Hometown Oneonta 04-06-23

Cooperstown Concert Series proudly presents Kofi Baker’s Cream Faith and

Friday,April7 TheOtesagaResortHotel•$20/ticket

Road Case Has Day in Court

Judge Hears Arguments Thursday

By DARLA M. YOUNGS WAMPSVILLE

Thursday, March 23, Madison County Supreme Court Justice

Hon. Patrick J. O’Sullivan issued a temporary restraining order preventing Templeton Foundation or its agents from any further work at the foundation’s property on Averill Road in the Village of Cooperstown.

An order to show cause is a court order or the demand of a judge requiring a party to justify or explain why the court should or should not grant a motion or a relief, according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. For example, if a party requests a restraining order from a judge, the judge may need more information.

The parties requesting the TRO in the Averill Road case—the plaintiffs/petitioners—are neighboring property owners Michael Swatling and Carolyn O’Brien, whose attorney, Douglas H. Zamelis, has filed complaints twice now against the Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees, the Village of Cooperstown Zoning Enforcement Officer, and Templeton Foundation—the

defendants/respondents.

The first suit, filed on January 18, contended that the Cooperstown Board of Trustees had applied an incorrect standard when analyzing the project’s environmental impact under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. The trustees had approved a special permit for the project on January 5 for development of a project to house Bassett Medical Center employees.

“Upon further review by the contractor of the project, the plan which the village approved exceeded the 2.5acre threshold,” said village attorney Martin Tillapaugh at the time.

There was no point continuing the litigation, Tillapaugh then explained. Counsel for the village, the plaintiffs and the Templeton Foundation stipulated that the litigation would be discontinued, but with the right of Templeton to reapply.

In the weeks that followed, heavy equipment arrived at the project site after which, according to attorney Zamelis, “our aerial photography confirmed Templeton had cleared the project’s entire footprint, including

Continued on page 9

By TERESA WINCHESTER OTEGO

Almost every person I’ve met has a story about this building,” said Bill Hovard, who, with his partner, Chris Kraig, is the most recent owner of one of the oldest surviving structures in the village of Otego—a commercial space at 354 Main Street.

Otego residents who formerly attended the school opposite the store have told Hovard about going there when the building housed a candy store. Others have reminisced about living in apartments there. Still others spent time at the location when it variously operated as a TV repair shop, a second-hand clothing store, or a café.

Hovard has a photo of the store

Go Hawks!

ONEONTA—Zia Knapp is showing her Hartwick women’s soccer pride. Zia’s dad, Brian Knapp, is the Hartwick Hawks head coach and mom Liz is her best buddy. A gallery of our readers’ pets is now available for viewing on the AllOtsego.com website at htpps://www.allotsego.com/furever-friends-and-purrfect-pals/. Every week, we’ll select at least one photograph to be highlighted in our newspapers, on Facebook and online. Send your photos to darlay@allotsego.com.

when it functioned as Broadfoot Bros., a general store purchased by Berosus Broadfoot with his brother, Charles, in 1899.

Hovard, who relocated from Andes, New York to the southern Otsego County village in 2016, acquired the wood-frame building in 2020 and opened for business in October, 2022.

“The building had been neglected for decades when we bought it. It required extensive renovation,” Hovard said.

Hovard’s partner Kraig, a designer, helped him with configuration of the interior. The beams across the ceiling, as well as the floor are original—“probably oldgrowth, first-cut timber,” Hovard speculated. The new owners sourced all lumber for the renovation from a local Amish sawmill.

“354 Main is more than just a store. It’s part store, part gallery,

and part small event space,” Hovard explained.

The expansive panel of oversized windows on the ground floor makes for a welcoming exterior and allows abundant sunlight to brighten the interior, which is quite open, and thus conducive to multiple purposes. On shelves and in showcases at the back of the store, many items bear the trademark “Hudson Made,” indicating an array of soaps and other body care products developed by Hovard himself. One such product, “Workers,” is a heavyduty exfoliative bar made with pumice.

“It’s for gardeners or anyone working with their hands. It appeals to both men and women,” Hovard said.

Another Hudson Made unisex product is the sulfate-free

By WRILEY NELSON

ONEONTA

Otsego Now has issued a call for volunteers to clean up litter from the Oneonta Railyards at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19. “Wetlands not Wastelands” is cosponsored by the Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful Campaign. The project is expected to take until 5 p.m., and volunteers may come and go as they choose.

The Railyards, an historic area and the focus of a major economic revitalization project, contains 27 acres of protected wetlands. Unfortunately, much of this critical ecosystem remains littered with trash. Gina Gardner, marketing and innovation and acceleration coordinator at Otsego Now, highlighted the threat this litter poses to wildlife and the community.

“When trash is left to decompose in the wetland, it can release harmful chemicals and bacteria into the water, increase the amount of microplastics, which can have negative effects on aquatic life, and make the water unsafe for human use,” Gardner explained. “We hope this effort will inspire individuals to go out and develop a more respectful and deeper relationship with our natural environment.”

Otsego Now has worked for several years to develop the Railyards as a modern mixed-use space and business park. The site is conveniently located along I-88 and rail lines, and has significant water and wastewater capacity. Otsego Now is working with the Ramboll engineering firm to evaluate the feasibility of a communitywide geothermal heating and cooling system. Individual commercial lots are under appraisal to establish firm sale prices.

Local residents are encouraged to help beau-

Continued on page 9

Photo by William Hovard Sunshine pouring in through oversized front windows of “354 Main” enhances the offerings inside. Seen here, pottery by Elizabeth Nields and a painting by Timothy Atticus, both residents of the Town of Butternuts. On the back shelf are bath and body products developed by store owner Bill Hovard.

Photo provided

Iron String Press Welcomes New Staff Writer

COOPERSTOWN

Wriley Nelson, 22, of Middlefield, joined Iron String Press as a staff writer on Thursday, March 23. Nelson is a lifelong Otsego County resident and 2018 graduate of Cooperstown Central School. He earned a political science degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York in December, 2022.

Nelson brings an eclectic mix of work experience to the newsroom; he has served as a farmhand, congressional intern, legal assistant, waiter, and shuttle driver. He wrote for Hamilton’s satirical paper, “The Duel Observer,” all four years at college.

Nelson recently spent three weeks traveling around Bulgaria, Macedonia and western Turkey. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, writing speculative fiction and

hiking.

“Most of my previous writing has been academic research. I wasn’t sure that I had enough relevant experience, but a friend who held this job before me encouraged me to apply,” he explained. “I look forward to practical journalism experience and putting down stronger roots in a place I’ve called home my entire life. I really fell behind on local events during my last couple years at school and it’ll be good to get an ear back to the ground.”

Nelson researched Central New York and Capital District local governments as part of his political science studies, but looks forward to getting acquainted with the county face-to-face.

“I’ve always been a huge bookworm, but at the end of the day, you have to be an active part of the community. You have to get out and talk to people in the real place

where you live if you want to learn anything.”

Nelson interviewed a local author for his first assignment. He said he enjoyed speaking with someone in a creative writing field.

“Several of my friends and I hope to break into fiction, so it’s always nice to pick the brain of someone with more experience,” he reflected.

General Manager and Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs said the staff is delighted to have Nelson aboard.

“It was immediately clear that Wriley is going to be a great asset to Iron String Press. He’s already writing circles around me,” Youngs said. “I’m confident our readers will appreciate the new voice and coverage capabilities Wriley brings to “The Freeman’s Journal,” “Hometown Oneonta” and AllOtsego.com.” Wriley Nelson, at right, began work for Iron String Press on March 23.

New Lisbon Celebrates Groundbreaking of Town Highway Garage

GARRATTSVILLE

To celebrate construction of a new town highway garage, the Town of New Lisbon held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday, April 3 on the building site at 809 County Road 16, Garrattsville. Town, county and federal officials and members of the public were among those in attendance.

The new garage will be energy efficient and provide nearly 10,000 square feet of space. It replaces the existing garage, which officials describe as “over 50 years old, in poor condition, and inadequate for today’s highway trucks and equipment.” The new building will have two sections, one for storage and another for office facilities and a service area. Construction is made

possible by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture–Rural Development, with additional funding from the town and from Otsego County.

“We’re very excited about this project,” said Town Highway Superintendent Don Smith. “We needed to do something about the old garage and it just made no sense to invest in repairing the old building. Now, we’ll have a modern, cost-efficient building with enough room to safely store and work on our trucks and heavy equipment,” he added.

Town Supervisor Ed Lentz admitted the project had not been an easy sell to some town residents.

“There were a number of people in the town who were afraid their taxes would go up sharply. But—with public

input, careful planning, good management of our limited resources, and help from the USDA and the county—we were able to make it happen with only a slight increase of town taxes despite pandemicrelated cost increases.”

Lentz added, “The initial resistance was to be expected,

LEADING HEART CARE

Lisbon on the groundbreaking of their new town highway garage. This roughly 9,800-square-foot facility will replace the current town highway garage building that is more than 50 years old. This approximately $3 million project will allow for the proper maintenance and storage of town highway trucks and equipment in a functional environment that is energy efficient.

referendum in November 2021 in which a majority of voters approved the project. Following completion of site, feasibility, and environmental studies in the first half of 2022, the project was put out for bids, which were awarded in August, 2022. Completion is expected later this year.

given that the project cost will approach $3 million after all is said and done.”

Assemblyman Brian Miller (R,C-New Hartford) praised the project in a press release following the groundbreaking event.

“Today, I would like to applaud the Town of New

“I commend the town, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Bank of Cooperstown for their joint effort in making this longawaited and much-needed facility a reality,” Miller said.

After preliminary sketches and plans were developed in 2021, the town held numerous well-attended public meetings to discuss and to refine the project, leading to a

The lead engineer on the project is Bill Brown of Delaware Engineering in Oneonta. Upstate Companies LLC of Mt. Upton is the general and electrical contractor, and S&H Mechanicals Inc. of Cincinnatus is the plumbing and HVAC contractor. A committee of town residents is assisting the town board in overseeing the project. A USDA architect is also providing oversight.

Photo by Tara Barnwell

Photo provided

The first delivery of pre-engineered steel building materials for the Town of New Lisbon’s new highway garage, purchased from Iron City Structures of Ilion, arrived at the job site on February 27.

COMMUNITIES

Bassett Healthcare Network is proud of its cherished 90-year partnership with Columbia University, and now we’re honored to welcome cardiovascular specialists from Columbia to our heart care team. Together, Bassett and Columbia are embracing the latest in digital medicine to be at the forefront of rural healthcare.

Catskill Symphony Orchestra ‘Le Cabaret’: Another One for the Books

brings!” Micucci added.

By IAN KENYON ONEONTA

Atriumph!” noted Catskill Symphony Orchestra Chair Sarah Patterson, when asked about the 2023 “Le Cabaret” fundraiser at SUNY Oneonta on March 25. The annual event, the second hosted following a pandemic pause in 2020, convened several hundred concertgoers in the Dewar Arena—transformed into a tasteful concert hall, embellished in the CSO’s purple and gold color scheme.

This year’s benefit— emceed by Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek—highlighted the work and mission of the CSO, honored longtime CSO supporter and community member Wendy Brown, included a guest performance from the Brooklyn-based Jeremy Pelt Quartet, and featured the annual Guest Conductor contest, under the direction of Maestro Maciej Żółtowski.

Pelt, recognized as one of jazz’s preeminent young trumpeters, delighted concertgoers with his own adaptation of classic numbers including “For Whom I Love So Much,” “Slow Hot Wind,” and “Blues in Sophistication” among selections from his recent album, “Close to My Heart.” Pelt forged his musical approach through his own journey as a musician, with collaborations including a number of well-known masters, from Ravi Coltrane, Frank Foster, Vincent Herring, Charli Persip, Bobby Short, Nancy Wilson and The Skatalites, to name a few.

One of the evening’s several high points was the annual Guest Conductor competition, a CSO tradition for years. Three newlyinvited contestants took to the stage for their moment to convince concertgoers to vote for them as Guest Conductor and the opportunity to lead the final piece of the

evening, John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” This year, the contenders were noted community members Dan Buttermann, Greater Oneonta Historical Society Executive Director Dr. Marcela Micucci and Oneonta St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church Reverend Chris Welch. The Guest Conductor race was highly competitive. Appeals to concertgoers began with Buttermann’s nod to the region’s nonprofit gems and their impact on community members—with impressive performances from his daughters, Malena the dancer, 13, Layla the gymnast, 11, and Nadia the vocalist, 8, and recognition of his wife and CSO musician, Dr. Ana Laura González. The audience then indulged in Micucci’s most rousing rendition of “All that Jazz” from the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Finally, with humor in mind, Welch delivered a personally-composed skit showcasing his bespoke talents as a wordsmith and a lack of inhibition to don

what was undoubtedly the most noteworthy attire of the evening.

Each Guest Conductor had to craft their own appeal ahead of the fundraiser and over the years no three approaches have been alike. Buttermann, ultimately voted the winner and leading the evening’s final performance, expanded on his strategy.

“This audience, in addition to supporting the CSO, also supports other organizations and activities that promote the arts, like the Decker School of Ballet, Glimmerglass Festival, and the YMCA, so I thought it would be good to show the

audience how important it is to continue that support and to show what their support means to families like mine.

I emphasized that supporting the CSO is good for the community, and not just on the CSO stage—its partnerships and connections with other organizations are immeasurably valuable to the richness of this community,” Buttermann explained.

“I was beyond honored to join in and even a little nervous. The competition is for such a good cause and I was happy to do it. I had such a great time, the competition was exciting and I can’t wait to see what next year

Patterson noted, “It was an absolutely phenomenal evening, a true feeling of family filling the room and one of the most successful fundraising events in Le Cabaret’s run over the years.”

An announcement at the end of the evening revealed that the event had raised nearly $44,000.00 for the CSO.

Patterson, together with CSO Executive Director Ryan West Geraghty, also previewed concertgoers on the final concert of the organization’s 69th season, “Music from the Silver Screen.” The May 13 concert will feature a unique collaboration between the CSO and the Catskill Choral Society, with selections from Hollywood classics including “Ben Hur,” “The Mission,” “Da Vinci Code,” “Star Wars” and “Saving Private Ryan.” The final concert of the season will also be the last CSO concert under the musical directorship of Maciej Żółtowski, as the organization prepares to announce a new direction and approach in line with the expiration of Żółtowski’s contract.

“We’re absolutely grateful for the degree of talent and the many beautiful, musical moments Maestro Żółtowski has brought to us over the years and we wish him the best. The more music, the better!” noted CSO Board Member Wendy Hunt. While the 2023-2024 CSO season—the organization’s 70th—has not yet been formally announced, concertgoers were teased that a full season will be unveiled at the May 13 concert. The next season, to be led by interim Music Director Glen Cortese, will bring to Oneonta a mixture of new faces and legacy tributes to the CSO throughout the banner year, with slated concerts including “Heroes and Legends,” “Musical Portraits,” and a powerful program in store for Le Cabaret 2024: “The Golden Age of Broadway.” Cortese is no stranger to the Upstate New York classical music scene, as artistic director to the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra and the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.

At the end of the evening, it was evident throughout the Dewar Arena that Le Cabaret

Palm Sunday, April 2, 9:15 am: Worship in the Sanctuary

Maundy Thursday, Thursday April 6, 6 pm- Worship, share a simple meal, and join in Holy Communion

Good Friday, Friday, April 7, 7 pm- Worship in the Sanctuary Easter Sunrise, April 9, 6:30 am: Worship at 478 Cullen Road

Coffee and light refreshments will be provided

Sanctuary Join us as we celebrate the glory of the resurrection!

For more information call 315-858-1553

Easter Sunday, April 9, 9:15 am: Worship in the Sanctuary www.rschurchofchristuniting.com

Catskill Symphony Orchestra included a guest performance by the Brooklyn-based Jeremy Pelt Quartet.

HOMETOWN Views

The Results Are In

As many of our readers are aware, we recently sent out a survey in an effort to get a better sense of what readers are thinking as we prepare to launch a new—and much improved—website. We were pleasantly surprised to have heard from more than 200 respondents, the vast majority of which were quite enthusiastic about recent improvements in our print and digital publications, and also expressed a true and invigorating interest in our efforts going forward.

As expected, our readers are older, and perhaps wiser, than the general demographic; nearly half (47%) are 65 years old and above, with another 27% between the ages of 55 and 64. Twenty-two percent of respondents are aged 35-54, and 5% are between the ages of 18 and 34. It is a well-educated group, with 43% having obtained Master’s or Doctorate degrees and 34% a Bachelor’s degree. Nineteen percent have some college and/or professional qualifications, while 4% have no post-secondary experience.

Not surprisingly, 74% of respondents are full-time Otsego County residents but include former residents (10%), part-time residents (7%) and regular visitors (4%). Sixty-four percent read our print editions (78% each week and 22% occasionally); 86% visit our AllOtsego.com website. Forty-two percent receive the editions by mail; 25% pick them up at our retail locations. Fiftyone percent visited the website on a daily basis, with 10% visiting several times a day and 32% once or twice a week. Twenty-six percent of website visitors “often” read entire articles; 33% do so “occasionally;” 28% “skim” articles and 13% browse headlines without clicking through to the story itself.

Respondents overwhelmingly seek to access news; 98% seek out news daily, and 75% check for news “several times per day.” Local news topped their interest (79%) along with regional news (62%) and national news (74%). Somewhat less popular with respondents were international news (42%), health and education news (31%), arts and culture news (30%) and political news (26%).

When asked where they access news, a majority of respondents cited newspaper websites (62%) and print newspapers (51%) as their primary source. Less utilized sources included network news (47%), 24-hour news channels (38%), radio (35%) and that notoriously questionable news source, social media (32%).

When asked what their primary sources for local news and information were, 85% cited local newspapers and their websites; an additional 15% accessed local news through the Facebook postings of the local papers.

In terms of what is of most interest to respondents either in print or online, local news tops the list at 87% followed by obituaries (59%), people and human-interest stories (52%), Editorials (45%), Letters to the Editor (42%), event listings (41%) and columns (36%). Only 4% tackle the weekly crossword puzzle. Asked what type of articles they’d like to see more of, respondents cited arts (39%), business (28%), photography (14%) and sports (14%).

When asked whether they had a paid subscription to either the print or digital editions, 60% of respondents said they do not, while 40% said they subscribe to one or the other, of which 14% subscribe to both. Oddly, when the whole group was asked if they would recommend a subscription to others, a full 94% said that yes, they would.

Those who do subscribe tend to be faithful; 18% have held their subscriptions for 20 years or longer, with 13% subscribing for 11-20 years, 15% for six to 10 years, 40% for two to five years and 14% with new subscriptions of a year or less.

These results have been extremely helpful in our drive to improve our relevance in the community and in constructing our new website, and we most sincerely thank all respondents for their engagement and insightful comments. It really does take a village to make a local newspaper a meaningful community resource, and as we continue our efforts at improvement we are eternally grateful to know that so many have our future success at heart.

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.

HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Publisher / Advertising Manager Tara Barnwell General Manager / Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs

Staff Writer Wriley Nelson Business Manager Larissa Ryan

Columnists and Contributing Writers

Terry Berkson, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Maureen Culbert, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Daniel Francis, Ian Kenyon, Joel J. Plue, Tom Shelby, Dr. Richard Sternberg, Dan Sullivan, T. Stephen Wager, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin

Editorial Board Tara Barnwell, Faith Gay, Michael Moffat, Elinor Vincent, Darla M.

Reminder To Bassett: ‘Do No Harm’

I’m a long-time area resident and, for the past two-plus years, a FoxCare Fitness member. FF is a unique, thriving presence in area healthcare and well-being.

“Do no harm” has been a foundational concept of healthcare for 2,500 years, and I’m confident it underlies Bassett’s mission. Closing or otherwise compromising FF will clearly do harm to hundreds of people—people who, like me, are not only more healthy owing to their membership but also have realized and actualized the agency we all have in maintaining our health. Shouldn’t that also be a foundational concept of healthcare?

Closure would, in fact, be a retreat toward reactive rather than proactive medicine, a 19th-century model and presumably not a desirable aspect of Bassett’s teaching mission. I’d like to think that only an outside consulting firm might see closure as a productive move for Bassett.

The fitness industry is projected to grow by more than 30 percent annually throughout this decade, generating hundreds of billions in revenue nationally fueled largely by the 20-45 age bracket local government claims they want to attract. Multiple sources list poor marketing and poorly trained staff as the biggest obstacles to the success of fitness facilities. FF has an excellent, experienced, proactive, and friendly staff—and no marketing plan that I’m aware of. With proper marketing, from both Bassett and the Chamber of Commerce, FF should be a money-maker for Bassett, in addition to furthering their mission and providing a vital service to this community.

Ben Aldridge Oneonta

Cannabis Tax Revenue Crossroads Solution

To borrow a headline from a recent news report, we here in rural Otsego County are indeed “at the crossroads,” with a growing shortfall in emergency medical services across our county and the reported decline in volunteer EMS workers. New York State itself is at the crossroads and state government must be urged to seize the opportunity to apply cannabis tax revenues where they are most needed, as has been done in other states where recreational cannabis is now legal.

In states across our nation, cannabis tax revenues have reached a high of more than $3 billion in one year. In many states these tax windfalls are being applied to fire districts, public safety, health professions, police and public service, and veterans’ programs, in addition to the disbursement of cannabis sales tax revenues to county, city, and town governments.

We urge Otsego County residents to support the initiative to bring about the application of cannabis tax revenues where it is most needed: rural emergency medical services. Please contact your county representative and County Board Chair David Bliss, urging them to petition the state for such revenues. Also, please write state Assemblyman Angelino, state Senator Oberacker, Congressman Molinaro, and U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand asking for same. It will take many voices raised in unison to bring about this beneficial application of cannabis tax revenues.

Maureen Dill Morris

Will FoxCare Fitness Be a COVID Fatality?

Several months ago, I began taking weekly strength-building sessions with a FoxCare Fitness trainer. He’s so professional and so good and I saw results quickly. I immediately understood how the fitness center benefits the Oneonta community.

Seniors meet there to exercise, keep fit, and also create the connections that combat loneliness and depression— serious medical and mental health issues. The one place you can have an

exercise program and a cup of coffee with your workout buddies—really?

The cardio/pulmonary and physical rehab centers are already in place and will continue to run. No problem— there are insurance codes and money for it. Building community at its deepest level? Investing in wellness, not illness? No insurance code for that.

Keeping the FoxCare center open is not in line with Bassett’s mission statement? How can that be? “Bassett’s mission is improving the health of our patients and the well-being of our communities.”

Closing the fitness center feels like a slap down to those who work hard to stay well and prevent illness. Will the FoxCare Fitness center be chalked up as yet another COVID fatality? Looks like it.

The threads of marketing, mission and money are clear. FoxCare Fitness is not broken. Bassett’s decisionmaking process could use some medical attention. Perhaps there’s a holistic doctor in the house?

Diane Gallo Gilbertsville

Trump May Prevail In Spite of Charges

Donald J. Trump’s indictment and possible conviction and imprisonment in New York—as well as possible future federal or other state indictments, convictions and imprisonments for violations of the criminal statutes of those jurisdictions—will not prevent him from running for president in 2024 even while incarcerated. There is precedent in our history for just that circumstance.

In the election of 1920, Eugene V. Debs, a perennial presidential candidate, was in prison for sedition. He remained on the Socialist Party ballot and received 3.4 percent of the popular vote for president. Mr. Trump’s supporters, therefore, should not fret. If he continues to run, they will be able to vote for him whether he is in prison or not. They, and all other Americans, should stand by and let the legal process in all jurisdictions run its course. Who can say? Trump may ultimately be found not guilty on all counts in all jurisdictions.

John A. Rudy Cooperstown

Cutting of Trees Was ‘Ugly Thing to Do’

A stately row of shade trees was cut down on the Leatherstocking Golf Course at the entrance to the Cooperstown Country Club. The trunks look sound, but the reason given was that the trees were “sick” and that one of the trees had shed a limb recently. All of the trees were removed based on the assumption that they were all dying and presented a hazard. Maybe so. Or maybe not. Some tree species, including these trees, shed limbs as a natural survival mechanism. By shedding limbs, they are trying to live. If that was the case, then cutting them down was an ugly thing to do. If they were stressed, they should have been pruned, not removed.

Chip Northrup Cooperstown

To Oberacker: Please Oppose Bus Mandate

I am a long-time member of the Cooperstown Central School Board of Education but writing this letter as an individual. Please reconsider the mandate for electric school buses placed on public schools. It imposes an impossible burden on annual operating finance, transportation management and long-term debt to taxpayers. It is detrimental to classroom education in the threat it poses of losses to staffing and programs from the inordinate increase to yearly bus and related costs. Spending constraints for rural schools are already harming staff and program viability from existing state regulations and the 2 percent tax-cap.

It can be concluded that this mandate was drawn with little or no input from public school business and administrative professionals as follows:

(1) Bus purchases can only be made, per New York state regulations, as an annual operating expense and the difference in cost of each EV bus is more than $200,000.00 higher than the present cost of a diesel bus, creating an annual budget and tax increase to exceed the 2 percent cap for just two of Cooperstown’s 19-bus fleet;

(2) What is your estimate and plan to pay for (other than local school taxes) the total increase for replacing all public school buses?

(3) Schools have round-trip sports runs that exceed the battery capacity of an EV school bus;

(4) Charging stations do not exist in every school and neither does full debt-free financing to construct them; additionally, there are specific charging specifications and devices have not been standardized for all EV makers;

(5) It is unknown if the state has (or will have) enough power production to enable all the buses in our 700 districts to charge simultaneously.

Then, in addition to these immediate obstacles to New York schools, the following bigger-picture unanswerables remain:

1) How will the future power demand be met when planned mandates of EV cars and commercial vehicles, homes, appliances, and businesses are put in effect, and;

2) When/how will nationwide manufacturing capacity, new power generation, and power distribution for any/all of these ambitions (even for New York alone) be attained?

In summary, where are the shortand long-term financial plans to initiate and sustain this grand vision, and why does it fall so severely on public schools whose taxpayers are already over-burdened by everincreasing state regulations?

This mandate meets no educational goal for students. Neither is it a strategy or plan, but is a visible guarantee of financial chaos and crippling of public education. Please share these easy-tounderstand obstacles with other legislators and correct your miscalculation with erasure of this impossible imposition on local public education. It will be far more sensible to begin with a statewide infrastructure initiative necessary to carry out a large-scale reduced emissions goal by proposing statewide voter proposition/s.

Anthony Scalici Cooperstown

Zebra Mussel Control May Be Possible

Chip Northrup stated that there is no way to control zebra mussels infesting Otsego Lake. Yes, there is, but the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will not allow the introduction of predatory species. Their reasoning is they consider the introduction of other species as being invasive. Take for example the drum fish, which feeds on zebra mussels. The drum fish is good to eat and is prized by sport fishermen. Also, the shellcracker bluegill, found in southern lakes, may be adaptable to Otsego Lake. Perhaps freshwater clams, which are filter feeders, are viable as well?

Gerry Welch Cooperstown

Youngs

Web Architect Ivan Potocnik Historian Tom Heitz/Sharon Stuart Legal Counsel Jill Ann Poulson

Photo provided

The landmark row of shade trees once leading to the Cooperstown Country Club is no more.

135 Years Ago

Hiram F. McMullen, a car inspector on the N.Y.O. & W.R.R. was run over and killed at Sidney on Tuesday. The cars were unprotected by flags, and as McMullen was in the act of crawling under to reach the other side of the track, a train in charge of conductor Allen, backed in upon the cars, catching his left hand just as he placed it upon the rail, severing it at the wrist and drawing the head under, crushing the skull from the left eye to the base of the brain. Deceased had no insurance.

The first delivery of mail in Oneonta by government carriers was made on Monday morning, the letter carriers in bright new uniforms, leaving the office soon after eight o’clock. Matters moved off nearly as smoothly on Monday morning as though the free delivery had been long in vogue. The advantages of the free delivery, although availed of by but comparatively few of the business men, will be appreciated by those living away from the business center. The free delivery system’s introduction here marks an epoch in the history of the village and is another step looking to the enrollment of Oneonta among the young cities of the Empire State.

April 1888

110 Years Ago

The first annual banquet of the Railroad and Local Y.M.C.A. Bowling tournament was held at the Y.M.C.A. dining hall Monday evening at the close of the winter’s successful sport on the alleys, and was an evening of perfect enjoyment for all. The attendance was fine and the spirit of unity which should prevail in every Y.M.C.A. that is to be felt as a power for good in the community was present in a measure that was unmistakable. The contest on the alleys was between 11 picked teams captained by some of the best bowlers in the association. The competition was won by Elmer Rowe’s quartet consisting of E. Elmore, W. Goldsmith, and L. Winans, beside their captain. The pair of slippers awarded for the highest individual score was won by Tony Chicorrelli. The watch fob for the greatest number of strikes throughout the tournament went to J. Leal and the hat donated by Frank Henrieff for the highest average was won by Elmer Rowe.

April 1913

90 Years Ago

Oneonta and state police want to learn the identity of a motorist who on Wednesday of last week forced a large truck and trailer into the ditch near Schenevus and questioned the driver regarding his load at the point of a revolver. According to the driver, A.B. Mahoney of Oneonta, the sedan passed him a few miles north of Schenevus but instead of continuing on its way south the driver of the sedan crowded him to the ditch until he was forced to stop. The stranger then ran back to the truck, gun in hand, and demanded to see Mr. Mahoney’s license. The truck driver produced his chauffeur’s permit. The armed man scanned it hurriedly and then questioned the driver about the contents of the trailer. “A load of Ginger Ale for an Oneonta concern,” the driver informed him. “Go on, you’re not the one I’m looking for,” the hold-up man replied, and hurrying back to his sedan drove off in the direction of Oneonta.

April 1933

70 Years Ago

A distinguished pair of permanent visitors arrived in Oneonta yesterday, and promptly took a swim in Neahwa Park pond to cleanse themselves in preparation for a strenuous summer of swimming and peanuts. Released from federal quarantine on Tuesday after their arrival from Holland, the visitors waddled out of their opened crates, exchanged squawking pleasantries with distinguished onlookers, and waded into the pond. The new Oneontans are a pair of beautiful white swans. Parks personnel expect the swans to become one of the most popular attractions for Oneonta’s nature lovers. To keep them that way, Parks Board Chairman R. Milton Hick has asked the public to refrain from teasing them. The swans were donated to the city by Roscoe and Duncan Briggs of the Briggs Lumber Co.

April 1953

20 Years Ago

Thousands spent the weekend without power as utility companies, road crews and fire departments worked to clean up damage from a late season ice storm. Freezing rain coated roads, cars and trees with as much as an inch of ice in some areas starting Thursday night. States of emergency were declared in Chenango and Otsego counties. Several inches of snow is forecast today.

April 2003

from the noteworthy

Continuing Ed Yields Measurable Results for Shelter

Employees and officials at the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals believe deeply in education because, the better educated we are, the better we can serve our animals and our community. Promoting the humane treatment of animals through education is, of course, part of our mission. At the same time, our professional staff is dedicated to continued education in order to remain up-to-date on animal welfare industry standards and best practices. One way we do this is by attending conferences.

I write this article today from the airport, as I am on my way to New Orleans with five members of my team for the Humane Society of the United States Animal Care Expo. This is only our second year attending and we are grateful to the C.J. Heilig Foundation for making the trip possible. We returned to Otsego County last year both motivated and inspired as a result of this incredible opportunity. We learned more about how we can help animals—and our community—beyond the walls of the shelter, and how we can work and think differently in order to keep people and their pets together, which many folks do not realize is part of the SQSPCA mission. The Animal Care Expo is also an excellent opportunity to connect with new animal care colleagues, many of whom are experts in the field.

After last year’s conference, we began immediately to develop a plan to increase the number of income based, low-cost services offered by the SQSPCA— predominantly spay/neuter clinics—and to improve the logistics and execution of those events. As a result, we helped 310 animals in 2022 versus 127 animals in 2021, an increase of 144 percent in clinic services.

The trend continued in the first quarter of this year.

By MERL REAGLE

As of April 3, the SQSPCA has provided clinic services for 73 animals, representing a 78 percent increase over 41 animals helped during the first quarter of 2022. This summer our efforts will be doubled, because we know from national studies that initiatives such as these clinics can help prevent animals from being left in shelters and will enable many of them to remain with their loving families.

In addition to learning more about the benefits of low-cost community clinics, as well as continuing to increase and improve our services, my staff and I also look forward to expanding our skills in combatting and investigating animal cruelty (including puppy mills), improving the mental health and adaptability of animals in our shelter, and supporting the human-animal bond.

Animal Care Expo 2023 features an international trade show promoting the latest animal care products and services from a wide range of exhibitors, 11 workshop tracks, learning labs, networking opportunities and social events. Topics range from recognizing chronic pain in cats to canine assessment for risk behavior, from equine and farm animal investigative techniques and animal husbandry to building a culture of reclaim, and from community engagement in animal control to using data to inform decisions, among many others.

We are fortunate to live and work in a community that supports this important work and—as a 501c3 private, nonprofit organization that does not receive government support—individual contributions and foundation support make all the difference in executing our mission successfully.

Stacie Haynes is executive director of the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

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

Randy Johnson Opens Fenimore Art Museum Photography Exhibition

By WRILEY NELSON

COOPERSTOWN

Hall of Fame pitcher

Randy Johnson visited the Fenimore Art Museum on Thursday, March 30 to open his first solo photography exhibition. “Randy Johnson: Storytelling in Photographs” features about 30 prints from Johnson’s trips across East Africa.

Johnson is best known for his exceptionally long and successful pitching career, but photography is his passion. He began taking photos in high school and studied photojournalism at the University of Southern California. Although he was unable to pursue this hobby during his hectic years in the minor leagues and with the Montreal Expos, he returned to it as soon as he could.

“Things went well [with the Expos] in 1988. The next year, things didn’t go

so well. I got sent back down and then I got traded to Seattle,” Johnson told “The Freeman’s Journal.”

“That’s when I started picking up the camera again. I still have photos I took just walking around Seattle with a camera. They’re some of my favorites.”

After his retirement from MLB in 2010, Johnson dove into photography full-time.

“There was a learning curve in getting back to photography,” he recalled.

“There’s a learning curve to anything: to baseball, to photography, to giving interviews.”

He reflected on a few continuities across his two careers. “A lot of [wildlife photography] is doing research, like I did in baseball, to know who I was facing, and then being ready for a great moment to present itself.”

He mused on the contrasts between waiting for a photo

and pitching.

“As a pitcher, everyone starts moving when you do.

something to happen.”

Johnson’s philosophy of constant improvement is not the only holdover from his MLB career. His photography website logo features a dead bird, a playful nod to the dove he notoriously killed with a pitch during spring training in 2001.

Johnson has traveled around the world documenting landscapes, wildlife and cultural traditions. In the United States, he is a staple at NFL games and rock concerts, and even served as official photographer for Canadian rock band Rush’s 40th-anniversary tour in 2015. His largest body of work, however, comes from Africa. He chose to focus on this special interest for the exhibition at the Fenimore.

Over the course of four tours through Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania, Johnson documented breathtaking landscapes and intimate encounters with local residents in traditional dress.

However, it is the exquisitelytimed wildlife shots that make this exhibition truly special. Johnson captured lions, mountain gorillas and the great antelope migrations of the African Great Lakes region.

“Everyone can relate to Africa. Everyone has seen photos, or they’ve seen documentaries, or they’ve been there,” Johnson said, “but I try to capture a different picture than what they saw.” Johnson will return to Africa in August. He looks forward to many more years following his passion and perfecting his craft.

“As we say, the best photo is the one you haven’t taken yet,” he mused.

“Randy Johnson: Storytelling in Photographs” opened at the Fenimore Art Museum on April 1. It will remain in the Great Hall through September 17. For more information about Johnson’s photography, visit rj51photos.com.

Cooperstown Food Pantry Saves 4.5 Tons of Chicken from Landfill

COOPERSTOWN

The Cooperstown Food

Pantry provides food for those in need,

directly serving the northern two-thirds portion of Otsego County, including the Village of Cooperstown and 18 other

townships encompassed in its 680-square-mile service area. One recent Saturday, CFP Executive Director Will

The job scene

Kleffner received a call from a shipping dispatcher saying he had a load of chicken that was refused delivery at a store in Albany. If they couldn’t find someone to accept the chicken, the dispatcher said, it would have to be disposed of in a landfill, contributing to the 119 billion pounds of food wasted every year in the United States.

How much chicken did they have? 6,500 pounds.

Currently, the food pantry does not have the capacity to store more than three tons of chicken, so Kleffner called everyone he knew, including a member of the pantry’s Board of Directors, Bill Waller. Thankfully, Waller knew of a new walk-in freezer in nearby Hartwick that could handle such a volume. He arranged for the delivery truck to go directly to the freezer and rounded up volunteers to offload the cases of chicken.

“The pantry owes a huge thank you to Bryan LoRusso and his family for allowing them to not only store the chicken donation, but for personally distributing chicken to neighbors in need in the local Hartwick community,” Kleffner said.

CFP volunteers were aided by volunteers from the food pantries of Hartwick and Edmeston, which took about 2,000 pounds of the chicken to distribute at their respective facilities. Over the next few days, Kleffner and other volunteer helpers were able to distribute frozen chicken to about a dozen other

food pantries throughout the county, including those located in Richfield Springs, Unadilla, and Laurens.

The shipping dispatcher did not provide Kleffner with a reason for the refusal of the load of chicken, but it is suspected to be related to staffing issues at the grocery store in Albany. Less than a week later, another dispatcher contacted the food pantry, offering an additional 2,400 pounds of frozen chicken. Again, if no one could take the chicken, it was going to end up in the landfill. The food pantry’s team met up again and offloaded that donation as well.

Altogether, the Cooperstown Food Pantry took delivery of more than 4-1/2 tons (about 9,000 pounds) of frozen chicken in less than a week, preventing $50,000.00-$60,000.00 worth of meat from spoiling in a landfill. With the help of some very generous volunteers, local feeding programs, and other service-based organizations, all 9,000 pounds of chicken was distributed in about a month.

“With so many struggling to combat the increased cost of food such as ground beef and chicken, paired alongside the termination of emergency SNAP allotments, this delivery arrived at a crucial time,” Kleffner pointed out.

The emergency allotments to which Kleffner refers were instituted in the spring of 2020 by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After three years, the pandemic-era SNAP emergency allotments were discontinued as of the first of February.

According to Kleffner, the regular SNAP payment for an individual who was receiving $273.00 monthly for the last three years in emergency allotments may now be as little as $23.00 per month.

“This has generated a new food insecurity, and this timely donation provided some much-needed relief to those facing poverty and hunger in northern Otsego County,” Kleffner said.

Those willing to be an oncall volunteer the next time the food pantry has a big shipment to unload may contact Kleffner or Jess Lambert at (607) 547-8902 or via e-mail at directorcfp@gmail.com. Cash donations, however, have the most impact. Donations can be made at cooperstownfoodpantry.org or by mailing a check to the CFP at 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Will Kleffner is the executive director of the Cooperstown Food Pantry.

Taskforce Sets First Gathering

ONEONTA—Mayor Mark Drnek’s new Welcome Taskforce seeks to ease newcomers’ transition to the Oneonta region, introducing them to all the resources, culture and opportunities available. Targeting those who have recently moved to Oneonta or are considering doing so, and students considering remaining in the area after graduation, the Welcome Taskforce will plan events allowing residents to quickly acclimate and fully integrate as members of the community while also allowing area businesses and service organizations the opportunity to showcase all the local resources. The intent is to encourage new residents by highlighting the vibrancy, health and growth of Oneonta, City of the Hills. The first Welcome Taskforce event is a Mayor’s Welcome Reception from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, April 14 in the Southside Mall Community Room. There will be refreshments and live music, as well as information tables about local amenities and services, community events, and volunteer opportunities. More on the Welcome Taskforce can be found at All4Oneonta. com. Those who fill out and submit the online “Welcome Wagon Intro Form” will receive up-to-date information on taskforce events and operations.

Earth Festival to Return

MILFORD—The Otsego County Conservation Association announced that Earth Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at Milford Central School. This will be the first time the festival is held in person since before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an OCCA release, Earth Festival will feature workshops, film screenings from Otsego Land Trust and Otsego 2000, a vendor fair in the school gym, and a children’s activity area. Earth Festival is free to attend, but donations are welcome. Drive-Thru, DropOff Recycling will be a separate event this year and will be held at Brewery Ommegang from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. For more information, including a vendor list and workshop schedule, visit the OCCA website.

Photography, you might be waiting a long time for

Photo by Maureen Culbert

Pitcher Randy Johnson chats with members of the public during the opening reception for his solo photography show at the Fenimore Art Museum.

SUNY Thespians Ready for Stagings of ‘boom’ Starting Thursday

One of the benefits to living near a college that I have always appreciated has been the affordable access a college campus gives me to theater, music and dance performances. Living in Oneonta proves my point, for despite its small size there are abundant opportunities to see performing arts. I have noticed, though, that while the productions at both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College are terrific, it can be difficult to know what is being offered unless one is on the campuses frequently. I will use this space to let the community know what is coming up in the performing arts on our two campuses and give you a peek behind the production scenes.

The first show under my spotlight is SUNY O’s student-directed production of “boom” by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. This show is a deceptively simple play with just three characters: Barbara (a natural history docent), Jules (a marine biology graduate student), and Jo (a journalism undergraduate student). First developed at the Brown/ Trinity Playwrights Repertory in 2007, “boom” is a doomsday comedy that starts with a twisted take on a “meet cute” and delves into how the human race might survive an apocalypse.

In reading the script of “boom,” one begins to get the sense this will not be so simple in the author’s note, when Nachtrieb says, “So, yeah: fish, sex, hiding from impending doom…What a totally awesome play that would be, I thought to myself…” After reading through the script and then attending a rehearsal, I spent some time interviewing Gabriel (Gabe) Gutierrez, the student director, about his background, what drew him to this script, overarching themes he was drawn to in the play, and how he saw his role as a director.

Gabe grew up in Mott Haven neighborhood in the Bronx. He first got involved in theater in 8th grade playing Jesus in “The Passion of Christ.” He started college in the fall of 2020 as an education major, but after being in SUNY O’s production of “Noises Off” in fall of 2021, he switched to become a theater major. In particular, Gabe loves the community and team aspect of being in a

theater production, a theme that continued throughout our discussion.

Gabe was selected as the student director by the Mask and Hammer Theater Club, a student organization, after submitting his proposal that included the play, his proposed production team, and a review of any sensitive material that would need to be handled in the production. He was drawn to the play’s dark humor and felt that it gave a nod to COVID, without being too close to that topic. He especially enjoyed Barbara’s character, who talks directly to the audience and gives a picture of what will happen in the future. He also loved how Mr. Nachtrieb had written the script allowing for a lot to play around within it.

There are three overarching themes Gabe finds especially intriguing in “boom,” starting with the concept of where we fit in society. For example, Gabe said, both Jules and Jo are outcasts, students who most would not hang out with in the cafeteria. The second theme Gabe likes to

play with in the show is that of how Jo and Jules try to adapt but have trouble doing so in a situation no one has ever been in before, while Barbara has to go through her own process of adaptation during the play and ultimately does that through her unquenchable optimism. The final theme Gabe identified in the play was the competing concepts of free will versus predestination. Jules and Jo are there to “save the human race” despite not being the two people one would expect to play that role. Ultimately, they do just that, but not in the way they (or I as an audience member!) anticipate.

Of his directorial debut, Gabe told me this process has taught him an enormous amount about theater production; most importantly that it is a full team activity, far more than he had ever realized as an actor. Everyone on the cast and production team has had a significant influence on the vision and outcome of the play. After reading the play, he developed his own vision but worked to create a collaborative atmosphere in which others could question and suggest so that ultimately the vision belongs to all of them.

Once their performances begin, the audience will also have an influence on the performance. What makes live theater fun for Gabe is that each performance is personal and different, depending on the audience and the actors that evening. If you go to the bathroom during a film, you can pause it or watch it another time to catch what you missed. But with the live performance—if you duck out for a few minutes—you’ll never get to experience that part of the performance, even if you go back another evening, for it will be different each time. My suggestion would be that you use the bathroom before the show begins, as you won’t want to miss any of this show!

You can watch “boom” at the Hamblin Theater on SUNY Oneonta’s campus April 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. or April 9 at 2 p.m. for $8.00, general admission, or $3.00, with a student ID.

Next up: “The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” by Oscar Wilde at Hartwick College’s Slade Theater, April 19-22.

Rachel Frick Cardelle covers performing arts at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College.

Fallen Middlefield Soldier Featured in ‘Faces of Margraten’ Book

By WRILEY NELSON

MARGRATEN, Netherlands—

Nineteen-year-old Private First Class Robert J. Hubbard, formerly of Beaver Meadow Road in Middlefield, was killed in action in 1945. Now, almost 80 years after his death, Hubbard is featured in a memorial book, “The Faces of Margraten: They Will Remain Forever Young,” created by a group of volunteers in the Netherlands.

More than 8,000 U.S. casualties are buried

Kenneth J. Tabor

1945-2023

HARTWICK—On April 2, 2023, after 77 years in service of John Christopher Hartwick’s promise of a New Jerusalem, Kenneth James Tabor finally earned a day off—but just one, because the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m., and there is a horse to feed and wood to cut.

Kenneth was born on September 22, 1945 to Elmer and Annabelle (Dibble) Tabor of Hartwick, New York. With Orlo Burch, Darrell Risley, Wayne Bunn, and John Winslow, Ken pressed his feet against every inch of soil from Main Street to the depths of the Hinman Hollow, raising hell just within the bounds of his Methodist upbringing, and too many times only barely coming out alive.

Ken was an exceptional flanker for the Cooperstown High School football team who blended the qualities of rubber and concrete to earn an offer to play NCAA football; he was enshrined along with his 1962 teammates in the CCS Athletics Hall of Fame. He opted instead to enlist in the United States Navy at 17, and after graduating boot camp on the day of President Kennedy’s assassination, he reported to the USS Perry (DD-844). Ken excelled in electronics and became a Veteran of Foreign Wars through service in the Dominican Republic. He met his wife, Mary (Kane), the day after his release from the service.

in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial outside the small Dutch town of Margraten. The names of another 1,700 are listed on the Walls of the Missing.

In 2014, volunteers from the Fields of Honor Foundation inaugurated the Faces of Margraten project, which decorates the grave sites and memorial walls with soldiers’ personal photos. Volunteers on both sides of the Atlantic have collected over 8,500 faces.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands, the

volunteers compiled a book of these photos, complete with detailed biographies of 200 soldiers. The Dutch edition quickly sold out twice. On Friday, March 3, the authors officially presented an American edition at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague. The American edition features 50 more stories and even more photos, in addition to the 10,000name honor roll.

Hubbard was born in Cooperstown on September 26, 1925, the son of Jessie D. and Annie F. (Eaton) Hubbard. He gradu-

ated from Cooperstown Central School in 1944. He was killed in action near the town of Lippstadt, Germany on April 3, 1945. Hubbard posthumously received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star for gallantry in his final engagement. According to his Silver Star citation, Hubbard was killed by sniper fire while singlehandedly covering the retreat of his trapped platoon.

“The Faces of Margraten” is available directly from the publisher, Amsterdam University Press, or from any book outlet.

They were married for the remaining 55 years of his life.

Ken worked at IBM in Endicott before opting for an outdoor job with New York Telephone. As a lineman and cable splicer, Ken compiled an encyclopedic knowledge of every dirt road, home, and family in Otsego County. Across four decades, he did what he said he’d do, when he said he’d do it, and never left a house out of service— and eventually worked with his son at Verizon until his retirement. While acting as a foreman, a payroll error resulted in no one receiving a paycheck, including Ken. He went to the bank, withdrew all he could, and divided his money amongst the men to have until they got paid.

He built his ranch-style home on Christian Hill after work at night and on weekends along with Mary, her father, Ken Kane, and her uncle, Leon. He was a witness to and participant in all endeavors of Hartwick and its hills, from fishing, trapping, and coon hunting

to successfully navigating tenuous relationships with game wardens and snowmobiling law enforcement.

Ken was also an unshakable bowler who won the Cooperstown Winter Carnival Tournament four times with two of his sons. He was an uncannily good shot with both his Yorx bow and Belgian Browning Auto5, and he committed his mind and body to every physical endeavor. He lifted weights, played softball, ran and questioned no burden. When walking across hot coals in karate training blistered the entirety of both his feet, he went to work the next day.

When Ken wasn’t working, he was working. No soul who has sprouted from the loins of Old England District has ever, or will likely ever, achieve Ken’s unlimited capacity for physical labor—and espe-

cially without complaint. He cloaked under a flannel shirt a powerful, indefatigable body built through kindness and obligation; it was only revealed through the completion of labors and preparation for the next one. To his final day, he paradoxically maintained the strength of a man a third of his age despite fueling his body almost exclusively with Sal’s pepperoni and mushroom pizza and Stewart’s ice cream.

In his retirement, Ken earned a degree in carpentry from SUNY Delhi and worked the grounds of the Glimmerglass Opera. He spent years in his woodshop doting on a succession of adopted cats, most notably the orange stray OC, who rode on his shoulder everywhere he walked.

Ken never burdened his grandchildren with the word

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

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.

“no,” and he attended every one of their sporting events, plays, and performances, just as he did for all of his sons. He read and acquired knowledge prodigiously, especially related to local history—two of his most prized books were Campbell’s “Annals of Tryon County” and BC Stevens’ “Tales from Hinman Hollow.” He transferred that knowledge through stories of his life, which appeared to be a series of yarns too fantastic to believe—until the years revealed, both deliberately and accidentally, that they all checked out.

Ken continues to live in Hartwick through his wife, Mary, and their three boys, Jeffrey, Jason, and Matthew; his brother, Gordon; and

his grandchildren, Allison, Jacob, Peyton, and Lucas.

The Tabor family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, 2023, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown. At the conclusion of the visitation, a funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. The service of committal and burial with Military Honors will follow at Hartwick Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Ken’s memory be made to the Susquehanna SPCA at sqspca.org/donate, or donations of cat food to your local animal shelter.

Dignity, Respect, Tradition

Dignified and Caring Service since 1925 Peaceful grounds. Home-like atmosphere. Suitable for large or small gatherings.

Photo provided K ENNETH J. TA b O r

Photo by Rachel Frick Cardelle fiona Ventura (barbara), Kyle rockwoe (Jules) and Diana Alzarez (Jo) rehearse for Thursday’s opening of “boom” at SuNY Oneonta.

FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received as set forth in instructions to bidders until 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, May 04, 2023 at the NYSDOT, Office of Contract Management, 50 Wolf Rd, 1st Floor, Suite 1CM, Albany, NY 12232 and will be publicly opened and read. Bids may also be submitted via the internet using www.bidx.com. A certified cashier’s check payable to the NYSDOT for the sum specified in the proposal or a bid bond, form CONR 391, representing 5% of the bid total, must accompany each bid. NYSDOT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

Electronic documents and Amendments are posted to www.dot.ny.gov/ doing-business/opportunities/const-notices. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all Amendments are incorporated into its bid. To receive notification of Amendments via e-mail you must submit a request to be placed on the Planholders List at www.dot. ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/ const-planholder.

Amendments may have been issued prior to your placement on the Planholders list.

NYS Finance Law restricts communication with NYSDOT on procurements and contact can only be made with designated persons. Contact with non-designated persons or other involved Agencies will be considered a serious matter and may result in disqualification. Contact Robert Kitchen (518)457-2124.

Contracts with 0% Goals are generally single operation contracts, where subcontracting is not expected, and may present direct bidding opportunities for Small Business Firms, including, but not limited to D/M/WBE’s and SDVOBs.’

The New York State Department of Transportation, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation and Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, Title IV Program and Related Statutes, as amended, issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all who respond to a written Department solicitation, request for proposal or invitation for bid that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged busi-

ness enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability/handicap and income status in consideration for an award.

BIDDERS SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT AWARD OF THESE CONTRACTS MAY BE CONTINGENT UPON THE PASSAGE OF A BUDGET APPROPRIATION BILL BY THE LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Please call (518)457-2124 if a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the letting. Region 09: New York State Department of Transportation

44 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901

D265037, PIN 980756, FA Proj Y240-9807563, Allegany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Yates Cos., GEOTECH SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION, Various Locations., Bid Deposit: 5% of Bid (~ $125,000.00),

Goals: DBE: 0.00%

LegaL nOtice SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF OTSEGO;

Index No.

EF2022-522

Filed 08/29/2022, Plaintiff LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC

V

to appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this Summons and Complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the publication and protect your property. Sending payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC ) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

To the above named defendants: The foregoing Publication is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Brian D. Burns, J.S.C, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of N.Y., dated January 27, 2023 and filed along with the supporting papers in the Otsego County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose a mortgage on the property located 18 Brigham Road, Oneonta, NY 13820 Section: 288.6 Block: 1 Lot: 30 and Section: 288.00 Block: 2 Lot:

Jenna L. Utter

Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main St., PO Box 346 Cooperstown, NY 13326 (607) 547-2411 (phone) jutter@cooperstownny.org (email)

Dated:

April 1, 2023

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION

City School District City of Oneonta, New York

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Public Hearing of the qualified voters of the Oneonta City School District, Otsego County, New York, will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. at the Oneonta Senior High School pursuant to Section 2017 (4) (5) of the Education Law of the State of New York, for the presentation of the budget document.

NOTICE IS ALSO

GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and a vote, by voting machine, will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at The Foothills, 24 Market Street, Oneonta, at which time the polls will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., EST, for voting on the following items:

fied to vote, who is currently registered for any general election, pursuant to Section 352 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote without further registration pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law.

Military voters who are qualified voters of the School District may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the District Clerk. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, the District Clerk must have received a valid ballot application no later than 5:00 pm on May 1, 2023. In a request for a military ballot application or ballot, the military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application or ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. The School District will transmit military ballots to military voters on May 1, 2023. Completed military ballots must be received by the School District by 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2023 in order to be counted.

PLEASE TAKE

Oneonta City School District each day of the week other than Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, during the period of seven days immediately preceding the date of the public hearing to be held on May 3, 2023. Copies of the proposed budget will be available on said days at the Board of Education Office, 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

SCHOOL BUSES

UNKNOWN

HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF EVA Y. TSAI; U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

O/B/O INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; JOHN DOE Defendants. PUBLICATION TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS:

UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF EVA

Y. TSAI YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above captioned action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a Defendant in this action may answer

1.61 Otsego County is designated as the place of trial based upon the location of the property being foreclosed. Attorneys for Plaintiff: Stern & Eisenberg, PC, 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016 T:(516) 630-0288.

4LegalApr.27

LegaL nOtice NOTICE OF FILING OF FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the assessor of the Village of Cooperstown has prepared the final assessment roll for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and that same was filed on April 1, 2023, with the undersigned Village Clerk at her office in said Village where it may be examined by any person at all times during regular business hours for a period of fifteen days from the date of publication of this notice, at the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York.

To adopt the annual budget of the Oneonta City School District for the fiscal year 2023-2024 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable real property of the District, To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education, each to serve three (3) year terms, commencing on July 1, 2023 and expiring on June 30, 2026, to succeed Amy Burnsworth, and Shawn Beckerink, whose terms expire on June 30, 2023.

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to the Education Law of the State of New York. Voting at said Annual Election will be by use of voting machines.

ALL VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE AT: THE FOOTHILLS 24 MARKET STREET, ONEONTA, NEW YORK

Petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education to fill two (2) expired terms of three (3) years shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at the District Office, no later than April 26, 2023 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Each petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District, must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District and state the residence of each signer; the name and residence of the candidates.

NOTICE, is also given that any person, otherwise quali-

NOTICE that the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District has fixed May 2, 2023 as the date on which the Board of Registration of said school district will meet at 31 Center Street, in Oneonta, New York, in said school district, for the purpose of preparing a register for each school election district for the Annual City School District Election to be held on May 16, 2023. Said Board of Registration will meet for said purposes on May 2, 2023 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. At such hours and place, any person who has not permanently registered by May 2, 2023 or who did not register for the general election held on November 3, 2022 or who is permanently registered, but at the time of such registration resided in a school election district other than the one in which he or she presently resides or has not voted in an intervening election, must in order to be entitled to vote at said election, present himself or herself personally for registration. The register so prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District at the Board of Education Offices at 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York 13820 and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the district beginning May 3,2022, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and each day, except Saturday or Sunday, prior to the day set for the election, May 16, 2023 and at the polling place on the day of the vote. Copies of the proposed budget may be obtained by any resident of the

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District shall provide for absentee ballots for the election of Board of Education member, the school budget and any other referenda stated in this notice. Applications for absentee ballots for said annual election are available at the Board of Education Offices, 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York. Completed applications are to be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Education at said address no later than May 12, 2023 if mailed and May 16, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. if personally delivered. Absentee ballots are to be submitted no later than 3:30 p.m. on May 16, 2023 the day of said election, to the address of the Clerk of the Board of Education.

A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the District Clerk from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on each of the five days prior to the day of the election, except weekends, and on the day set for the election. Any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the ballot of any person on such list, by making his/her challenge and reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that any other proposition not requiring official notice in the call of the Annual Meeting may be voted upon at said election, subject to the provisions of Section 2035 of the Education Law, provided a proposition is filed with the District Clerk on or before April 17, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. prevailing time; said proposition must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District: must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District; and must state the name and residence of each signer. The School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, or any proposition that fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition.

Shall the March 15, 2023 bond resolution authorizing the purchase of (2) two 66 passenger school buses, one with a wheelchair lift station for the City School District of the City of Oneonta, at a maximum cost of $312,473; authoizing the issuance of up to $312,473 bonds (five year maximum maturity); providing for a tax levy therefor in annual installments; pledging the District’s faith and credit for debt service; delegating powers with respect to bonds and notes; and providing for an estoppel procedure, be approved?

PROPOSITION 2

-Establishment of a Capital Reserve RESOLVED, the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District is hereby authorized to establish a capital reserve fund pursuant to Section 3651 of the Education Law to be designated, “2023

Facilities Improvement Capital Reserve Fund” created to defray the cost of the construction and reconstruction of School District buildings and facilities, including original equipment, machinery, apparatus, appurtenances, furnishings and other incidental improvements and expenses in connection therewith, and in order to accomplish the same, the Board is hereby authorized to establish the ultimate amount of such Reserve Fund to be Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00), plus accrued interest and other investment earnings with a probable term of ten (10) years and, to appropriate from the available fund balance and/or other legally available funds of the School District to such Reserve Fund. Dated: March 31, 2023

Oneonta, New York BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE ONEONTA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT /s/Regina Ranieri McGuinness Regina Ranieri McGuinness, District Clerk 4LegalApr.21

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CAPS OFF LLC.

Filed 2/6/23. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: c/o Matthew F Lorusso, 3522 County Hwy 11, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Purpose: General. 6LegalMay.11

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY UNDER THE NEW YORK LIMITED LIABILITY LAW

Name: GREYDEN DIAPERS CO LLC

Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of

New York (SSNY) on February 23, 2023.

Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY shall mail copy of process to c/o Allison & Eric Jensen, 819 Dutch Valley Road, Edmeston, NY 13335

Purpose: To engage in any and all business for which LLCs may be formed under the New York LLC Law. 6LegalMay.5

LegaL nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF UPSTATE NY LIVING, LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/7/23. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Dan Botwinik, 232 West Cannon St, Boston, MA 02116.

Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalMay.5

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Moe’s Remodels, LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 3/14/2023.

Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 101 Buckhorn Lake Road Unadilla, NY 13849

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.27

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Upstate Architecture PLLC, Articles of Org. were filed with the Secretary of the State of New York (SSNY) on 06/22/2022. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the PLLC, 56 Center St. Oneonta, NY 13820.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.27

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Missink Toons LLC

Arts of Org. filed SSNY 2/21/23, Otsego Co.

SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to Zenbusiness Inc. 41 State St #112 Albany, NY 12207

General Purpose

6LegalApr.27

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF O’HARA

AUTO SALES & SERVICE LLC.

Articles of Organi-

zation filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 02/28/2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 345 STATE HWY 7, SIDNEY NY 13838

Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SAS 237 LLC.

Filed 10/30/22.

Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: Sneha Patel, 16 Lakeview Dr S, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Purpose: General.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Cannaxgoats LLC.

Filed 1/9/23.

Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: P.o. Box 7, Otego, NY 13825 - 9998.

Registered Agent: Tyeshia Stevens, 115 Downey Rd Spur, Oneonta, NY 13820 - 3384.

Purpose: General.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Linenine Communications LLC.

Filed 2/28/23.

Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 657 County Hwy 17, New Berlin, NY 13411.

Purpose: General. 6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC).

Name: Royal Retreats at Maho Beach, LLC.

Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 7 March 2023. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 393 Main Street Suite 104, Oneonta, New York, 13820.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC).

Name: All Star Baseball Rentals, LLC.

Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 7 March 2023. Office location: Otsego County. continued pg.

Letters

program for individuals in our community.

both plaintiffs and defendants await their day in court.

in Response to Dr. Sternberg

There is strong justification for the FoxCare Fitness center to remain open. The benefits of preventative health that include exercise have been well documented in the medical literature.

We get very excited about the new cardiac technologies: aggressive coronary angioplasty, non-surgical management of abnormal structural cardiovascular conditions and arrhythmia control. These procedures are very expensive and are life preserving. However, preventative cardiovascular programs are relatively cheap and, over time, will reduce healthcare costs.

I have been involved in cardiovascular affairs for more than 40 years. Prior to coming to Bassett Healthcare, I was the cardiology consultant to the Office of the Surgeon General, US Army. I spent years dealing with all aspects of cardiac issues involving cardiovascular disease states, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death and various aspects of adult congenital heart disease. I learned early on in my career that when healthcare costs rise, the first things terminated are preventative care programs. This is a mistake. Over time, programs such as exercise fitness, smoking cessation and weight control will have significant benefit to one’s health. These programs have the potential of reducing cardiovascular disease and, over time, will reduce the cost of healthcare.

If we were to use just the argument that healthcare costs are too high, we could shut down programs that are too expensive and are not being fully reimbursed; including some of the emergency room facilities, prime care facilities, inpatient rehab programs, etc. However, these programs are essential for the health of individuals that live in our community.

FoxCare Fitness has been used by many individuals of all ages. It is the premier fitness center in the Oneonta area. Many of my patents have been using the facility for a number of years. We should look at ways that the facility could be more cost effective. I strongly recommend that this unit be continued in order that fitness be part of an integrated health

Continued from page 4 from pg. 8 SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 393 Main Street Suite 104, Oneonta, New York, 13820.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY (LLc).

Name: DRI Destinations, LLC.

Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 7 March 2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent

Jerel Zoltick, md facc Cardiologist, Associate Chief of Cardiovascular Services, Bassett Healthcare Network; Medical Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs, Bassett Healthcare Network

Averill Rd.

Continued from page 1

the road to the proposed water tower, without a proper environmental review or special permit.”

When questioned, Village of 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 Foundation’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.”

Zamelis officially filed the second petition with the Madison County Supreme Court on behalf of his clients on March 19, including photographs of the work being done on the Averill Road site, stating that “the commencement of construction of the project by Templeton Foundation is in violation of the State Environmental Quality Review Act… Environmental Conservation Law Article 8 and the Special Permit requirements of the Village of Cooperstown Zoning Law.” It has also been reported that New York State Department of Environmental Conservation staff visited the site on Friday, March 24. Fast forward to today, as

of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 393 Main Street Suite 104, Oneonta, New York, 13820.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY (LLc).

Name: Prime Oneonta Rentals, LLC.

Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 7 March 2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and

Justice O’Sullivan ordered in his ruling on behalf of the plaintiffs that the defendants “show cause and all the papers upon which it is granted” no later than Monday, March 27 and have “responding papers” to Zamelis by Monday, April 3.

The case is set to be heard at 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 6 at the Madison County Courthouse, 138 North Court Street, Wampsville.

Railyards

Continued from page 1

tify the city, promote a vibrant ecosystem and enjoy some time outdoors with the entire community. Attendees should meet at the corner of Fonda Avenue and Roundhouse Road. Volunteers may register in advance by e-mailing ggardner@otsegonow.com, but registration is not mandatory. All tools and supplies will be provided by Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful.

354 Main

Continued from page 1

“Morning Shift,” a soap made from from shea butter and jojoba oil, designed to invigorate the user by delivering antioxidants to the skin.

“For ‘Morning Shift,’ I use 100 percent essential oil fragrances—rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint oils. It’s the best product we can make,” Hovard said.

Other Hudson Made products available at 354 Main include Turkish towels, natural brushes, sea sponges and “pretty much anything for the bath,” Hovard said. More information on Hovard’s line of products is available at www.hudsonmadeny.com.

A wide range of antique and vintage objects, including pottery, glassware and an oldstyle manual typewriter, can also be found at 354 Main.

Hovard appreciates that 354 Main has been connected to Otego and its residents for decades, and he wants to continue that connection by working closely with the community. Two longtime residents in particular, Carolee Byrnes and Buzz Hesse, have given him valuable insight into local history. Byrnes, a member of the Otego Historical Association, compiled a binder of information on the history of 354 Main. Hesse, an archeologist by profession, founded the Roland B. Hill Memorial Museum

of Indian Archeology, also on Main Street, and, with his wife Jackie, operated Otego’s Hesse Galleries for 30 years.

Hovard is making a special effort to work with local growers. From Star Root Farm in the Charlotte Valley, Hovard avails himself to calendula, chamomile, hyssop, lavender and cornflower, which he then infuses to make various kinds of body oils. He has also begun to grow botanicals with Colleen O’Hara, who owns and operates Otsdawa Berry on County Highway 8 in Otego.

“We use these locally grown botanicals in our ‘Grange Collection.’ The term ‘grange’ refers to the agricultural associations that used to be so prominent in rural communities,” Hovard said, adding that he

can only turn over as much product from these crops as the growing season, with all of its contingencies, allows.

Hovard’s approach to his agricultural endeavors is holistic.

“Botanical crops support other agricultural crops by attracting pollinators, such as bees and butterflies,” he said.

In line with 354 Main’s art gallery function, Hovard held an opening in March for two artists from the Butternut Valley—ceramic artist Elizabeth Nields and abstract expressionist artist Timothy Atticus. Although the schedule is not pinned down as yet, Hovard plans to host five or six art openings per year, as well as a holiday “pop-up”—an event allowing vendors to connect with shoppers in person for a limited time.

Hovard is also planning a fundraiser for the Sweet Life Animal Ranch and Rescue in Morris, which will feature the photography of Vicki Whicker. Details on the event will soon be available on 354 Main’s Facebook page, 354Otego.com.

On July 2, in conjunction with the Annual Stagecoach Run Art Festival—a regional, self-guided open gallery tour—354 Main will host an open house spotlighting works by Stamford artist Jan Green. A relative newcomer to Otego, Hovard nonetheless appreciates the talent and potential in his new home.

“Otego has an incredibly vibrant artistic community, and I want people to have a place to show their work. 354 Main is evolving, and we’re going to see what comes next,” Hovard said.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 393 Main Street Suite 104, Oneonta, New York, 13820.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of SUMMIT HILL WOODWORKS LLC

Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/2/23. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 707 Summit Hill Rd., Jordanville, NY 13361.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of

Medic Materials LLC.

Filed 12/15/22. Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail 214 S Welcome Rd, Mt Vision, NY 13810.

Purp: any lawful. 6LegalApr.20

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of SULLIVAN MILLS PRODUCTIONS LLC.

Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 2/17/23. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 187 Wolf Rd, Ste 101, Albany, NY 12205.

The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Business Filings Incorporated, 187 Wolf Rd, Ste 101, Albany, NY 12205.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

6LegalApr.13

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of M Boyle LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/09/2023.

Office: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 310 TOWERS RD MILFORD, NY 13807.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.13

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of C.Boyle LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/09/2023.

Office: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 310 TOWERS RD MILFORD, NY 13807.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.13

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of Bloomfield Technology LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 02/09/23.

Office: Otsego County SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon who process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of the process to the LLC, 166 HADE HOLLOW RD COOPERSTOWN, NY 13326.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.13

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of NB23 RE Holdings, LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/27/23. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 188

Highland Terrace, West Oneonta, NY 13861.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

6LegalApr.6

LegaL nOtice

Notice of formatioN of Oaks Creek Farm and Market LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York on 2/23/2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 2058 County Highway 49 Edmeston, NY 13335.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose

6LegalApr.6

LegaL nOtice

Notice of QuaLificatioN of RIGHT MEOW LLC.

Fictitious Name in NY State: RM-CCM, LLC. App. For Auth. filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/2/23. Office location: Otsego County. LLC formed in Massachusetts (MA) on 10/25/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the MA address of LLC: 232 West Canton St, Boston, MA 02116. Arts of Org filed with MA Secy of the Commonwealth, One Ashburton Place, 17th Fl, Boston, MA 02108-1512. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalApr.6

Photo by William Hovard

“354 Main,” a commercial building at the corner of Main and River streets in Otego, is owned and operated by Bill Hovard and Chris Kraig and functions as a shop, art gallery, and event venue.

DESERT DISPATCH RICHARD DEROSA

Day at the Rodeo Features Impressive Skills, Shared Sense of Pride

Awhile ago, we spent the day at the annual Tucson rodeo. Quite a day; fascinating from many perspectives. How can one not come away in awe of 4-6 year-old “mutton busters” holding on for dear life astride a bucking sheep while being dragged hundreds of feet across the arena dirt. And then, standing tall while waving to the adoring crowd. Gotta start young in this business. Later came the bareback bronc riding. Most riders were able to hold on for the minimum time, while a few barely made it out of the chute. One rider was thrown over his buckskin bronc’s head, ending in a heap just as the bronc’s forelegs appeared headed for his face. Fortunately, the hooves missed; a close call.

As impressive as these daredevils’ skills were, we marveled at the work of the several pick-up riders who, after plucking each rider from the bronc and dropping him to the ground, herded the bronc into a holding pen at the far end of the area. However, in one instance—try as they might to extricate the rider from the horse as it bucked and galloped around the edge of the area, the rider flapping back and forth as if tossed by a gale force wind—it took several attempts at full gallop to extricate the poor guy. Once the horse was freed of his rider, or tormentor, there ensued a merry chase, with the pickup guys herding the still angry horse out of the arena. The rider, as is customary with these very tough cowboys, stomped the ground with his boots, stretched a bit and sauntered off toward the chutes as if all is in a day’s work, which it is. Only a cynic or a fool would come away from witnessing such daunting displays of, well, courage without a sense of awe at what these guys go through day in and day out. The first few hours of the day were devoted to a junior rodeo. One of the most intriguing events was goat roping. They bring out a goat (always an alternate goat in reserve), tie it to a stake and make sure it is standing. Then out of the chute gallops a young girl, who stops short of the goat, jumps off her horse, grabs the goat by the neck, flops it over on its back, and ties its three legs together. And, if successful, raises her arms up in triumph at the crowd. The youngest of these kids was 6—amazing. The next event, barrel racing, proved equally exciting. Just watching these

THE UNKNOWNS

young girls (all girls) ages 6-13 zoom around the barrels at high speed, their mounts bent into each turn at a very acute angle, fills one with pride in what they have accomplished and a sense of the artistry of it all.

Perhaps some might quibble with characterizing such feats as artistry, but to me there is no room for debate on this one. I would describe all the events we subsequently watched as exhibiting amazing artistry, be it the steer roping, both individually and in teams of two, saddle bronc riding, or a lone rider galloping after a steer and leaping off his horse onto the steer to bring it down on its back within the prescribed time limit.

There is another aspect of the day that has given me much to think about. First of all, if one wants to experience a very real, eye-opening slice of American life, a rodeo is a great place. Checking out the crowd it is easy to see, if visual inspections of this sort have any reliability, folks from all walks of life: cowgirls and cowboys of all ages, buckle-bunnies galore, snowbirds, the tattooed and un-tattooed, all manner of body shapes and sizes enjoying what can only be described as generally unhealthy carnival fare, and beer available everywhere, courtesy of Coors. If one has either a passing interest in ornamentation

style or a deeper interest from an anthropological perspective, a rodeo is a great place to gather colorful data. Imagine anything possible and you’ve got it. Suffice it to say, all slices of American life came together on a sunny Arizona day to enjoy the enduringly American spectacle that a rodeo is.

I am neither a religious guy, nor someone particularly fond of excessive displays of nationalism or jingoism in its most virulent forms. However, I remain affected by the thoughts and feelings I felt that afternoon. At the start of the afternoon’s events, the announcer offered up a lengthy prayer with unabashed patriotic overtones. Okay. That was followed by the national anthem sung by a member of the U.S. Navy, my branch, and at the same time a cowgirl with flag hoisted galloped around the arena, the flag waving proudly in the breeze. It was clear that everyone there was deeply affected by the rituals, as was I, quite to my surprise. There is something ineffable, almost indefinable, about feelings aroused at such moments. I felt a oneness with others that I have not experienced in that way in a long time. I shared the pride felt by the crowd. I felt very patriotic at a time when my feelings of patriotism are all too often effaced by so much that is detestable in our culture these days. But that momentary coming together of a shared sense of pride in who we are and what we CAN stand for dumped a bit more hopefulness into my spirit.

At the end of the day, we made our way to the VFW tent. An announcement had been made inviting Vietnam vets to stop by to get a pin commemorating their service. I usually eschew that sort of thing, but Sandy pushed me despite my reluctance. Not possible to describe my feelings when I shook the hands of two young soldiers who thanked me for my service and handed me a pin as a moment. Kind of choked up a bit; not my customary response to that sort of thing. Glad I did it. It does not change my basic assumptions and feelings about that long-ago war that wrecked thousands of lives needlessly. But I think the choking unearthed a latent sense of patriotism of the kind that still believes that if we follow the lead of our better angels well, there is hope. Can’t wait until the next rodeo.

DNA Testing in Genealogy: Both a Starting Point and a Helpful Tool

Some of you may have thought about getting—or have already received as a gift for the holidays—a DNA test kit from Ancestry, 23andMe, or another company such as Family Tree DNA, and are now wondering what to do next. If you would like to buy one and haven’t yet done so, the holidays are the best time, next to Father’s and Mother’s days, when test companies offer the best sales. It really depends on how far you have gone in your research, where you are stuck and therefore prevented from going back any further, and if you need additional help that DNA and other people’s online family trees can offer.

An understanding of which DNA tests these companies offer, and what kind of information those tests yield, is important before purchasing and taking a DNA test. It is also important for consumers to read and understand test companies’ privacy statements and terms and conditions. Additionally, some companies and third-party websites require an opt-in or opt-out for allowing law enforcement to compare DNA samples of perpetrators of particular serious crimes to samples within the companies’ databases, and it is important for test takers to understand how their DNA may be used if they opt in or out. Taking a DNA test can also yield unexpected, surprising and even shocking results. It is important for each test taker to be able to provide informed consent to a DNA test; this includes knowing that their test results may reveal family secrets that may be upsetting to some

people, including living relatives.

Most DNA testing companies include two major components: some form of genetic relative matching and some form of ethnicity estimates. For genetic relative matching, the test companies analyze your DNA sample and compare it to the other samples within their database. They are then able to list your genetic relatives who have tested with that particular test company. (Some testing companies and other third-party websites also allow you to upload your DNA test results from other test companies onto their websites, so you have even more opportunity to find genetic relatives.) Test companies also provide the amount of DNA you share with each DNA match, which can help you narrow down how you might be related to one another.

User-uploaded family trees on DNA test companies’ websites can also help with determining how you are related to a genetic match, though they can contain mistakes or wrong information entirely. Not everything that people post in their online family trees turns out to be accurate, but they can often indicate a good starting point, if researched and cited well. One should always look at the sources cited, and the information therein, and evaluate them for yourself. (Just because someone had the same name as your ancestor and lived in the same city does not mean that every document you find with that name in that city refers to your ancestor, for instance.) Non-paternity events or NPE due to illegitimacy, adop-

tion, etc., can also complicate matters. One should use a combination of DNA testing and traditional genealogical research to get the best and most accurate results.

Ethnicity estimates are a bit more complicated. They are, first of all, only estimates, and not written in stone. They are not an exact science, and although they can be helpful (and fun to see), they should always be coupled with traditional genealogical research before drawing any conclusions. Test companies compare your DNA sample to those taken from various reference populations around the world: living people whose ancestors have lived in a particular region for several generations. The test companies then estimate where your ancestors may have originated in the past few hundred years based on how much DNA you may have in common with these particular reference populations. However, many border changes in the past few hundred years (and other factors) mean that the results are really only accurate to the continent level, and sometimes to more specific regions, but generally not to specific countries. Your ethnicity results are updated periodically as more people have their DNA tested and as the technology improves.

DNA testing for genealogical purposes can be complicated to understand at first, but it can be a useful (and fun) tool for genealogy.

Maureen Culbert is vice president of the Springfield Historical Society. Her daughter Megan, who contributed to this column, works at Fenimore Art Museum.

Let the Sun Shine In: Cooperstown Area LWV To Reactivate Observer Corps

Just as we all wish for clear blue skies and sunny days when it comes to the weather, the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area also hopes the same for our local government: that it lets the sun shine on its work by being open and accountable.

“Sunshine” in government refers to two distinct areas—access to public records and access to public meetings. From March 12-18, the League of Women Voters celebrated Sunshine Week, a national period dedicated to promoting open government, transparency, freedom of information, and enhanced public participation in government. The week-long celebration is sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and News Leaders Association and coincides with the National Freedom of Information Day, which was commemorated this year on March 16.

Sunshine Week serves as a reminder to citizens to take advantage of their important role in fostering an open and accountable government. Our League marked Sunshine Week 2023 by re-activating our Observer Corps Program. Observer Corps Programs throughout the country have

earned the League a reputation as a fair and accurate civic monitor. Observers are present at public meetings, but do not speak for the League at the meetings.

Observers attend public meetings to listen and to learn and then make factual reports about what occurred. Observers monitor not only the issues but also the process through which these issues are discussed. That process begins before the public meeting. Does the county, town, village, or school district provide information about all its meetings— including committee meetings—on a website? Are agendas and minutes readily available to the public in a timely fashion? Observer Corps members will use a form to record what takes place, including not only the action of the government board, but whether agendas and past minutes were available, which officials were in attendance, whether they were prepared for the meeting, and whether they treated each other and the public with respect.

To have a successful Observer Corps, we are looking for sufficient volunteers among League members who

will agree to regularly attend county, town, village, and school board meetings. Our goal is to find two League members to attend the same meeting. (That way, there should always be at least one person from the League at the meeting). The key is to regularly attend the meeting.

It isn’t that difficult to become a member of the Observer Corps. First, join the League. Once a member, we will train all volunteers. We will send observers to as many local meetings as we have volunteers to cover them.

It’s the perfect way to get to know your community and to let the sun shine in. If you have questions or wish to volunteer, please e-mail president@ LWVCooperstownArea.org.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Maureen Murray is co-president of the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area.

Photo provided

A rodeo is a great place to experience a very real, eye-opening slice of American life.

mEgAN I. CUlbERT

Cabaret

Continued from page 3

Dewar Arena that Le Cabaret had lived up to its annual. As a handful of concertgoers stealthily slinked to the sides of the room and swayed together to Pelt’s performance while others were seated and content to take in the music among family and friends— and with the CSO team jubilant with delight from the resounding show of moral and financial support by the community—Le Cabaret proved itself once again as the musical high point of the season. And this beloved regional tradition shows no signs of slowing down.

The CSO will host its final concert of the season on May 13 at SUNY Oneonta’s Alumni Field House, where the 20232024 season will be announced with early bird tickets available. The 70th season will commence in September.

Bassett Expands

Visitation Hours

OTSEGO COUNTY—

Bassett Healthcare Network has updated the inpatient visitation policy covering all of its inpatient and clinic facilities. Visitation hours are now 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Visitors must be at least 12 years of age. Up to two visitors are allowed per patient at a time. If necessary, a patient may receive permission to keep a support person overnight.

Free Virtual Job Fair Scheduled for April 12

OTSEGO COUNTY—The Mohawk Valley West and Southern Tier Six-County Virtual Job Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 and is free and open to the public. The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties, which sponsors the event, encouraged all job seekers and employers in Otsego, Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, Chenango, and Delaware counties to attend.

“If you or someone you know is looking for employment, but are unsure of where to start, the Workforce Development Board is here to help. We provide opportunities to gain new skills through free training, supportive services and job readiness,” Project Director Sommer Edwards said. “We also work as a liaison between employers to help match job seekers with the occupation they are looking for. If you are an employer, and you are looking to grow your workforce, consider joining us at this virtual event to meet new talent and learn more about the services we have available to assist your workforce needs.”

For more information or to register, visit https://www.working-solutions. org/news/free-six-county-virtual-job-fair-april-12-2023.

NYSDOL Seeking Feedback for Employment Study

OTSEGO COUNTY—The New York State Department of Labor has called for public comment and participation in a transgender employment survey. The official survey announcement coincided with Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. In August, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation directing the NYSDOL to examine disparities in employment experiences for transgender and gender non-conforming people compared to other New Yorkers. Nationwide studies have found that TGNC people face higher rates of unemployment, workplace discrimination, harassment and violations. To ensure that the study and any subsequent policy discussions center the voices of this community, NYSDOL asked for firsthand accounts of their employment experiences.

According to the department press release, comments submitted through the portal will provide essential anecdotal data to help NYSDOL assess barriers to full employment faced by TGNC individuals and propose policy solutions. These comments will be part of a larger effort to center TGNC voices in this report through qualitative data gathering.

“I thank Governor Hochul and the New York State legislature for commissioning this report so we can get a better picture of the barriers that the transgender and gender nonconforming community faces,” said NYSDOL Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “It is essential we hear from those in the community. The feedback we receive through this process will help us better understand the unique challenges that TGNC employees face in the workplace and inform our efforts to ensure equal opportunities and protections for all workers.”

Submitted comments will be anonymous. However, the NYSDOL asks those who feel comfortable doing so to share their age, race and county to help them collect important demographic data. The portal will provide a blank field for commenters to personalize their gender identity. All information shared is completely confidential and will only be used to inform the study, which will be released later this year.

The public comment portal will be open from March 31 through June 30. Visit dol.ny.gov to access the survey. For other LGBTQIA+ resources, visit New York State’s Office of Mental Health’s LGBTQIA+ webpage, https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/lgbtqia/.

Otsego Soil, Water District Announces Mini-Grants

COOPERSTOWN—The Otsego County Soil and Water District is accepting applications for conservation mini-grants until Friday, April 7. The grants are intended to support conservation-related projects by educational institutions, nonprofits, and municipalities. Applicants should submit a brief (no more than two pages) description of the project or program, including project or program goals, a budget, an explanation of how the program or project will achieve the goals, and a description of measurable outcomes. Successful applicants will receive up to $1,000.00. Award decisions will be released on April 11. For more information, contact District Manager Christos Galanopoulos at (607) 547-8337 or galanopoulosc@otsegosoilandwater.com.

The Farmers’ Museum has an opening for: Farmer

The Farmers’ Museum is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time year round position. Qualified applicants will be knowledgeable in the care and feeding of museum livestock and farm animals. They will assist with maintenance, care and upkeep of barns, outbuildings, and fencing, and with the planting, maintaining, and harvesting of field demonstration plots and gardens. Knowledge of hand operated and mechanical equipment necessary. Experience working with the public to provide a pleasant informative atmosphere. Ability to lift 50 lbs. Excellent benefit package. Covid-19 vaccination required. Applications are available online at farmersmuseum.org or email hr@fenimoreart.org.

►Thursday, april 6

MAKER CLUB 10 a.m.

Bring art, crochet, knit or other handwork project to chat, share and enjoy making.

Held each 1st and 3rd Thursday. Springfield Library, 129 County Road 29A, Springfield Center. (315) 858-5802.

SENIOR MEALS

11:30 a.m. Seniors are invited for a fun meal each Tuesday and Thursday. Suggested donation is $3.50 for seniors.

This week’s menu is Yankee pot roast, boiled potatoes, dill carrots and pineapple tidbits. Richfield Springs Community Center, 6 Ann Street, Richfield Springs. (607) 547-6454 or visit otsegocounty.com/departments/office_for_the_aging/index.php

WOMAN’S GROUP 1 p.m.

The Oneonta Chapter of PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) is set to meet to further the club’s mission of helping women fulfill their educational goals. The Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown. (607) 267-0539.

TEEN ADVENTURES

3 p.m. Teens aged 12-18 are invited for afternoon adventures with the Teen Advisory Group. Registration required. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

OPEN STUDIO 4-6 p.m.

Bring your current creative project, from sewing, knitting, sketching or painting, and gather with friends and community members. Share your work, try new hobbies, pass on your techniques. Free, open to the public. Held each first Thursday of the month. Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street, Stamford. (607) 214-6040.

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/

TOWN HALL MEETING

6 p.m. Presentation with Sallie Tisdale, best-selling author of “Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them).” Includes upbeat discussion of the importance of establishing advance care directives such as a Health Care Proxy or a Living Will—and how to approach these conversations with loved ones. Held at the Clark Auditorium, Bassett Medical Center, 1 Atwell Road, Cooperstown. Visit bassett.org/news/bassetthealthcare-network-and-helios-care-offering-public-townhall-about-advance-directives

FLORAL WORKSHOP

6:30 p.m. Learn to make an Easter floral arrangement with the Oneonta Federated Garden Club. $30, bring your own scissors. Held at Netty’s Flowers, 18 Gardiner Place, Walton. (607) 865-9465 or visit facebook.com/profile. php?id=100067969369937

THEATER

7:30 p.m. Join the SUNY Oneonta Mask and Hammer Theater Club for their presentation of the apocalyptic show “boom,” about the last three humans left on earth at the end of the world. Hamblin Theater, SUNY Oneonta. Also held 4/7 at 7:30 & 4/8 at 2 p.m. (607) 436-3500 or visit suny.

oneonta.edu/theatre-department/season-shows.

READING SERIES

7:30 p.m. The community is invited for the 2023 Red Dragon Reading Series featuring Saida Agostini, a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic, and Tessa Yang, a fiction writer from upstate New York. Free, open to the public. Craven Lounge, Morris Conference Center, West Dormitory Drive, SUNY Oneonta. (607) 436-3446.

JAZZ NIGHT 8 p.m. Appreciate jazz with the Southern Tier Brass band at the Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. (212) 391-3950.

►Friday, april 7

OPENING RECEPTION

5-8 p.m. Celebrate opening of exhibit “Nuevo (seis)” by local artists during the Cherry Valley First Friday events. Show runs through April 30. 25 Main Collective, 25 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-5340.

REOPENING

5 p.m.

Celebrate the reopening of The Art Dept, NY, in the new location at 11 Main Street, Cherry Valley. Visit facebook. com/Theartdeptny

PANCAKE DINNER

6 p.m. Enjoy a classic pancake breakfast meal…for dinner! Help support the Mount Vision Fire Department, 179

County Highway 11B, Mount Vision. (607) 433-0997

YOUTH ZONE 7-10 p.m.

Students in grades 7-12 are invited for a fun night of games and activities each Friday. Games range from air hockey to Xbox games to board games, with arts and crafts, baking, movie nights, and more also offered. Held at The Richfield Springs Community Center, 6 Ann Street, Richfield Springs. Also held 4/14. richfieldspringscommunitycenter.org/the-zone/

CONCERT 7:30 p.m. Join the Cooperstown Concert Series to enjoy the excellent classic rock hits from “White Room,” “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Cream and Blind Faith as performed by Kofi Baker’s Cream Faith. Admission, $20. Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown. Visit cooperstownconcertseries.org

►s aTurday, april 8

TAX PREP 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. Get working on your taxes with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Hartwick College accounting students certified by the IRS, with their professor, will be available to provide one-on-one assistance in preparing individual tax returns. Either in person or online. Held at the Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. Also held 4/10 & 4/11 from 6 - 8 p.m. (607) 432-1980 or

visit facebook.com/ofoinc/

WORKSHOP 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m. Spend the day in the kitchen of the Lippitt Farmhouse learning to bake breads, cakes and other treats in the brick bake oven, the bake kettle or a Dutch oven. Share the goodies at the end or take home for your friends and family. Cost, $105/nonmember. Pre-registration required. The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1450 or visit farmersmuseum.org

DECORATING 11 a.m.

Celebrate Easter and bring the kids in for a Cake Decorating Class. $60, supplies included. Chocolate or vanilla cake. King’s Kakery, 281 Main Street, Oneonta. (607) 267-4343 or visit facebook. com/Kingskakery

ART EXHIBIT 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m. 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.

EASTER EGG HUNT Noon.

Pick up a map and find all the Easter egg signs around town to win a prize. Also, enter a drawing to win a beautiful Easter basket. Presented by The Telegraph School, 83 Alden Street, Cherry Valley. Visit facebook.com/TheTelegraphSchool

EASTER EXPRESS Noon and 3:30 p.m. Catch the train

with the Easter Bunny and friends for a fun afternoon featuring an Easter egg hunt, Easter games in the open air car, complimentary snacks, family photographs with the Easter bunny, and much more. Tickets, $25/adult, $20/child age 3-12. Train departs Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad station, 136 County Route 166, Milford. (607) 432-2429 or visit lrhs.com

ART WORKSHOP 2-4 p.m. Children aged 8-11 are invited to experiment with art in class, “My Boring Life: Making The Ordinary Interesting,” with Christina Hunt Wood. Registration required. Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. (607) 432-2070.

DECORATING 2:30 p.m.

Celebrate Easter and bring the kids in for an Easter treat decorating class. $60, all supplies included. King’s Kakery, 281 Main Street, Oneonta. (607) 267-4343 or visit facebook.com/Kingskakery

KARAOKE 7 p.m. Join the cast of the upcoming production of “Rent” to sing, laugh and have an evening of fun. Features snacks, karaoke on the big screen, photo area, cash bar, more. Free admission. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.

►Monday, april 10

GARDEN CLUB 6:30 p.m.

Cooperstown farmer Jeremiah Ford presents on the uses of cannabis, currently and historically. Will include the use of cannabis, its benefits and drawbacks, and it’s political and economic context. Free and open to the public. Presented by the Oneonta Federated Garden Club at the St. James Episcopal Church, 305 Main Street, Oneonta. COLLEGE COMEDY 9-10 p.m. Join Michael Misko for an evening of “90% comedy, the other half is sleight of hand.” Misko’s greatest asset is the ability to combine comedy and sleight-of-hand technique to form an evening of entertainment. Tickets, $6/person. Hunt Union Waterfront, SUNY Oneonta. (607) 436-3012 or visit connect. oneonta.edu/organization/ activities