Hometown Oneonta 03-23-23

Friday,March24 TheOtesagaResortHotel•$20/ticket

Second Lawsuit Filed Regarding Averill Road

By DARLA M. YOUNGS COOPERSTOWN

After submitting a “Partial Observer” commentary to “The Freeman’s Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta” last week regarding concerns about work being done on the Templeton Foundation’s Averill Road property, environmental lawyer Douglas H. Zamelis has filed a second lawsuit against the Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees, the Village of Cooperstown zoning enforcement officer and Templeton Foundation itself.

On January 18, Zamelis had filed a petition in the Madison County Supreme Court on behalf of clients Michael Swatling and Carolyn O’Brien, in which they alleged that the Cooperstown Board of Trustees applied an incorrect standard when analyzing the proposed Bassett Hospital housing project’s environmental impact in light of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. Upon review and realizing that these allegations had merit, attorneys for all parties agreed that the suit should be discontinued but with the full right of Templeton to reapply.

Zamelis contends now that the Averill Road housing project is already under construction without a special permit from the village or proper stormwater management controls.

“We assert the project also requires coverage under NYSDEC’s General SPDES Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities because it’s physically altering much more than 1 acre, but Templeton takes the position that its work is not subject to the state stormwater permit and no stormwater controls have been implemented which are visible from the public right-of-way,”

Zamelis

Continued on page 7

stationery cameras: protection or invasion of privacy?/ page 2

ONEONTA—According to owner Lori Paparteys, among this little guy’s hiking accomplishments are several Adirondack High and Catskill 3500 peaks, the Lake Placid 9er, two rounds (spring and winter) of the Tupper Lake Triad (ultras), the Fulton Chain Trifecta (ultra), the Adirondack Quest, and five ultra rounds of the Otsego Octet. Lori says 3-year-old Bailey is certainly one-of-a-kind for a little 7.6 pound pup! Every week, we’ll select at least one photograph to be highlighted in the newspapers, and a gallery of people’s pets is now available for viewing on the AllOtsego.com website at https://www.allotsego.com/furever-friends-and-purrfect-pals/

Women Helping Women Reach for the Stars

By JOEL J. PLUE ONEONTA

The local chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization has been a strong force behind the mission of women helping women achieve academic success in Otsego County since 1963.

Cindy Korb, president of the Oneonta-based PEO chapter, is proud of the many accomplishments and awards made possible to deserving women of not just Otsego County but the entire state.

“The New York State PEO has a needs-based fund known as the Janet H. Griswold Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship awards female residents of New York State. Recipients receive no less than $750.00. Last

Opposition Builds

to Governor Hochul’s

Part N Amendment

STAFF REPORT

OTSEGO COUNTY

In the days following the March 1 Otsego County Board of Representatives’ unanimous vote to send a letter of opposition to Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed amendment to the state’s Real Property Tax Law 575-b, known as Part N, town boards across the county have begun to act in similar fashion. Following the county board’s vote, Cooperstownbased environmental organization Otsego 2000 mailed a model resolution to all 24 Otsego County town supervisors, asking them to consider joining the opposition.

The response has been swift, and supportive. As of press time, six towns have adopted the resolution, with several more set to act at their monthly meetings.

“We are only aware of the actions of those towns who participate in the County Association of Town Supervisors meetings,” noted Dan Sullivan, Town of Richfield supervisor. “Several other boards may have passed the resolution without our knowledge.”

One step town boards should take, according to Keith Schue—an engineer from Cherry Valley who is active in the opposition to Part N—is to mail copies of the resolution to their Assembly and State Senate representatives, as well as to the governor’s office.

Opposition to Part N, which essentially removes assessment authority for large-scale renewable energy projects from local control and gives it to the state, has spread beyond Otsego County as well. Herkimer County is considering a resolution of opposition and, on March 17, the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved its own resolution of opposition to Part N. Further downstate, opposition to the governor’s budget largely takes on the Housing Compact, which is another attempt to thwart local control.

“From Article 10 to Cuomo’s 94-c to the Housing Compact to Part N, the pattern of attack on home rule is clear,” said Schue. “The time to act is now.”

One downstate supervisor put it this way: Do we want local control, or Hochul control?

Mission Driven Sisterhood Celebrates 60 Years in Otsego County

Chapter Award. Through these funds, we recently awarded a $500.00 grant to a young lady who is now attending the Oneonta BOCES LPN program,” she explained.

Korb assists with many PEO fundraising activities and events, and also oversees the local chapter’s charitable efforts to help members of the community.

year, we were able to utilize these funds to aid three young ladies of Otsego County,” Korb said. The Oneonta chapter has access to

federal and state scholarship funds, but also has its own scholarship.

“We have our own local award called the Helen Zimmerman PEO

“Our primary goal is education of women, but we also like to do local charitable work,” Korb continued. “We have supported the Angel Network of Cooperstown for the past three years. Last year, we bought personal hygiene items for the homeless in our community. We gave the items to Catholic Charities to give out to those in need.”

Korb has been an active member

Photo by Lori Paparteys @baileythehikingpup

Photo by Cindy Korb

PEO New York State Convention, Binghamton: “Time of Remembrance.”

Cooperstown Concert Series presents Yolanda Bush & the Cool Water Collective Powerful&Deep-Rooted,SoulfulBlues

Camera Conversation Continues monday at Public Hearing No. 2

By CASPAR EWIG

Regional Innovation Council: Bold Vision with

many Partners

COOPERSTOWN

ANotice of Public Hearing published in “The Freeman’s Journal” on march 16 advises that at its meeting next monday, march 27 at 7 p.m., the Cooperstown Board of Trustees will consider implementation of a policy covering the installation, operation and maintenance of stationary cameras in public places, as well as the use of images from those cameras.

A Short History

The need for, and desirability of, having cameras permitting the village to permanently record activities on public property is not without controversy. When cameras were first proposed by the board last fall, it was clear some trustees had serious reservations and that the concept needed to be well defined if it was to be implemented. A subcommittee was formed to draft a policy.

The resulting document was presented and discussed extensively at a public hearing held on November 28, 2022. At that time, members of the public and some trustees questioned whether the crime rate in Cooperstown had reached a level that would warrant such cameras. The response was that any system which could assist law enforcement officials in their duties was desirable and would provide protection for the community as a whole. One attendee at the hearing raised the concern that a camera recording system could act as a preemptive deterrent to a protester’s exercise of his or her civil rights, especially when paired with facial recognition technology. In answer to that concern, Police Chief Frank Cavalieri stated that facial recognition software was too expensive and Trustee Richard Sternberg emphasized the system was for documentation, and not surveillance, but agreed the issue should be kept open for further consideration.

At the end of the November public hearing, a motion to disapprove the entire concept of the camera policy was defeated, 2-4, with trustees macGuire Benton and Joseph membrino voting in favor and mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, Deputy mayor Cynthia Falk, and trustees Hanna Bergene and Sternberg opposed. A motion to reconsider and prepare a revised draft followed and a subcommittee of trustees Sternberg and membrino and Deputy mayor Falk was tasked with creating the new document to be presented at next monday’s meeting in the Village Office Building, 22 main Street.

The Draft Policy Proposal

The stated purpose of the “Policy for Installation, Operation, and maintenance of Fixed-Location Cameras by the Cooperstown Police Department” is to codify practices and to “enhance public safety and assist in the deterrence and investigation of crime while preserving privacy and civil rights.”

Continued on page 7

True Friends

Nancy Waller Art Exhibit To Benefit Ellen St. John Peacemaker Award

COOPERSTOWN

True Friends,” an exhibition of works by Nancy Waller (19182017) dedicated to her close friend, Ellen St. John (19252023), opened on Friday, march 10 at The Art Garage. The show is intended to help build awareness of, and raise funds for, the new Ellen St. John Peacemaker Award. This award will be given annually to a graduating Cooperstown Central School student who is recognized as a peacemaker by the school community. Funds will be managed by the Friends Fiduciary, a Quaker investment firm. Donations will also be accepted.

St. John’s many friends include Deborah Dickinson, one of the driving forces behind establishing the award.

“The hope is to keep her loving, creative spirit alive by investing in young people who show their own capacity for creating possi-

bilities for peaceful solutions to conflict in school and the wider community—and who plan to continue with peacemaking efforts in the future.”

An application for the Ellen St. John Peacemaker Award will be available in the Cooperstown Central School guidance office.

The show of watercolors and other art forms by Nancy Waller will be open on Saturdays through April 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and by special appointment via text or phone call to Art Garage Director Sydney Waller at (315) 941-9607. The Art Garage is located at 689 Beaver meadow Road, Cooperstown.

Ellen St. John was a beloved member of the wider Cooperstown area, known as a quiet but powerful instigator of change to make a positive difference in many people’s lives. She started the Cooperstown Food

Continued on page 11

By DAN SULLIVAN ONEONTA

Alberto Cardelle, PhD, mPH, is the sixth president of SUNY Oneonta. Since taking office in September 2021, he has methodically overseen an assessment of the needs of the region that SUNY Oneonta lives in, and he has reached a conclusion. There are many great things going on in Otsego County, Cardelle said, but most operate in silos that inhibit efficiency, lead to duplication of effort and, most importantly, fail to reach potential. Thus, Dr. Cardelle has created the Regional Innovation Council, a group of some 170 stakeholders countywide that intends to break down silos, enhance dialogue, and facilitate collaboration with the goal of improving life for all residents of Otsego County and beyond.

Patricia Kennedy, a member of the council’s leadership group and chief executive officer of Springbrook, stated the purpose and potential of the RIC succinctly: “Simply put, the success of our institutions is completely linked to the health and prosperity of the greater community. Dr. Cardelle, new to the community, is the ideal ‘convener’ to effect the unification of efforts. I personally am very excited to work toward this end.”

On Wednesday, march 15, the RIC officially launched with an event at the B Side Ballroom and Supper Club in Oneonta. Organized by Dr. Cardelle’s highly capable Chief of Staff Danielle mcmullen, the luncheon was a tangible example of the power of getting committed individuals together to exchange ideas and network for future collaborations among the business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors in Otsego County. The RIC aims to identify projects that have potential to impact residents in Otsego County and even beyond.

“Our needs and issues do not stop at the borders of the counties,” said Dr. Cardelle. “The Regional Innovation Council invites collaboration with regional partners. We are all Upstate New Yorkers.”

Currently the RIC operates with several committees working on more than 20 initiatives, including workforce development and educational conduits to support county school districts. A business plan competition aims to serve entrepreneurs in the county, offering vital support to the small business sector of the economy.

Other members of the leadership team include: Chad Hall, senior vice president and co-founder, Ioxus; Catherine Huber, district superintendent, ONC BOCES; Jeff Katz, executive director, Community Foundation of Otsego County; Darren Reisberg, president, Hartwick College; and Steve Wilson, county administrator, Otsego County.

Throughout, the message Dr. Cardelle stressed last Wednesday was clear. The university wants—and needs—to play a greater role in the economic and social wellbeing of the community. The new Regional Innovation Council represents a serious commitment to this goal, and the involvement of a large number of stakeholders bodes well for its success.

Photo by Sydney Waller

The “True Friends” exhibition features landscapes, seascapes and still lifes—mostly watercolors—from the 1950s through 2012.

Local Artist’s Crystal Creations ‘Walk’ Academy Red Carpet

By DARLA m. YOUNGS COOPERSTOWN

Cooperstown and Otsego County were well represented at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony held on march 12 in Los Angeles.

Wine influencer Elle Rodriguez, whose Instagram tag is The modern Pour, donned a pair of earrings made by Cooperstown resident Karen Katz for the event, and the rest is history.

Katz, owner of Karen Katz Studio, remembers Rodriguez, who attended a trunk show at Kate’s Upstate on main Street, though she’s not sure exactly when that was.

“She came in one day during a weekend trunk show, in 2021 maybe, and purchased some earrings,” Katz recalled. “There were some other pieces that interested her, so over the course of the weekend she came back a few times.”

Rodriguez, who lives in Los Angeles, bought a few pairs of earrings that weekend and brought her friends. Katz said, if she remembers correctly, “they were the most beautiful, fashionable people we have ever seen.”

“Elle is very active and goes everywhere – amazing parties, different countries – and once in a while she will tag me on Instagram,” Katz continued. “She is a lovely person and very generous to tag me. I’m such small potatoes.”

Katz said Rodriguez is one of the most followed wine influencers on Instagram and perhaps the most influential Latina wine connoisseur. According to FeedSpot – touted as the Internet’s largest human curated database of bloggers and podcasts – as of July 2022, Rodriguez ranked 80 among the top

200 most followed wine Instagram influencers. Katz said she, herself, has 300 followers.

The earrings Rodriguez wore to the Oscars, and to the Netflix afterparty, are vintage Czech crystal in a contemporary setting, made by Katz right here in her Cooperstown shop. Katz was in the grocery store with son Nate when she first became aware that her earrings might have walked the red carpet.

“A picture of Elle showed up on my Instagram the day of the event. She was wearing a gorgeous, form-fitting black dress with a beautiful plunging neckline. Below the photo, just like on all the award shows, there were details of what she was wearing – dress by Gucci, shoes by Amina muaddi.”

And there it was. Earrings by Karen Katz Studio.

“I didn’t think it was actually at the Oscars, at first,” Katz said. “But Elle’s message was ‘Hi from the 95th Academy Awards.’ She has long, gorgeous hair, so you can’t actually see the earrings.

“my earrings were next to Wolfgang Puck!” burst out Katz, with a huge smile.

Katz specializes in making jewelry with vintage elements. Her pieces are sold locally at Kate’s Upstate on m ain Street in Cooperstown, m ohican Flowers, also on Cooperstown’s m ain Street, at The Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta, Fenimore Art m useum, and at 25 m ain Collective in Cherry Valley.

Each shop carries pieces that are unique. most are one of a kind.

Can’t wait to see where her jewelry ends up next …

Organizers Begin To Release Details for Otsego County Fair 2023

mORRIS—This year’s Otsego County Fair will open on Tuesday, August 1, featuring Ag Day. The gate will be free admission, with New York State Sire Stakes harness racing at noon. An animal show will be held and the livestock barns will be open as exhibitors get animals ready to show on Wednesday and throughout the week. The 4-H building, martin Hall, will have exhibits of 4-Hers along with club displays to view and daily youth activities. A limited number of vendors and buildings will be open on Tuesday. The official opening day of the

2023 fair will be Wednesday, August 2. New this year are payone-price wristbands for the Gillette Shows midway from 2 p.m. until close Wednesday through Saturday and noon to close on Sunday. From Wednesday through Sunday, fairgoers can enjoy the entertainment tent, livestock shows, fair store, county store, Federation association displays along with the Grange Building, vendors, fair food, and the grandstand, with demo derbies, truck and tractor pulls, and more. Find more details on Facebook and at www.otsegocountyfair.org.

From Screening to Streaming

‘A Roadhouse Coup’ Released Worldwide

By JOEL J. PLUE

ONEONTA

After a year of research and development, followed by months of filming and editing, “A Roadhouse Coup,” the film, has begun making appearances on video on demand platforms.

“It’s been an incredible undertaking and we were fortunate to have so many members of the community take part. It’s rewarding to see everyone’s hard work come to fruition and know that it is now making its way into the streaming market,” Lori Bailey said.

Bailey wrote, directed and produced the film, which depicts the true story of Eva Coo—the local brothel owner convicted in 1935 of killing Harry “Gimpy” Wright on Crumhorn mountain Road, tried and convicted in Otsego County, then executed by electric chair at Sing Sing Prison in June 1935. Local dignitaries and residents fill the scenes, with notables like Cooperstown mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, Oneonta mayor mark Drnek, Otsego County District Attorney John muehl, and retired state Senator Jim Seward all in starring roles.

“A Roadhouse Coup” is currently available on Vimeo on Demand. Community members can look forward to seeing it appear on Apple TV and many more outlets in the very near future, Bailey said.

Ibrahim Named ‘Rural Hospital CEO to Know’

COOPERSTOWN

Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network, has been named to a select list of esteemed healthcare industry professionals profiled in the “Becker’s Hospital Review” article titled “80 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know 2023.” As noted in the article: “Rural hospitals are critical to the success of the U.S. healthcare system to expand access to care in remote areas. CEOs at the helm of these important community institutions have many responsibilities to make sure their hospitals thrive.”

The Becker’s article continues: “The executives featured on this list have put their heart and soul into ensuring their communities have access to the best healthcare services possible. While rural hospitals across the country have faced closure in recent years, these leaders have developed a model for not only surviving but thriving.”

“The headwinds against us are serious,” said Dr. Ibrahim, who was also recently featured in “Lessons from the C-suite,” a podcast series hosted by Advisory Board President Eric Larsen that covers conversations with the most influential leaders in healthcare. “But I also believe that some of the very

Continued on page 10

Photos provided

Top: Earrings worn by Elle Rodgriguez at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony are at the top right of the photo. Above, an Instagram post by The Modern Pour gave a welldeserved nod to Katz.

HOMETOWN Views

Keep FoxCare Fitness

Open, Please

The closure of FoxCare Fitness gym is ill-advised and unwarranted. Denying about 750 members from looking after their own health by exercising and thereby practicing “preventative care” at the gym is irresponsible. Many of these members are following up after cardio and physio therapy. This gym has been open for 24 years and no is the time to encourage a way forward again.

COVID times have been tough on all the healthcare industry. Staff at medical facilities are already at capacity or beyond and are struggling to keep up with services and appointments within reasonable time frames. Surely, “preventative care” decreases the need for “patient care” and is helpful to all medical facilities?

The gym is such a vital part of our healthcare system in many ways. Apart from the obvious excellent healthcare the gym provides to so many people, there is also the issue of the sense of unity and community it brings. The camaraderie, the encouragement to exercise instilled by being part of a big gym group, and the social and business connections too are part of this. There is also the important aspect of accessibility with the easy, abundant parking available. Bassett medical staff at the FoxCare Center use this gym, too.

Where are 750 “dismissed” members supposed to go? There is no viable alternative to factoring in about 750 people. That is a huge number to deal with and reckless to dismiss that issue as being otherwise absorbed. It is infeasible.

People are feeling more encouraged since the COVID lock-down. Now is the time to revitalize the gym with advertising and promotion to increase membership. City, town, county and state officials should be engaged to find ideas to work with the gym on this issue and for any help they can give.

The gym must stay open. It is harmful to the health of so many that cannot be accommodated otherwise. It is a valuable part of our community and an absolute necessity to many. A way must be found to keep the gym open and encourage the “preventative care” health of all!

Anne Donovan is a resident of Oneonta.

Editor’s Note: According to a press release issued on March 10, A.O. Fox Hospital and Bassett Healthcare Network have begun conversations with the Oneonta Family YMCA to explore a potential collaboration at FoxCare Fitness.

“Since the recent announcement that our health system will no longer continue operating a membership-based public fitness facility at the FoxCare Center, I have heard from many of you about how important this facility is to you and the community,” said Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. “I am excited about this opportunity to work together with the YMCA and explore the possibility of sustaining some level of public availability to the wonderful facility at FoxCare Fitness.”

At this time, the two organizations are in the early stages of exploring opportunities to align their respective strengths and expertise to collaborate on projects and initiatives, including at the FoxCare Fitness site, that benefit the community.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

“Hometown Oneonta” welcomes letters to the editor that reflect the writer’s thoughts on an article or other item appearing in the paper. They must include the writer’s name, address, email and telephone/ mobile number; the opinions expressed must be the writer’s own. Hostile, offensive, factually incorrect or excessively inflammatory content will not be published. The length must be no more than 250 words. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit letters for clarity and space. Please send letters to: info@allotsego.com.

CFOC Expanding Its Vision for the Future

The Community Foundation of Otsego County’s Board of Directors spent the past six months listening to our local nonprofit and community leaders, university and business leaders, donors, and the public, to develop an enhanced strategic plan to meet new challenges. These discussions, formal and informal, helped our board identify three areas in which CFOC, with your support, will work to improve life for all community members.

One: Growing and Strengthening our Community. Local communities within Otsego County need fresh, innovative and creative approaches. We want to help reverse our population decline, attract and retain young people, increase diversity, and support entrepreneurship and economic development. Backing efforts designed to address these needs is a CFOC priority. Nor will we lose sight of our community’s most vulnerable members. We will continue to support local nonprofit efforts to overcome food insecurity, to address the lack of adequate mental health resources, to provide transportation, and find affordable housing across our community.

Two: Strengthening Otsego’s Nonprofits. Otsego County is home to a large number of small nonprofits and a few large ones. Large nonprofits have the resources to be self-sufficient, but smaller groups often cannot afford systems and staff to operate more efficiently and effectively. In response, CFOC offers help to smaller nonprofits in the areas of financial assistance, communications, development, and support of new avenues for the sharing and exchanging of ideas.

Three: Growing and Strengthening Ourselves. CFOC intends to expand our support for programs and projects to the $500,000.00-$700,000.00 level over the next several years. This requires us to increase our funding through direct contributions, endowments and fees earned. To succeed, we need to earn the trust and support of all community members. To do so, we will listen, plan, and operate in ways that are effective, efficient, and transparent while remaining focused on substantive outcomes.

Since 2019, the CFOC has allocated $500,000.00 in awards to local nonprofits. Our mission is to lead and inspire community-wide efforts that significantly improve the quality of life and the prosperity of the Otsego County, New York area. Those interested can read our full 2023-2028 Strategic Plan at cfotsego. org/strategic-plan-2023-2028.

Jeff Katz Executive Director, CFOC

Open Letter to Coop Board and ZBA

sion were granted to rent one room.

All of Lake Street would be directly affected by a rooming house in the neighborhood; to state the obvious, noise, parking, car lights late at night, and partying would result. The traffic on Lake Street in the summer is heavy. In front of the Crooked House and hence 40 Lake, where there is street parking, two SUVs cannot pass. This makes backing out into traffic difficult from either 41 Lake or 40 Lake. More cars backing out from 40 Lake would be unwelcome, indeed. Furthermore, if 40 Lake were turned into a rooming house, reduction in value of houses and perhaps inability to sell houses would be other considerations. If the developers were successful at 40 Lake, others of the same type would smell the opportunity for profits. Cooperstown could become another upstate town ruined by opportunists.

The Village Board has the responsibility to act now to stop developers from skirting the laws.

Beth Glynn Cooperstown

Decision by Coop ZBA

Much Appreciated

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your recent decision to reject the application for a four room short-term rental at 40 Lake Street. The application was clearly an attempt to establish a commercial enterprise in a residential part of Cooperstown, and your decision to reject it was the right one.

I have concerns that the applicant may attempt to circumvent your decision by applying for a single room STR. If granted, it would be very hard for the village to monitor and regulate, and could potentially lead to the same negative impacts on the residential character of our community.

The fact that the initial request was for a four room STR is a clear indication of the intent to establish a commercial enterprise in a residential area. I commend your foresight in recognizing the potential negative impact of such a venture and taking a stand to protect our community.

Your decision to reject the four room STR application demonstrates your commitment to upholding the values and principles that make Cooperstown a great place to live. Your dedication to protecting the residential character of our community is deeply appreciated by many of us.

Thank you for your hard work and diligence in safeguarding the best interests of our community. We are fortunate to have a zoning board that is committed to ensuring that Cooperstown remains a peaceful and beautiful place to call home.

Wayne Grandner Cooperstown

system and the healthcare it offers. Most of us have been in the community for more than 50 years, and we have used every doctor, every facility, and every service it offers.

What started out as an attempt to regain health and physical fitness turned quickly and unexpectedly into something else. The facility became a lifeline for many of our seniors: bringing social, emotional, physical and mental health together in one place. We gained fitness, we gained friends, we were in an environment that was clean, safe, quiet, and tailored to each individual fitness level. I cannot stress enough how this facility stood out from all the others; many of us had already had memberships to other fitness centers and watched them close, as well. This was such a breath of fresh air that you felt better already simply walking in to it... Walking in to people who knew your name, cared about you, with dedicated fitness coaches and staff, and classes everyone could join. There was and is no comparison anywhere that rivals that. We grew stronger, we grew more fit, we grew happier and healthier. How can an institution which has done so much good for the community be cast aside? You have only to watch one frail, struggling senior come through that door with walker, wheelchair, and cane to know FoxCare is their very lifeline and I am frankly afraid to see their health on a downward turn as soon as it closes its doors.

We are all aware how businesses suffered financially in the years surrounding COVID. We are aware that membership went down, as our concerns grew about our own safety. But we have seen it slowly come back to life again, and if every business had closed that suffered in COVID, we’d have not one left. If raising the membership dues is one option you’ve looked at, you’ve only to take a poll of who would be willing to do this to save the facility, and you’d be astounded how many of us would. Although one could argue that this solution would be most of us on a fixed income helping out the billions-making institution. I hope you can see the level of dedication of your members to keeping our dear FoxCare open and thriving.

Thank you for your time. I hope you see, with each of these letters, how you have made a difference in our lives. We ask that you reconsider.

Jane Kreischer Oneonta

Character of Village Must Be Preserved

H o metown oneon t a 2008 - 2022

14th anniversary & The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

HOMETOWN ONEONTA

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My husband and I own 41 Lake Street, the Crooked House, and One Chestnut, which is located at the corner of Lake and Chestnut streets. The Crooked House is directly across the street from 40 Lake, and One Chestnut is separated from the Crooked House by only 43 Lake. We are extremely exposed to the goings on at 40 Lake.

We bought the Crooked House in 2016 and have since re-sided and re-insulated the house and garage, restored the windows to their original 1825 and 1900 condition, upgraded the driveway and the all the interior and exterior light fixtures. All these improvements were done with the expectation of living a quiet life among the single-family homes in the neighborhood.

The new owners at 40 Lake have neither lived in the house nor made any improvements to the house that can be seen from the outside. The owners seem only to want to turn this historic house into a boarding house for transients. The Zoning Board of Appeals took the correct action by denying the first application made by 40 Lake. But in the process, Ms. Schwartzman suggested that the 40 Lake owners could re-apply and rent one room. There is no way to police how many rooms would being rented, if permis-

Camera Installation an Orwellian Nightmare?

The Village of Cooperstown is proposing to install surveillance cameras in public areas of the village. The deployment of the cameras would be under the guise of protection against crime and to enhance public safety. The police will monitor, access, and retain the data and images captured by the cameras. The slippery slope of surveillance is an assault on privacy and has a chilling effect on protest and dissent and could bolster discrimination against communities already targeted. Easily applied facial recognition or some other Orwellian nightmare could follow. How will data collection effect local tourism? To address your concerns, there will be a public hearing in the Village Office Building on March 27 at 7 p.m.

George W. Hymas Cooperstown

Support for FoxCare Fitness Is Strong

I’m sure this will not be your first, nor your last, letter imploring you to reconsider your decision to close FoxCare Fitness Center. Please understand that this letter is written with the utmost respect for both the Bassett

Last week, the Cooperstown Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously turned down a special use permit for the owners of 40 Lake Street to allow short-term rental tenants. I am writing to thank the ZBA for their decision. While one cannot know the motivation for the board’s decision, it seems obvious that the regulation that such rentals must be an “incidental use” to the property played a part. Their proposal would have made 80 percent of the residence available for shortterm rentals. That’s a primary use of the property—not incidental.

While this fact was very clear, I hope that more subjective and qualitative factors played a part in the board’s decision. In the wording that governs short-term rentals, there is a regulation that states that traffic—vehicular or pedestrian—cannot “disturb the residential character of the immediate neighborhood.”

It is precisely the issue of “character” that motivated over 20 neighbors to write to the ZBA and prompted dozens to attend the meeting. ZBA Chair Susan Snell noted that the board had never received that many letters on any pending change. There were no letters in support of the special use permit nor did any attendees at the meeting speak in support of it.

The Lake Street neighborhood is diverse—having large homes and small homes and old and young residents. But all the citizens share the values of consideration of their neighbors’ privacy and respect for their community. Clearly, these values are

Continued on page 10

135 Years Ago

A Big Fire in Oneonta Early This Morning—$50,000 More Gone to Blazes—At about five o’clock this morning people were roused from slumber by a din of whistles and clang of bells that made it tolerably evident a considerable fire was underway. Those who hurried into Main Street were speedily aware that the “wooden row” was again in for it. The fire appears to have been first discovered by men in the railroad yard, who represent it as bursting from the rear windows of the basement under the store occupied by A. & M. Krohn, in the Geo. Reynolds block at the foot of Chestnut Street. It spread with great rapidity. The firemen were quickly on the scene, and notwithstanding some difficulty with the hydrants, two or three of which were frozen, or refused to work, had four streams playing within a brief period. But, the flames being mainly in the basements at the rear of the buildings, and the blocks unbroken for a long distance, it was impossible to get in any very effective work. The flames made rapid progress, the dry and light-built structures offering small resistance. Within 50 minutes from the first alarm, the Reynolds building had fallen in; the Huntington and Strong buildings speedily followed, and soon after the Fritts building, this last fortunately crashing toward the fire’s center and leaving the Vosburgh and Miller building tolerably clear. The list of losses runs heavy, but those losing are pretty well protected. Jeweler Adams appears to be the heaviest loser. Talk now is that Chestnut Street must be extended to meet Mechanic to eliminate the dangerous and inconvenient continuity of buildings on the south side of Main Street.

March 1888

110 Years Ago

When someone hands you a nice new shiny “Buffalo-Indian” nickel in change, be sure to examine it closely; for in the few weeks that the new coins have been in circulation have given the counterfeiters more than enough time to duplicate the fivecent coin exactly – but in lead. So well has the work been done that the only difference is the absence of any “ring” when the counterfeit is dropped. In every detail it is apparently like the new coin; yet experts say that one of the feathers in the noble Red Man’s headdress is a bit shorter than it ought to be. A few of these coins have been found in Oneonta the present week.

March 1913

50 Years Ago

Tuition would be abolished for undergraduate students at community colleges and State University campuses across the state, under terms of a proposal advanced Wednesday in the legislature. Assembly Minority Leader Stanley Steingut, DBrooklyn, and Assemblyman Charles Henderson, R-Hornell, said their proposal would cost the state about $157 million a year. “The state would lose $191.2 million in tuition revenues,” they said in a joint statement, “but would gain $34 million used to fund Regents scholarship and Scholar Incentive grants above the statutory minimum.” Henderson voted against tuition at the State University when it was established about 10 years ago. Free tuition will obviate the need for the present complex student aid system based on family circumstances and the substantial administrative costs which it requires, the two men said.

March 1973

70 Years Ago

Tunnel Vision: Hoop Houses Extend Growing Season

Farmers have sought protection from climate and weather since the beginning of agriculture. Gardeners of Roman emperor Tiberius are credited with creating the first greenhouse “effect” by placing sheets of selenite, a translucent form of gypsum, over winter crops. Now climate change is bringing extremes of heat and cold, rain bombs, blights, and other challenges.

An increasingly popular and economical protection for row crops is the passive solar hoop house (AKA high tunnel). Thousands are being built throughout the U.S. annually, often through federal grants.

Unlike the traditional glass greenhouse—which is usually heated, expensive, rigid, yet fragile—the hoop house is cheap and versatile, and almost always unheated. On average costing between $5.00 and $10.00 per square foot, they are made of anchored metal hoops covered with a plastic sheeting.

In cold Northeastern winters, a passive solar hoop house moderates the temperature from U.S. Plant Hardiness Zone 5 to Zone 7. The addition of row covers adds another 500 miles of cold protection, bringing upstate New York to Georgia. The fabric for row covers is designed to minimize heat loss and maximize light penetration.

We know that light, lots of it, is necessary for plant growth. So it is refreshing to be reminded that day length is determined by latitude, and that Cooperstown is on the same latitude as Paris—and further south than the Netherlands. In both areas, much fresh food is grown in hoop houses. The temperature and day length inside an upstate New York hoop house won’t allow you to grow tomatoes in winter, but there are many greens which thrive, and even germinate, in these conditions.

MERL REAGLE

In the other three seasons, the sides of a hoop house can be rolled up and down to about four feet above ground level. This allows—depending on the need— ventilation, or protection from wind, heavy rains or airborne blights. In hot weather, shade cloth is fixed over the hoop, allowing sun-sensitive crops like lettuce to thrive all summer.

Since the real estate inside a hoop house is so valuable, serious farmers build tracks on which they can slide the structure over onto adjacent land. The previously covered area is then seeded with a restorative cover crop until the next season under the hoop house.

The plastic covering the hoop house is said to require replacement about every five years. However, the author’s hoop house, with a little help from duct tape, is still going strong after 15 years. Recycling of used plastic is facilitated by Cornell’s Recycling Agricultural Plastics Program.

In our next “Life of the Land” column, we visit local farms which make good use of this low cost, high yield technology.

Authored by Sustainable Otsego. Since 2007 we have promoted ecologically sound practices – locally, regionally, and nationally. We advocate sustainable living, economic independence, and home rule. Visit sustainableotsego.net or facebook.com/SustainableOtsego.

March 1953

Compiled by Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art museum Research Library

Photo courtesy of nrcs.usda.gov

Use of hoop houses helps extend new york’s growing season.

Village Residents Oppose Short-term Rental Plans for 40 Lake Street with Good Reason

The Village of Cooperstown has changed and is still changing.

Fifty years ago, there was one baseball souvenir store and house prices were reasonable. Houses were homes to families; kids walked to school and played in the parks.

Things change and that change brought more and more visitors, capitalizing on the nearby baseball camps, the rise of tourism in the entire region, and the focus on domestic family travel. Families came to Cooperstown to watch their sons, grandsons or nephews play in week-long baseball tournaments near the “Home of Baseball.”

With this influx came a change to regional housing. Short-term rentals for the time that these camps were open became more and more popular. An owner could rent for the summer and make as much, if not more, than a year-long rental. Summer rentals meant less strain on the homes during with winter, less maintenance and the owners could travel away during the off seasons.

It became such a frenzy that houses were actually built for the express purpose of summer rental and shutdown over the winter, employing insulation, heating, and accommodations geared to this summer season. Building and development of full-

time rental properties went by the wayside.

As a result, people started to look at short-term rentals as a profitable business. Cottage complexes were built and large, older homes were renovated to meet this demand.

Enter the Village of Cooperstown, the charming, quaint, upstate New York village that for years was home to traditional tourist accommodations, bed and breakfasts, inns, and hotels. These were either in commercial areas or in neighborhoods where the owners had been in residence for many years and were an integral part of the community. As homeowners chose to rent out a few rooms after their children went off, they monitored the renters so as to not disturb their immediate neighbors; after all, they lived here, too.

But as the tourist frenzy spread, the Village Board of Trustees took actions to minimize the impact to residential neighborhoods. Their initial zoning laws were found faulty in a lawsuit that allowed unoccupied tourist rentals. These “excepted” houses soon became nuisances to their neighborhoods, giving rise to many complaints about noise, lights, garbage and parties disturbing their immediate neighbors. In typical upstate fashion, most

of these complaints were verbalized to various village officials, but rarely made formal lest the neighbor be thought of as prickly. The peak led to 80 B and B’s, etc., owner occupied tourist homes. Policing these became a continuous problem, with the zoning enforcement officer struggling to develop a system to oversee them.

The ZEO finally went around and forced owners to conform to the law or stop renting. The “excepted” homes disappeared after ownership changes.

With this experience, many residents were resistant to new short term tourist rentals, occupied or not. Seeing the impact of poorly controlled operations deep in residential neighborhoods, village opposition grew and now there are only about 20 STR’s with no legal unoccupied rentals.

This opposition has most recently been seen in the special permit application for 40 Lake Street, a four bedroom, one internal apartment home that recently changed hands. This STR permit wanted four rental rooms, a new parking lot, lighting, etc. The negative impact to the mostly quiet residential neighborhood along the lake was clearly seen by the neighbors and others in the village. Opposition arose.

Forty-five opponents attended the ZBA Public Hearing. Twenty-five opposition letters, a record for the ZBA, were received.

This permit application was complicated by the proposed conversion of this residence into a boarding house, with owners—who are not village residents and only planning to be in residence when rentals occurred—clearly operating this former residence as a business.

In addition, opposition rose against the creation of a new parking lot impacting nearby Willow Creek, which flows directly into Otsego Lake, the source of village water and the headwaters of the Susquehanna River.

The ZBA agreed that the Village Zoning Law states that such short-term rentals should be “incidental” to the use of the home as a residence and denied the permit.

Opposition to 40 Lake continues. In the past, STR permits for one or two rooms have been issued and then violated as more rooms than allowed were rented. Enforcement of this violation was difficult because of privacy, trespassing and other regulations prohibiting “spying” on the owners.

William Waller is a resident of Beaver Street, Cooperstown.

dOG cHARmER TOm TOm SHELBY

The Dog Meet: Energetic Youngster Jeffrey and Senior Paula Jean are Doing Just Fine

Dear Readers (and me),

Having had Paula Jean—the easiest dog in the world to live with—for the last nine years, I feel I should not only remind myself of what to do when bringing a new, punk age, 9-month-old dog into the home with an 11-year-old totally cooperative, placid poodle, but I should also share some of the do’s and don’ts.

First thing is the “meet.” Dogs are territorial, some a lot more than others. So, if you want to introduce two dogs in the hope of their getting along, best do it on neutral territory as opposed to bringing one dog to another’s house. If it must be at another’s house, have the “meet” outdoors. In this case, I felt okay about bringing PJ to Jeffrey’s house because of his youth, and I wanted to know right away if he’d surprise me by showing an aggressive, territorial response. Had I brought him to my house first, Paula Jean would have been appalled at the intrusion of this bigger, heavier, ill-mannered brute playfully accosting her in her own den.

The “meet” went fine, with Paula checking out the new smells while trying to ignore Jeffrey, as he was trying to get her attention, totally thrilled at the new presence, but respectful enough. And so it was decided, we would take Jeffrey home after the long weekend which had just begun. Without saying anything, I took two small pieces of cloth and rubbed Jeffrey to capture his scent. I then placed one under Paula’s food bowl and the other under her favorite bed, the idea being to give Paula a positive association with Jeffrey’s scent.

Four days later, wife Jaye, Paula, and I are ushering Jeffrey into the car for his new (all of our new) life with a new family unit. Paula was clearly appalled at this intrusion, but tolerant. Once home, they were both let into my

fenced back yard, where Jeffrey had a FRAP (frenetic random activity period), which many people refer to as the “zoomies.” It’s a common energy release. PJ looked on with an air of disgust at the immaturity of this intruder.

In a litter of puppies, it is common for one of the dogs to establish itself as the dominant, or alpha, dog by four months of age, and it’s not often based on size or aggression, but rather “attitude.” It was important to me that PJ have the dominant role in this new family unit, as she would not have been happy to be second fiddle to this young newcomer. So she is greeted first, fed first, petted first, etc. And so far, Jeffrey is duly respectful.

He had been crated at his previous home, so I crated him initially, and then experimented by leaving him free

for short periods with Jaye and me gone, with no problems. After about two weeks, the crate was removed. Neither dog is experienced at sharing toys, which is referred to as “resource guarding,” but with my supervision it’s coming along, and is facilitated by the fact that PJ likes soft, plushy toys and Jeffrey likes the hard ones.

For the last half century I’ve been able to walk all my dogs off leash anywhere, with them cooperating when I said, “leave it,” or “come” or “stay.” We hike about two-plus miles on the surrounding woodland trails almost every day, and it started with Jeffrey dragging a fourfoot leash with the handle cut off on a harness, running free. He would be called to come multiple times every walk, only to receive a people food treat when he arrived. He’s been “off leash” for the last two weeks, with 100 percent recall cooperation for a tiny dog treat. His “leave it” is excellent. His “stay” is still a work in progress, as I increase the intensity of the distractions that he must ignore and stay put.

When I was actively working 800 training appointments a year, most often the last appointment was what I called the “Door Turmoil Routine,”—the routine at the door to eliminate the turmoil when a visitor arrived. It’s the final training routine because it’s one of the hardest to teach, as dogs are “territorial.” That’s why getting Jeffrey to sit and stay when somebody knocks on the door and is entering is still a “work in progress.” He still takes the position that the visitor at the door is there for him, and it’s his responsibility to fully molest that visitor in his joy at the visitation.

Bottom line, his new presence is an absolute joy; challenging but, none the less, wonderful.

Dog Charmer Tom

‘Science Says So’: Sifting Evidence-Based Science from Pseudoscience

If I got a gold nugget whenever someone said, “Studies show” or “Researchers discovered,” then, a) I’d have mountains of gold, and, b) I’d give it all away for people to be more honest about their information sources and their supposedly scientific methods. We save ourselves so much time, energy, and money by knowing the difference between evidence-based science and pseudoscience, between good and bad research.

During the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, a lot of hopeful people chased the prospect of easy money. Even today you can visit sites in the West where you pay to “pan for gold” in a stream of cold, silty water. Little kids—and adults—squat by the water’s edge and use a flattened metal sieve to search for gold. A kid—or an adult—will spot something shiny in their pan and squeal with triumph, and the others will crowd around the same spot and dig furiously into the streambed.

More often than not, the squealer finds not gold but pyrite, “fool’s gold”—an iron sulfide with an entirely different chemical composition but a similar metallic luster. I’ve been a squealer before—as a kid—and I remember my utter disappointment upon realizing I’d been too quick to believe.

While the analogy of “panning for science” has as many holes as a sieve, it is true that we humans are easily fooled by false scientific claims. Hope springs eternal: If it worked for them, surely it will work for me, too, we think. But a testimonial is not science. Real scientists—and citizens who understand science—will stop

and sift the gathered data very carefully before joining the ranks of eager squealers. Unfortunately, not every scientist is honest, with others or with themselves, and sometimes bad research is passed off as good research. Andrew Wakefield falsely claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. His dishonesty, conflict of interest, and mistreatment of the 12 autistic kids in his study is a horror story of bad science. His falsified research was retracted from the medical journal, “The Lancet,” and he was disbarred from practicing medicine in Britain. Similarly, Walter Freeman, foremost advocate of brain lobotomies, kept injuring the brains of his patients even after safer options became available. In an excellent article in “The Washington Post” by Megan McArdle, she says, “In his zeal to change the world, Freeman had ended up violating the first principle of science, as laid out by the physicist Richard Feynman: ‘You must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.’”

To illustrate the difference between the scientific method and pseudoscience, consider the following (perhaps better) analogy. Imagine you’re a detective investigating a crime, perhaps a murder at a gold quarry. Your job is to gather evidence and determine who killed Prospector Bill late last night in the cold, silty stream. The scientific method is similar to the process of gathering evidence in a criminal investigation. You start with a hypothesis, which is like a theory about who committed the crime. You then collect evidence,

which is like conducting experiments and making observations. Then you analyze the evidence, which is like interpreting the results of those experiments. If the evidence supports your hypothesis, you can make a conclusion about whodunnit, about what cause is linked to what effect.

Now, imagine that instead of gathering evidence, you rely solely on hearsay, rumors and gossip to determine who committed the crime. Prospector Amos said he heard fighting down by the creek, and he saw the mayor’s daughter, Dirty Janet, down by the creek earlier that afternoon, so it must be Dirty Janet who done killed poor Prospector Bill.

This line of reasoning is like pseudoscience. Pseudoscientific beliefs rely on anecdotal evidence— testimonials—which is like hearsay, rumors and gossip. These claims are not subject to rigorous testing—in fact, there’s no way to test whether that claim is true or false, whether Prospector Amos really heard or saw what he did. Without evidence and without the ability to test the claim, it is impossible to make a valid conclusion. You, the detective, would be claiming a cause-andeffect relationship—the topic we discussed in the last “Citizen Science” article—but it is not just, not right, and not good sleuthing to believe a claim against Dirty Janet without proper evidence. As good detectives, I invite us all to bravely investigate our own beliefs further.

As a starting point, check out this Wikipedia webpage of pseudoscientific topics: https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience.

Science is an ongoing investigation of truth through time and repeated experiments by diverse experimenters. For a moment, however, let’s consider the other extreme of falsely accusing someone of murder and convicting the wrong person. It would likewise be wrong to ignore valid evidence if it were presented. If Prospector Amos has Bill’s blood on his boots and Bill’s pyrite in his pockets, it would be wrong to look the other way. Sometimes we can be so skeptical that we dismiss good research based on good evidence. It is a precious balance we must find as good detectives, and we’ll be talking more about distinguishing sources in the coming months.

Like kid-me staring glumly at a clump of pyrite in my hand, you might find yourself disappointed upon discovering you’ve been fooled. If you look at the Wikipedia list of unsubstantiated claims and realize you’ve been sold bad information by overly confident prospectors, just remember: It happens to the best of us. What matters is that we become increasingly better detectives through time as we sift fact from fiction.

As April Fool’s Day approaches, let us remember what Benjamin Franklin supposedly said—but most likely did not, since I can find no original source: “The only thing that is more expensive than education is ignorance.”

Jamie Zvirzdin researches cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Project, teaches science writing at Johns Hopkins University and is the author of “Subatomic Writing.”

Photo provided

After a proper, well-planned introduction, Jeffrey (left) and Paula Jean are getting along just fine.

Presidential Decision Making: the Difference Between Doing a Good Job versus Bad

Individuals make decisions every day in both their personal and work life. Not surprisingly, scholars study how these decisions are made. Of the countless studies published on this topic, only one individual in this country has been singled out for intense scrutiny for at least the last 75 years. That person is the president of the United States. The reason for this is obvious. The president makes decisions that are critically important to the nation and the world. Understanding a president’s approach to decision making is, then, most important. A decision-making process is effective if it provides a president with accurate and complete information as well as advice from the people from whom the president should hear. The criteria for judging a good approach to decision making is simply its effectiveness in providing this information and advice. There is no one perfect approach. Here are examples of how four presidents went about decision making—two did a fine job, two a poor job.

Dwight Eisenhower’s presidency was marked by organization. A man who spent his life in the military, he quickly appointed a chief of staff—the first ever in the White House. He established the National Security council, which consisted of the national security adviser to the president, secretaries of state and defense and other key officials. The council met every week and took up the most important foreign policy issues. In regard to domestic affairs, the president met with his cabinet members each week, taking up key issues. Eisenhower was very well informed, following closely the discussions

Averill Rd.

Continued from page 1

wrote in an e-mail on Monday, March 20. “As the snow melts today, heavy equipment will disturb more soil, and more sediment, nutrients, and pollutants will make their way toward the lake. On Saturday, I observed and photographed a small discharge of petroleum at the project site entrance which today will be headed toward the ditch on the east side of Averill Road and then eventually down to Otsego Lake. This is why any project which will disturb more than one acre requires coverage under NYSDEc’s General SPDES Permit and implementation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.”

Last week, cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh said the Templeton Foundation had applied for and received a curb cut permit from the village for that property.

“Private parties can apply for permits for various actions, which the project engineer has done for the curb cut, for instance,” Tillapaugh said.

The mayor also said that Zoning Enforcement Officer Jackson DuBois had confirmed that fewer than 30 percent of the viable trees are being cut down, in keeping with the tree code and pointed out that there are white pine trees on the property with a disease that is denuding them of needles.

“Diseased trees are not included in the tree code,” Tillapaugh said.

In an e-mail correspondence received on Sunday, March 19, Templeton Foun-

dation’s attorney, Matthew E. Hamlin of Persun & Hamlin, P.c. in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, wrote: “In my opinion the limited site work undertaken by my client Templeton Foundation in furtherance of the geotechnical testing of the involved parcel complies with all applicable local and state laws and regulations.”

With regard to the new lawsuit, Hamlin replied, “When matters are either heading into litigation or are in litigation, neither my clients nor I will provide any comments.”

Zamelis officially filed the new petition on behalf of his clients with the Madison county Supreme court on March 19, including photographs of work being done on the Averill Road site.

Statement on the Village of Cooperstown Website

In January 2023, attorney

Douglas H. Zamelis, on behalf of the owner of 73 Averill Road, initiated a lawsuit against the Village of cooperstown and Templeton Foundation relative to the Averill Road housing project. The Village of cooperstown attorney and the Templeton Foundation attorney were served the documents on January 19, 2023.

The basis of the suit was that the Part I Environmental Assessment Form completed by the applicant indicated 1.37 acres would be disturbed on the 51.7 acre site. Based on that acreage, the Board of Trustees at the November 28, 2022 meeting declared the project to be an Unlisted Action per SEQRA. After the project was further refined (water tower access road

John (Jack) R. Stiefel

1936-2023

ALBANY—John (Jack) R. Stiefel, 86, of Laurens passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at Albany Medical center.

Born on September 4, 1936 in Oneonta, New York, Jack was the son of Frederick and Mabel (Moon) Stiefel.

which took place in each meeting. He based his decisions on these discussions. Eisenhower’s approach to decision making was widely admired.

Barack Obama’s presidency was characterized by meetings that were less formal than Eisenhower’s. He relied more on White House staff, where Eisenhower relied more on cabinet members. Obama’s chief of staff was less of a central figure in “running” the White House than was Eisenhower’s. Both presidents, though, agreed on the importance of a rational approach to decision making. Obama, for example, spent a great deal of time in meetings listening to his advisers, including military leaders before making decisions on troop commitments to Afghanistan. He said about decision making: You have to have the best people working as a team, exploring all options for a solution to the problem being considered. Obama was captain of the team. Those studying the Obama presidency judged his approach to decision making as sound.

Lyndon Johnson’s approach to decision making was marked by inconsistency. He had no fixed approach for arriving at a decision. For example, he failed to have a serious examination with key advisers of all options for dealing with the Vietnam War, often refusing to discuss war policy with Vice President Humphrey. He had no regular meetings of the National Security council. He often turned whatever meetings he held into an attack on his critics. His approach to decision making was ad hoc to a fault. Amazingly, he made many crucial decisions on Vietnam with a few aides over lunch, with no notes taken.

added, project road widened to allow vehicles to exit, etc.) the actual acreage which would be disturbed exceeded 2.5 acres. Normally up to 10 acres could be disturbed for an Unlisted Action. But because the project is in the Village of cooperstown, in an historic district, no more than 2.5 acres can be disturbed without requiring the project to be classified as a Type I action for purposes of SEQRA.

After the lawsuit papers were served, the three attorneys conferred and agreed that the project was incorrectly classified for SEQRA. They signed an agreement (Stipulation) which was filed and approved by the New York State Supreme court of Madison county to cease consideration of the project. The lawsuit was discontinued and all actions previously taken were deemed Null and Void. The Village no longer had grounds for oversight of the private property. There is currently no application relative to the project before the cooperstown Village Board of Trustees.

In mid-February, Templeton Foundation filed a curb cut notification with the Village and paid the required $1000 fee to work within the Village right of way (Averill Road) to cut a road into their property. They also communicated with the Zoning Enforcement Officer relative to tree cutting on the heavily wooded, 51.7 acre site. Under Village law, not more than 30% of trees with a trunk diameter of six inches or more on any property may be cut …within a ten-year period; the law and percentage do not apply to diseased or unhealthy trees.

Johnson’s approach to decision making was troubling. George W. Bush’s approach to decision making lacked in adequate deliberation and input from top officials. In regard to Iraq, for example, Bush’s national intelligence director for the Near East said there was no process for making a decision on going to war—no meeting, no policy options papers, no debate in the Situation Room. Bush’s cIA director agreed. Bush, by his own admission, did not ask for recommendations about going to war from his secretary of state, secretary of defense, or his father, a former president. Bush once said he made decisions more by his “gut” feelings rather than by any process. That seems to be the case with regard to Iraq. Bush’s approach to decision making was flawed.

A good presidential decision-making process does not guarantee a good decision nor does a poor one make a bad decision inevitable. The odds are high, though, that a good process results in better decisions being made. The differences between the Eisenhower and Obama approaches compared to the Johnson and Bush approaches are stark. When presidents make decisions about war or any important matter the way Johnson and Bush did, the dangers are clear. The Vietnam and Iraq wars were in the view of most Americans a serious mistake. It is doubtful that Eisenhower or Obama would have opted for war in either country. A good approach to decision making is so important.

Tom Kane Jr. is a professor emeritus of political science at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a long-time summer resident of Cooperstown.

Yolanda Bush, Cool Water Collective Performs Friday

cOOPERSTOWN—Next up in the cooperstown concert Series schedule is Yolanda Bush and the cool Water collective—featuring local musicians Timothy Iverson and Evan Jagels— who will take the stage this Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in The Otesaga Resort Hotel’s ballroom. Tickets are available online at cooperstownconcertseries.org and may be available at the door for this performance of powerful and deep-rooted, soulful blues. Bush has been singing and drumming for decades, and is versatile in numerous styles including blues, jazz, and rock. Her voice is singular, transformative and engaging. In addition, she is a tight, deep pocket drummer with impeccable meter. The cool Water collective is a flexible ensemble of musicians with flow, each expressive and highly accomplished in their own craft. The band features Iverson on piano and Hammond B3 organ and Jagels on bass. completing the ensemble are Doug Gables (guitar), Wyatt Ambrose (guitar) and Joe Damone (drums). Yolanda Bush took time out of her busy schedule earlier this week to answer some questions about her band, her career and her thoughts on the future. Read the full interview on AllOtsego.com.

cameras

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Four fixed video-only cameras to be placed around the village are proposed. One on the traffic light at the intersection at chestnut and Main streets directed east on Main; another near Pioneer Park directed east on Main Street and north/south on Pioneer Street; and a third at Main and Fair streets mounted on 22 Main Street and directed west on Main. These cameras would cover the length of Main Street between the traffic light and the library, as well as Pioneer Street from water’s edge to top of the hill by NBT Bank. The fourth camera would be installed on the Pioneer Street side of Lakefront Park, directed toward the village docks. The draft policy leaves open the possibility of installing additional cameras, based on data supporting the need for such additional sites and with approval from the Board of Trustees.

The cameras “may be used” for assistance in criminal and civil legal matters, to assist emergency workers, to aid in the search for missing

Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar.

children or adults, to provide information in police investigations, “to safeguard individual and police office rights” and for in-house police training.

As part of its statement of intent, the policy provides that the cameras are to act as supplementary tools to police investigations, and “therefore camera images will not be actively monitored in real time.” Active monitoring by the cooperstown Police Department or by persons designated by the chief of Police is permitted, however, during special events involving the closure of Main Street or during crimes in progress or “other emergency affecting public health or safety.”

The cameras are to be deployed, operated, and maintained by the cooperstown Police Department and, under the language of the policy, only persons designated and properly trained by the cPD would have access to the cameras themselves. Images captured by the cameras are defined as archived images, to be “stored for approximately 30 days, depending on the storage capacity of the server.” Thereafter, the

size of the server determines the deletion policy.

Although the cPD is duty bound to keep the data of the images confidential, the policy permits a dissemination of reproductions of the images among village personnel or other arms of law enforcement, including requests pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.

The draft language prohibits use of images in a manner that would result in an invasion of privacy, or in an illegal discrimination. A prohibition of using the images for purposes of harassment or intimidation contains a specific restriction of use against persons engaged in lawful demonstrations or protests, or against persons exercising their First Amendment rights.

The draft goes on to outline prohibited uses of the cameras and archived images in a manner that would result in an invasion of privacy and enforcement of same, auditing practices, and maintenance. A copy of the full draft policy can be obtained from cooperstown Village clerk Jenna Utter, jutter@cooperstownny.org, prior to the hearing.

Photo provided JO hn r s T ie F el

He is survived by his children, Jolene, Julie, Joi (Joseph), Jennifer, Jeanene, and James; his loving grandchildren, cristy, Jesse, Kevin, Andrew, J.J., Darby, Jamie, Benjamin, Maxwell, Samuel, Trace, cooper, Jaqueline, Amber, Tristen, and Gwendolyn; his sister, Shirley Sargent, of Oneonta; and special friends to Jack and family, Darius, Harry, and Dorothy.

He was predeceased by his son, John R. Stiefel Jr.; grandchild Rory; and his brothers and sisters, Kathryn, Frederick, Kenneth, Robert, Donald, Richard, Gordon, Daurice, Lloyd, Joyce, Norman, Janet, and Ronald.

A service for Jack will be planned for late spring. Service details will be posted with AllOtsego.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821

Dignity, Respect, Tradition

“Nothing can ever take away a love the heart holds dear.”

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE

STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY COURT, OTSEGO COUNTY

INDEX NO.

2021-794

In the matter of the Foreclosure of Tax Liens by Proceeding in Rem pursuant to Article Eleven of the Real Property Tax Law by Otsego County

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on the 7th day of march, 2023, the Otsego County Treasurer, hereinafter the Enforcing Officer of Otsego County, hereinafter the “Tax District “, pursuant to law filed with the Otsego County Clerk a PETITION AND NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE (“Petition”) against various parcels of real property for unpaid taxes. Such Petition pertains to the following

Co Hwy 39 The Estate of Rupert S murray; The Estate of Betty J

Rd

Co Hwy 38 Burke micheal C

151.00-2-9.03 Co Hwy 39 Schlaepfer monica

153.00-1-21.00 Furnaceville Rd

Sposta Angelo; Sposta Kathleen

167.00-2-18.04

2265 Co Hwy 39 Preston Robert

167.02-1-2.00

Co Hwy 39 Vallaster Warren D;

Paola Town of Edmeston

Co Hwy 23 Donnelly matthew

W 313

67.00-1-15.00 St Hwy 28

Vogelman matthew S; mascola Nadia Nicole

314

67.00-1-16.08 St Hwy 28

Ingrum Larry

327

81.00-1-11.01

Co Hwy 16 Shaw Richard Rev Town of Hartwick

334

130.15-1-4.00

604 Greenough Rd Beneke Roland J

337

144.19-1-46.00

12 Poplar Ave monroe Charles W

338

145.00-1-15.03 East Hill Rd melendez Alexis; Ciccone Stefano

162.00-1-22.422 Seminary Rd APC Towers LLC; Ingalls Hill Farm LLC

St Hwy 28 Blue Spruce mountain LLC

Co Hwy 11 Kane michelle D

Co Hwy 11 Jones Jacqueline; The Estate of Curtner B Akin

St Hwy 28

35.00-2-3.03

Zachow Josh Town of New Lisbon 681

141.00-2-22.00 nka 914 Co Hwy

The Estate of Dorothea Friedman; martin George T; 141.00-2-22.01

Zebick James J Jr; & 141.00-2-22.02

Watson Joseph m; Watson Christopher;

683

142.00-2-18.22

173 Quinlog Rd

O’Brien Sean

686

143.00-1-6.00

Goddards Rd

Greenberg David

692

158.00-1-13.03

734 Jones Rd

Lovett Richard

699

173.00-1-20.02

St Hwy 51

Schaffer Richard Al-

len; Pierce michael

K

704

174.00-1-23.00

341 S Welcome Rd

Schaffer Richard

705

174.00-1-27.05

490 Bardin Rd

Bullock Robert; Bullock Jennifer

708

189.00-1-21.00

3632 St Hwy 51

The Estate of Dorothea Friedman

713

189.00-1-39.00

1700 Co Hwy 12

martin George 718

190.00-1-3.03

Co Hwy 14

Seymour Thomas E; Seymour Penny A

719

190.00-1-39.01

125 Edwards Rd

The Estate of Robert

K Koster; The Estate of Judith A Koster

720

190.00-1-46.04

164 Gardner Town Rd

The Estate of Paul K

Pfeiffer

721

190.00-1-48.02

Co Hwy 12

The Estate of Robert

K Koster; The Estate of Judith A Koster 723

190.00-1-9.04

418 Wheat Rd

Bradley Jennifer Lee Town of Oneonta

727

274.00-2-19.00

977 St Hwy 205

Goodrich Family

Trust

728

276.00-1-18.02

Cemetery Hill Rd

Saint Innocent Orthodox mission

730

286.00-3-11.00

St Hwy 23

The Estate of Anton

michelitsch ; michelitsch mary

732

287.00-1-35.01

St Hwy 205

Heros of Baseball

Wax Galleries, LLC

734

287.15-1-9.00

232 Winney Hill Rd

Icthus Properties LLC

738

287.19-1-51.00

28 Spencer Dr michelitsch Helmut

J; michelitsch Anton R

739

288.00-2-19.00

Cemetery Hill Rd

Sheldon Nathan

743

289.00-1-16.01

5539 St Hwy 7

Rotolo Anthony

746

289.00-1-88.04

Co Hwy 58

The Estate of Robert Polley

753

301.00-1-4.00 132 Co Hwy 47 Emmons Farms Corporation 764

309.00-1-64.01 Co Hwy 48 Nissen matthew Town of Otego

38

2150 Co Hwy 8 Clemente Domenico

777

273.00-2-41.00

352 Hell Hollow Rd

Cornwell W Scott

789

286.00-1-35.81

136 Forest Way

Strickland Wayne R; Strickland Rose m

798

306.00-1-9.00

729 Co Hwy 5

The Estate of Lawrence D Comstock; The Estate of Carol A Pellert

800

307.00-1-58.00

894 Flax Island Rd

Sheehan Kendell A; Sheehan michael Jr

805

308.00-1-17.02

3785 St Hwy 7 Condon Joshua; Seefried Crystal 806

317.00-1-11.42

161 Haney Rd Klinger George H Jr 807

317.00-1-4.01

324.00-1-19.00

main St 103 main Street Cooperstown Corp 834 131.06-2-8.00 115 main St michelitsch Helmut 839 131.10-1-26.00 72 Susquehanna Ave Edmonds Joshua; Carey Connor Town of Otsego 845 113.00-1-66.21 460 Williams Rd Daniels Brandon m 849

114.05-1-5.00 6242 St Hwy 28 Friedman Brian; Friedman Samantha 858

67.00-2-10.00

788 Keating Rd Francis Kristi J 861

68.00-1-27.221

122

Continued from page 4

not compatible with the congestion, noise and potential safety issues associated with short-term, seasonal rentals. The people truly spoke their hearts and minds on this threat last week—and the system worked. Again, I commend the ZBA for their decision.

It was important for the community and important for cooperstown if we are going to retain our quality of life.

Jim Howarth cooperstown

Zamelis Piece

Buried Last Week

Please help me here. I want to thank you for publishing lawyer Zamelis’ letter in the March 16 edition of “The Freeman’s Journal,” but I also want to understand why that news, if it is true, was buried on page 8. It appears Zamelis’ story is the most important local news found in that edition of “The Freeman’s Journal.”

Why is there no mention of the story on page 1? Will “The Freeman’s Journal” investigate Zamelis’ claims? Why was there no comment in the editorial pages? Will an editorial be forthcoming? Do we need to wait for this

summer’s hazardous algae blooms to focus our attention on this story, which casts negative light on local government, institutions, and entities? Please help me understand newspaper’s role in this story. Thank you.

Paul H. Lord Ltcol, USMc (Ret) cooperstown

‘Big Picture’

Questioned

Dr Ibrahim’s essay of March 16, 2023 demonstrates well its headline, “No Easy Answers for complex challenges.”

He offers none.

He refers to inefficiencies and redundancies he has

The job scene

To place effective employment ads, call 607-547-6103

sought to eliminate. But as his actions have hollowed out medical care and services, what are Bassett patients left with? It has become increasingly difficult to get medical attention. Schedulers are like guards at the door, telling us to go elsewhere or to see an array of assistants (whose fee is no different from that of actual MDs). Simple phone calls require long waits and rerouting. And overworked, demoralized physicians are resigning and going elsewhere.

Keeping in mind the “bigger picture” is fine management talk by Dr. Ibrahim, but if the details of the smaller, everyday picture of Bassett are deteriorating, then any bigger picture is hot air. Because of the departure of several PcPs, many patients are now scrambling. But the list of resident physicians “currently welcoming new patients” consists entirely of resident physicians who themselves have been supervised by the attending physicians leaving Bassett. And—the cynicism is not lost on us—every one of these resident physicians will themselves be leaving Bassett in two or three years.

So, are patients, like physicians, dispensable in Dr. Ibrahim’s bigger picture?

Elmer Luke cooperstown

STR Loophole a Real Concern

We greatly appreciate the Zoning Board’s unanimous rejection of the absentee owner’s attempt to turn 40 Lake Street into a transient rooming house. Transient housing would have ruined the neighbors’ quiet enjoyment of their homes. Susan Snell has proven to be an excellent chairman of the zoning board.

Unfortunately, after the permit was denied, one of the board members had the temerity of coaching the applicant to resubmit an application to turn one (1) interior bedroom of the five-bedroom house into transient housing. Since the village zoning officer has no way to monitor who’s in a house, such a ruse could turn the house into the transient equivalent of a clown car.

When an absentee landlord attempts to convert the 200-year-old centerpiece of the Residential Riparian Protection District into transient housing, they don’t need to be arbitrarily encouraged by capricious board members via a loophole. They have already signaled their true intentions.

Chip Northrup cooperstown

ZBA Correct in 40 Lake Decision

There was much public opposition to the granting of a Special Use Permit for short-term rentals at 40 Lake Street. The Zoning Board of Appeals was correct to deny the permit at a hearing on March 7. From the board’s discussion after the hearing was closed to the public, it seemed that the issue of incidental use was paramount to their decision to deny. The village zoning laws require short-term rentals to be incidental to residential use. Since the owner intended to use four out of the five bedrooms in the house for transients and one for the owner, the application failed.

There were many reasons to deny this permit. Some of the reasons got little airtime because we needed to focus on what we felt was most likely to persuade the board to deny the permit. Was broad public sentiment and the history of the house unimportant? certainly not. The law allows the village trustees and members of the reviewing boards to consider public sentiment when making a decision.

The courts have upheld a community’s right to determine the character of the community. case in point, Middlefield and Dryden won the right to ban gas drilling; even on appeal. The courts said they had a right to cultivate their small-town character. In 2018, cooperstown made amendments to the zoning laws in an attempt to stem the tide of investors with no stake in the community filling the village with STRs that disrupted the peace and quiet and character of our community.

The Board of Trustees and all reviewing boards need to listen now. The public set a record for letters to the ZBA. Well over 20 letter writers, and not one in favor. The boardroom was packed. No one came forward to speak in favor of the application. People who live in the village but not close to 40 Lake Street have joined our group and several have written letters. Why does this concern them? Because it is all part of our community.

We have reason to believe that the applicant will reapply. If the applicant won’t listen, the board members need to listen to the community. We are speaking loudly.

Celia Oxley cooperstown

FoxCare Fitness: All or Nothing?

I’ve been a member of Foxcare Fitness for over 20 years. In spite of what is being said, it is the gym most

comfortable for middle and old age people. I have been to other gyms and find users leave the equipment laying around, eat potato chips while resting on the equipment, and never wipe off the equipment after sweating on it. Foxcare Fitness users put back the equipment, wipe down machines after using and feel comfortable because supervision is available and trained to handle medical emergencies. I have seen the personnel go into action when a medical problem occurs. The people working there are all professionals and very pleasant. The facilities are clean and bright. Help with equipment is always freely given.

The pool is ideal for walking and easy aerobic activity because of its water levels. The therapy pool is warm enough for those with arthritis to get relief. Both are wonderful for keeping elderly joints moving without damage. The water aerobics classes are ideal for keeping in shape. A side perk of these facilities and classes is the social aspect for many people who now are retired. We talk to each other while exercising. This is the only pool in the area that does not cause skin problems because of the new system. Keeping the water off pool deck and shower room floors is done frequently, helping those of us with stiffness to feel safe. Thank you, Louise.

Why are we subjected to all or nothing attitude? Putting up barriers in one half of the large exercise room will still give the physical therapy people more room than was available at River Street. If the exercise classroom is eliminated, the second room could be returned to a classroom. Almost never is the new intense exercise room used. To have the large, newly-renovated pool unused is a travesty.

I have had several major surgeries and have been to orthopedic specialists and physical therapy over the years at Bassett. Why aren’t the experts at Bassett pushing continual exercise by being allowed to give patients a three-month voucher for half off the price at the Fitness center? After people are there for several months, some of these people would become members because they are used to the supportive facility and amenities.

Bassett does major advertising on TV and in the papers, but none is geared toward recruitment of the major population of the area—elderly. These citizens need to stay physically healthy. A paper with exercises is not much of an incentive. Going to a clean, supervised gym with others provides social outlet as well as fitness. Ryan Scott and all the staff do a wonderful job of encouraging people, but the rest of Bassett does not encourage use of the fitness center in any way.

Pamela Fitch Tausta Oneonta

Continued from page 3

elements that have conventionally been regarded as disadvantageous to rural systems—like wide geographic areas, scarcity of hospital beds and physicians, geographic maldistribution of doctors, insufficient reimbursement, etc.—may, in fact, turn out to be advantages in a digital health age.”

“At the end of the day, the vision is for Bassett to be the model of care for rural health in the U.S.,” Dr. Ibrahim continued.

Dr. Ibrahim’s complete interview with the Advisory Board is available at https://www. advisory.com/Blog/2023/02/ tommy-ibrahim.

Waller

Continued from page 2

Pantry and supported countless individuals and causes with a concern for peace and social justice. Trained as a nurse, Ellen could see peoples’ needs in ways that prompted caring responses not only from herself but others in her community. She regularly organized letter-writing campaigns to elected representatives on peace and social justice, recommended actions, and made trips to the state capitol and Washington D.c. to lobby for justice for all and support of refugees.

Mother of four and wife of Fred St. John, Ellen was of slight build and soft voice, but known to be fearless and strong in determination and spirit. She hosted the food bank in the Presbyterian church basement for a number of years that today nurtures many in an ongoing endeavor. For 19 years she stood weekly in the peace vigil in front of the only federal building in cooperstown, its post office, in all kinds of weather and with a dedicated cadre of fellow vigilers, including Nancy Waller.

“Bearing witness to the brutality and futility of war with her homemade signs and open mind and heart, she listened carefully to others with respect, and challenged us to work for peace locally, nationally, and internationally,” noted Dotty Hudson, who often joined in the peaceful demonstrations.

According to other fellow vigilers, Ellen—with carefully thought-through messages on her signs—did not shrink to share her views on

how U.S. money and policies are responsible for so many deaths and atrocities in far off countries. Her signs asked pertinent questions and offered positive action, they said.

Nancy, a longtime pacifist with a flair for beauty and color, dressed for the vigil weekly with an awareness that not only young students or older “hippies” need to speak truth to power—that it was important for everyone in the wider community to take a stand.

Ellen St. John and Nancy Waller had much in common. Both lived into their late 90s. Both grew up in a “long ago” china, the children of educational missionaries who taught at Yenching University, Beijing, and Nanjing University, respectively. As children, they experienced the tremendous wonders of living in another culture and knowing they were truly “world citizens.”

Both also experienced the trauma of a brutal war. Their shared history of growing up in china brought a sense of seeing themselves as part of the “we” in a different culture, not dividing humanity into “us” vs. “them.” Both women were also active in the Otsego county Jail Ministry for years and in many other justice and social action expressions of vision and care extending far beyond geographical and cultural borders.

The “True Friends” exhibition features landscapes, seascapes and still lifes— mostly watercolors—from the 1950s through 2012.

Nancy’s subjects include Nova Scotia, the West, Maine, the Pyrenees, the French Alps and, closer to home, South Kent, connecticut, cherry

Valley and cooperstown. This is the second benefit exhibition of Nancy Waller’s works: the first, in 2017, benefitted three of her social justice charities, including the food pantry.

Though better known for her memoir, “My Nanking Home, 1918-1937,” Nancy enjoyed art as a creative outlet. When her children were young and life was hectic, making art was a centering activity. She enjoyed working with fellow artists in a companionable manner. Some art on display, for instance, was done in her friend carlita Hunt’s studio, where she learned to make silkscreen prints and batik. Nancy studied technique informally and persistently with different artists in the Kent area and later enjoyed classes at the cooperstown Art Association. She exhibited in group shows at the Kent Art Association, the Roseboom Historical Association and the cooperstown Art Association, among others, ceasing to paint only when her eyesight failed in her late 80s.

According to organizers, similar peacemaker awards exist in other schools in the mid-state area, including Binghamton and Norwich, granting recipients anywhere from $125.00-$500.00 annually.

“We hope Ellen’s contagion of kindness, love, and creative response to conflict will continue. Establishing the Peacemaker Award is a part of that process,” said Dickinson.

Dickinson also noted that Friends Fiduciary does not invest in the military industrial complex, and said St. John would appreciate that the proceeds the fund will generate “will not come

AllOTSEGO.

dining&entertainment

from the sale of those things in our culture which lead to death rather than the celebration of life.”

To learn more about contributing to the fund in support of the Ellen St. John Peacemaker Award, contact Deborah Dickinson, another vigiler, at (606) 435-9951 or PO Box 238, Fly creek, NY, 13337. Dickinson will also be on hand at The Art Garage Gallery on Saturday, April 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to discuss the award and answer any questions.

Sydney L. Waller is the daughter of Nancy Waller and the founder/director of The Art Garage, a private pop-up gallery.

Continued from page 1

of PEO for many years now, and not just in Otsego county. She was pleased to learn when she moved to the area that there was a local chapter and she would be able to continue her life’s mission of helping women in need.

“I was a member of a PEO chapter in Kansas prior to moving here in 2015. When I first arrived here, I did not know anyone. One of the first things I did was go to the Internet to seek out a local chapter. When I saw there was one, I was so relieved. I contacted the chapter and began going to meetings,”

Korb recalled. According to the PEO website, the organization was founded on January 21, 1869 by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan college in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Today, there are 5,800 chapters nationwide. “This circle of kindred spirits—bonded by their enthusiasm for women’s opportunities—eventually expanded to include women off campus as well. Through membership, the PEO Sisterhood has brought together more than half a million women in the United States and canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education, while supporting and motivating them,” the site explains.

The local chapter of PEO—currently 38 members strong—looks forward to

many more years of women helping women to succeed. For more information about the Oneonta PEO chapter, including upcoming events, membership or grant/ scholarship opportunities, contact Korb at korbfam@ gmail.com.

Saturday

March 25 | 7 to 9 pm at the Schuyler lake united Methodist church on church Street in Schuyler lake

JOIN US FOR LUNCH!

Come enjoy a hot meal and the company of others at any of our dining centers throughout the county. Residents age 60 and older are encouraged to have lunch, socialize and enjoy playing cards or a board game with friends and neighbors.

Reservations must be scheduled 24 hours in advance by calling (607) 547-6454.

Locations include:

Cherry Valley Community Center – Mon and Wed at 12:00pm

Nader Towers Housing, Oneonta – Mon through Fri at 11:30am

Richfield Springs Community Center – Tue and Thu at 11:30am

Suggested contribution: $350 per meal

►Thursday, March 23

CONNECTIONS 1:15 p.m.

Join Lynn Wycoff for “How to Live a Better Day,” to learn tools to cope when your body doesn’t feel good. Held in the Community Room, Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail.com

T ZONE 4-6 p.m. Teens aged 12-15 are invited for this after-school program to de-stress, enjoy a nutritious snack and play games with their peers in a safe environment. Held Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Richfield Springs Community Center, 6 Ann Street, Richfield Springs. Visit richfieldspringscommunitycenter.org/programs/

RESIN WORKSHOP

5:30-7:30 p.m. Sign up to learn the applications of UVactivated resin in mixed media art, jewelry, home décor and more with Celia Buchanan. Cost, $45. Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street, Stamford. (607) 214-6040.

KITTEN SEMINAR

5:30 p.m. Learn to foster kittens of all ages. Whether the kittens need bottle feeding or just a few weeks to grow, the foster coordinator will discuss what it means to foster with the SQSPCA. Registration required. Community Room, Susquehanna SPCA, 50825088 State Highway 28, Cooperstown. (607) 5478111.

TOASTMASTERS 6:15-

7:30 p.m. Join the Oneonta Toastmasters to practice your public speaking in a supportive environment. The theme this week is: Leadership. Meets each 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month and may be attended in person or online. Held at The Green Earth, 4 Market Street, Oneonta. Visit facebook.com/ OneontaToastmasters

BEEKEEPING 7-9 p.m. Monthly meeting of the Leatherstocking Beekeepers’ Association, open to all to learn about beekeeping and share their experiences. This month, learn about the sustainable apiary and how to make soft set honey. Hosted at The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown. Visit leatherstockingbeekeepers.com

WORD THURSDAY

7 p.m. Enjoy presentation from featured writers Safia Jama, featured in WNYC’s “Morning Edition” and CUNY TV’s “Shades of US” series, and Tim Hunt, author of five poetry collections. Registration required. Suggested donation $3. Presented over Zoom by the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center, Treadwell. (607) 829-5055.

►Friday, March 24

CABARET NIGHT

6:30 p.m. Join the “Stan Fox and Friends” jazz band for an evening of music, dancing, good vibes. Refreshments available. $10 suggested donation. Held at Foothills Performing Arts and Civics Center, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.

THEATER 7 p.m. Enjoy theatrical production all about the man with the chocolate factory, “Wonka.” General admission, $10. Performing Arts Center, Milford Central School, 42 West Main Street, Milford. (607) 286-7721. Also 3/25 & 3/26 at 3 p.m.

YOUTH ZONE 7-10 p.m. Students in grades 7-12 are invited for a fun night of games and activities. Games range from air hockey to Xbox, board games, arts and crafts, baking, movies, and more. Held at the Richfield Springs Community Center, 6

Ann Street, Richfield Springs. richfieldspringscommunitycenter.org/the-zone/

CONCERT SERIES

7:30 p.m. The Cooperstown Concert Series welcomes Yolanda Bush and the Cool Water Collective to the stage for a powerful and soulful blues performance featuring locals Tim Iverson and Evan Jagels. Tickets, $20/person. Otesaga Hotel, Cooperstown. Visit cooperstownconcertseries.org/yolanda-bushcool-water-collective/

►s aTurday, March 25

REGISTRATION 8 a.m. Learn pottery this spring in the Adult Wheel Pottery Throwing Class. Class fee is $249, which includes several pounds of clay, glazing and firing work. Azure Arts, 1149 Allen Lake Road, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-8899.

DEFENSIVE DRIVING

9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Join the AARP Smart Driver Course to learn defensive driving techniques so you can save on insurance or get points off your license. Cost, $30/nonmember. Presented by Continuing Education at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School, 597 County Highway 54, Cherry Valley. (607) 2643265 ext. 518.

CRAFT/VENDOR SHOW

10 a.m. to Event by Lambchopstrong and Southside Mall. Over 30 vendors with a large variety of handmade goods and crats, gift baskets and raffle tickets. Southside Mall, Oneonta. Lambchopstron@outlook.com

KIDS ACTIVITIES 10 a.m. to noon. Bring the kids and have a fun morning together for Tolkein Day, featuring readings and making a hobbit door out of perler bead (plastic, non-toxic, fusible beads). Springfield Library, 129 County Road 29A, Springfield Center. (315) 858-5802.

HOME SHOW 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Interested in prod-

ucts for home renovations, maintenance or repair? Come meet with home industry professionals specializing in everything from landscaping to plumbing to roofing and much more. Southside Mall, Oneonta. (607) 432-4401.

TRAIL RUN 10 a.m. Challenge yourself in the “Not So Frozen Toe” 5-mile trail run. Run along the perimeter of the Clark Sports Center grounds through woods & other challenges. Held in all conditions. 2.5-mile option available. Registration held in main lobby at 9 a.m. on race day. Cost, $25/person. Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown. (607) 547-2800.

VOLUNTEER 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enjoy hiking? Maybe you’ll enjoy maintaining the trails, too. Presented in conjunction with Otsego Outdoors, the Otsego County Conservation Association invites the local community to learn the basic maintenance, rules and regulations of working in a state forest, and get your hands dirty with some practical experience on a section of trail. Registration required. Meeting location to be provided. (607) 547-4488.

GARDEN 10 a.m. to noon. Learn about the pruning of fruit trees and other woody fruiting plants with Laura McDermott at the Middlefield Orchard, 2274 State Highway 166, Middlefield. (607) 547-2536.

ART EXHIBIT 11 a.m. to

1 p.m. The public is invited to view “True Friends: Nancy Waller Art for the Ellen St. John Peacemaker Award,” a potpourri of watercolors and silk-screens, some framed. Proceeds benefit the award. The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, Cooperstown. (315) 941-9607 or visit https://www.facebook.com/ TheArtGarageCooperstown/

CLAY WORKSHOP 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn to use slab construction techniques to create a decorative box in

OneOnta Realty WelcOmes the VagliaRdO team

clay with instructor Rhonda Harrow-Engel. Tickets, $75/ person and covers all materials. Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street, Stamford. (607) 214-6040.

QUILTING WORKSHOP

Noon. Learn the basics of English paper piecing to spruce up your next quilting or sewing project. In this class you will make an embellished dishcloth to take home. Registration required. Donation of $20 appreciated to cover materials. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.

KITTEN FOSTER TRAINING 1 p.m. Super Heroes Humane Society is seeking volunteers to learn how to foster kittens ahead of the spring kitten season. Learn the ins and outs of kitten care in the Community Room at Southside Mall, Oneonta. (607) 441-3227.

ART WORKSHOP 1-2:30 and 3-4:30 p.m. Learn the basics of needle felting with artist Andre Jones, from tools to making the shapes. During the workshop you will create a felted rabbit just in time for Easter. Open to those aged 12+; cost is $30/person. Class size limited, reservation required. 25 Main Collective, 25 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-5340.

DAY DANCE 6-9 p.m. Richfield Springs Community Center invites the entire family for a fun community dance featuring a live DJ, free admission, free refreshments. All ages welcome. Richfield Springs Elementary School Gymnasium, 93 West Main Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-3200.

CLUB NIGHT 7 p.m. Teens are invited for a fun night with music by bands Socially Problematic Children, The Future I Dream Of, and more. Free. Oneonta Teen Center, 4 Academy Street, Oneonta. (607) 433-2009.

COFFEE HOUSE

7-9 p.m. Celebrate the

birthday of Elton John with featured guest band Saxalicious. Also includes a music jam in a range of genres by amateur local performers.

Sign up to perform or just enjoy the show. Light refreshments included. Free, open to the public. Schuyler Lake United Methodist Church, Church Road, Schuyler Lake. (315) 858-2523.

►sunday, March 26

SUGARING OFF 8:30

a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy full pancake breakfast in the morning then contemporary and historic demonstrations of maple sugar production. Admission, $10/adult. The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1450.

SONGWRITING 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join local song writer Randy Miritello for a 4-part workshop exploring common techniques and tools used in songwriting to tell stories about self, history, and place. Free, registration required. Bushel Collective, 106 Main Street, Delhi. Visit bushelcollective.org

SPIN IN 1 p.m. Local hand spinners are invited for a spinning gathering. Bring your wheel/drop spindle and connect to the local fiber community. Come at 2 p.m. for an informal spinning lesson. Participants are encouraged to bring a 4-oz. bag of “mystery fiber” for a fiber exchange. All welcome. Held at the Village Library of Cooperstown. Contact Normandy Alden at normandyalden@yahoo.com.

HISTORY SOCIETY 2 p.m. Join Town of Maryland Historical Society monthly meeting. This month, former Schenevus postmaster Dorothy Scott Fielder, author of “Otsego County Postal History,” will be presenting on the Maryland Town Post Offices from 1815 to the present. Held at the American Vets Hall, 16 Main Street, Schenevus. Call Soci-

ety President Renee Gaston for info at (607) 435-5849.

SPRING SWING 2-6 p.m.

The community is invited for an afternoon of swing dancing. Start with a beginner West Coast swing lesson with Linda Leverock and then dance the day away. Includes light refreshments and a cash bar for those aged 21+. Admission, $20 at the door. Foothills Performing Arts and Civics Center, Oneonta. (607) 434-9878.

PLAY READING 3 p.m.

Support Central New York emerging playwrights in the “Next! Staged Reading Series.” This time, listen to a reading of “Cairo” by Ryan Skinner, directed by Lissa Sidoli, following the story of two brothers as they attempt to care for their caretaker, who is suffering dementia, in the family cabin in Cairo, New York, and attempt to keep their family intact as secrets come out. Free, open to the public. Reading is followed by feedback from the audience. In the Auditorium, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400.

HOUSE PARTY 5-8 p.m. Take a visit to the 1990s, featuring themed cocktails, costume contest, trivia, music and prizes with the Community Arts Network of Oneonta. Admission, $10. Held at Roots Brewing Company, 175 Main Street, Oneonta. (607) 433-2925.

►Monday, March 27

TAI CHI 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Seniors are invited for “Tai Chi for Arthritis.” Held Mondays and Thursdays, participants must commit to 11 of the 16 sessions. Free, donations accepted. New Life Fellowship Hall, Gilbertsville Baptist Church, Commercial Street, Gilbertsville. (607) 547-4232.

WANTED

Cleaners/Cleaning Service

- Short-term baseball rentals

- 3 Apartments on northern end of Canadarago Lake, Richfield Springs, NY. - Cleaning is every 6th day - June through August (when rented).

Call Elena (518) 441-0558

We are the Vagliardo Team: Lynn Butler and William (Billy) Vagliardo. We have 20+ years of combined experience in real estate and we love what we do! Working as a team, one of us is always available to serve you. We are caring, friendly, and highly professional, as well as up to date with the newest technology. Whether purchasing or selling your home, we look forward to assisting you realize your real estate dreams!