one.
GRACE KULL
Cooperstown Village Trustee

Volunteers Made It Happen

To the Editor:
Even 90-degree heat couldn’t deter an intrepid group of Cooperstown volunteers from building a Village playground at Badger Park Friday-Saturday, June 6-7.
For two sweltering days, residents and representatives from Friends of the Parks and the Parks Board drilled, lifted, raked and transported tons of stone and mountains of wood chips to create a needed addition to the Cooperstown’s park scene.
It was truly community in action, and a wonderful event to be a part of.
To those hardy souls who put their sweat and muscle into the playground, the village owes thanks. As for me, my back still hurts!
JEFF KATZ
Chairman, Village Parks Board

Brookwood Thanks ‘Big Rig’ Helpers

To the Editor:
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses, and organizations who donated four-wheelers, trucks, and equipment plus the hard work of friends, parents, and staff, The Brookwood School’s annual “Big Rigs” Festival on June 1 at the Fly Creek Cider Mill was a great success!
Children and their parents spent the afternoon admiring and exploring a wide array of trucks and equipment donated by the following generous businesses, organizations and individuals: Bennett Motor Sales; Cooperstown Fire Dept.; Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home; Hartwick Fire Department; Hartwick Highway Department; Houk-Johnston Terry Funeral Home; Otsego County Sheriff’s Office; Otsego Electric; Roger Ree; Seward Sand & Gravel; Smith Ford, Inc.; Howard Smith; Russ Smith; Tallman Enterprises Tree Services; Taylor & Sons, Inc.; The Clark Foundation; Town of Otsego; and Scott Ubner.
Special thanks to Bill and Brenda Michaels of the Fly Creek Cider Mill for hosting the event and to the friends and neighbors of the mill for allowing us to infiltrate their neighborhood for this annual community event.
Special thanks also to Michael and Cory Moffat for hosting a fundraising dinner on behalf of The Brookwood School on May 21. Everyone who attended had a terrific evening visiting with friends, learning about the childcare and educational programs at Brookwood, and most of all, enjoying the delectable dinner prepared by the staff at The Blue Mingo Grill.
CATHY ANDREWS
Assistant Head of School
The Brookwood School
Toddsville

DOT Proves Sensitive To Lake’s Needs

To the Editor:
The Otsego Lake Association would like to commend and thank the state Department of Transportation, Oneonta office, for its stewardship of Otsego Lake in the past year.
All along State Route 80 adjacent to the Lake, roadwork and ditching have been undertaken in a manner to limit the downhill flow of sediments, silt and mud into Otsego Lake.
Specifically, DOT has used hydro seeding and rip-rap to hold down disturbed soils and to line ditches.
Route 80 ditches flow directly into the Lake. These ditches now not only facilitate the flow of traffic, but also serve to keep shallow Otsego Lake waters free of trout-egg-smothering and weed-encouraging silt.
Unfortunately, members report that mud continues to flow into Otsego Lake from upland portions of the Village of Cooperstown, and the towns of Otsego, Middlefield and Springfield.
This, in part, negates the positive effects of the DOT actions.
We encourage the municipal highway departments to emulate DOT’s practices and to use rip-rap and the Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District hydro seeder.
PAUL H. LORD
President
Otsego Lake Association

Labels: Letters to the Editor

Moratorium’s The Right Move For Springfield

To the Editor:
I think this isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last letter on the proposed musical festival in Springfield. Many things will be said, and some will likely divide the community in much the same way that windmill issue divided Cherry Valley.
Things must be said to protect our way of life and our homes, and the time is now to speak up in favor of the moratorium. If you agree, then show up at the meeting and let town board representatives know you want a moratorium.
The moratorium will give the Planning Board time to finish the comprehensive plan for the ENTIRE community, not just a few individuals who think they can benefit from this concert.
There are more negatives than positives and a very huge, powerful group with expensive lawyers will be speaking and handing out cookies and punch with a slick program.
We need to be very careful what happens here, or we will lose what we have.
I am a 25-year resident and my husband, 40 years. We are retired, but we both worked here, and lived and raised a family here. We also worked very hard over the years on our historic 1812 home on historic Route 20.
Folks who live here, pay taxes regardless of whether they own summer homes, or are retired, and have a right to speak up on behalf of the home they live in. This is our home and we don’t want a concert ruining our town.
Besides being ecologically disruptive to the community, this music festival demands better infrastructure.
We don’t have the infrastructure that New Orleans has, as we are a country setting, not a city. Cities have the roads, bridges, lights, city water, hospitals, police, fire and rescue to handle and deal with crowds of 75,000.
We can’t invite the population of Otsego County over for a party and expect that we can handle it. (The Springfield Parade is about 4,000 people, just for comparison). It’s short-sighted and plain, foolish thinking to expect us to be able to manage crowds of this size here.
Taxpayers will be expected to pay for anything such as is needed to accommodate the crowds. New roads, lights, water system, etc. All our water here is from wells and it drains to the Otsego Lake. Think about it. 75,000 people and their waste material in the drinking water of the lake.
That will affect Cooperstown and its drinking water, not to mention crowded roads, noise, garbage and car exhaust for days and days.
Business folks who think they will benefit are sadly mistaken. The developers likely will bring in their own security system which will be minimal, and food concerns such as SoDexHo and will cheap out on security and other issues in order to maximize their profits since they are here to make money, not to be a part of this community, raise their families here or put back into the local cub scout fund-raisers.
We want businesses also, but let the Planning Board do its job. We want them to find businesses which will benefit our children so they can settle here and raise families also, for the LONG term – not provide part-time jobs for a week or two.
MSG isn’t your answer. We want eco-friendly business, which has an eye to the future generations, and we want jobs, long-term solid jobs created through a thoughtful process that can benefit all of the residents.
Let’s not take the first thing that comes along. Let the Planning Board do the right thing for all of Springfield. Give it the moratorium and have growth be on our terms, NOT on the terms of some conglomerate which will use us for our best features and leave our town in ruins.
MAUREEN CULBERT
East Springfield

More On Morse, Willa Cather

To the Editor:
For historical accuracy, I want to clarify some information on Cherry Valley about which I was quoted in The Freeman’s Journal (May 30, 2008).
Samuel Morse worked on his invention of the telegraph and the code that bears his name at the home of his cousin, James O. Morse, which is on Montgomery Street, not the Masonic block (Sawyer, J., “History of Cherry Valley From 1740 to 1898”).
The building between the Masonic block and Clough’s book store on Alden Street was used as a school for telegraphers to learn the Morse Code. Morse was also well-known as a landscape painter, and the local scenery might have been what attracted him to Cherry Valley.
Willa Cather was one of several authors and poets who have frequented Cherry Valley over the years. I have been informed that she resided for some time in the Cannon house on the edge of the village. This house was more recently occupied by the late professor Beekman Cannon.
Willa Cather is alleged to have said, “The only thing that ever happens in Cherry Valley is the weather,” an observation which, some might say, is still accurate.
WILLIAM G. ISAAC
Cherry Valley

Ghaleb Breaches Men’s Club

To the Editor:
Your unbalanced reporting of Otsego County’s newly appointed judge seems at best unfair.
The county GOP candidate got better treatment than a soon-to-be-seated judge. So what’s your point, Mr. Objective?
By the way, Ms Ghaleb is a registered independent who has been endorsed by the Otsego County Democratic Party and found qualified by the state Bar Association.
She was confirmed by Senator James Seward and a Republican state Senate in a bipartisan vote of confirmation to fill a void left in a busy county court with only one judge.
I would like to add that Jill, like state Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma was before her (she worked hard to get him elected last fall as an independent on his committee) is proud to be certified as a law guardian for children in court matters and highly regarded for this important work.
Her community work in Rotary is also reflective of a can-do professional modern woman in what was once thought of as a men’s-only club.
Get some facts and a little fairness.

ALEXANDER J. SHIELDS
Richfield Springs


Plan First, Then Act

To the Editor:
A Comprehensive Plan allows the citizens of the Springfield community to determine and control the shape of our community in the future.
The town Planning Board and town board supported the idea and the town board voted to fund the development of a plan.
A Comprehensive Plan Committee was established that includes a wide representation of the community. The committee has been diligently working on this plan for over a year. We have equitably gathered the community’s opinions through well-attended working group meetings and a mailed public survey that had a tremendous response.
Through the workshops and survey, the people have voiced their vision of the future of Springfield and have given their opinions about how we will shape our community and control development to achieve that vision.
The plan is based on and formed from community input – not the input of individuals or the committee.
A temporary moratorium on large developments will provide the committee enough time to finish the Comprehensive Plan document which lays out the vision and directions that you the citizens have collectively described to the committee.
The large-scale projects currently being proposed may or may not fit the communities’ wishes and vision of Springfield. We do not know.
It seems prudent to finalize the plan first and then review the big projects after that.
The proposed moratorium will allow the committee to finish its task, to gather information and measure public opinions and present a collective vision of Springfield and how we will get there.
The alternative, no moratorium, will allow outside interests shape our community by preemptively developing large areas of our town. The time, effort, and money spent gathering your opinions about what you want for the future of the town and how you want to reach that vision will have been wasted.
DAVID STALEY
Planning Board member
Comprehensive Plan
Committee co-chair
Springfield

Quit Smoking, Save Money ... And Lives

To the Editor:
New York’s cigarette tax increase of $1.25 per pack protects public health, according to state Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines.
How does that broad statement relate to tobacco use in a small, rural town?
There are so many ways.
Beside the cost and inconvenience, cigarettes pose a serious threat of asthma attacks, bronchial infections, cancer and emphysema. Feeling rotten is no fun and shortness of breath keeps smokers from work and from doing the things they love ... like participating in the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, the annual Ricky Parisian Pit Run and a myriad of summer fun activities.
The tobacco tax will motivate smokers here in Otsego County to cut down or quit. Smokers can view the tax increase as an opportunity. This is a great time to take their lives back from a costly, deadly habit.
Take charge with help from the state Smokers Quit-line. Simply call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) for telephone counseling or look on-line for the Quit-line’s services at www.nysmokefree.com.
A national tobacco study shows that people are more often successful in quitting if they combine counseling with the patch, gum or lozenges. The Quit-line provides free samples of nicotine replacement therapy.
Cold turkey works too. Barbara Sines of Oneonta was tired of having tobacco run her life. One night, she wanted to drive to a convenience store at midnight for cigarettes.
Instead she decided to start drinking ice water every time she wanted to light up. After 50 years of smoking, she kicked the habit.
Quitting means that a pack-a-day smoker will now have $2,000 more to spend locally this year.
MARCIA KOZUBEK
Otsego County Coordinator
Reality Check

Memorial Day Speech Impressed

To the Editor:
The speaker at our Memorial Day ceremony was Dick Hanson, who many of us know as a community neighbor. His credential as combat veteran certainly qualifi ed him to the position as speaker, but his insight into war’s casualties in all their forms for the time after veterans return home recast the significance of the day to a deeper place than is traditiona