Town Clerk Keeps Business Moving in Hartwick Despite Inner Conflicts, Resignations
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
HARTWICK
Town of Hartwick officials continue to struggle to find common ground following the resignation of Supervisor Robert O’Brien who, having moved, left this month as expected, and the early departure of town attorney William C. Green, who was originally set to exit that position as of January 1, 2025.
Both the budget public hearing on Thursday, November 7 and the town board meeting on Tuesday, November 12 were soured by allegations of ethics violations by board members Chris Briggs and Bryan LoRusso. The already tense atmosphere was exacerbated by the recent discovery that Briggs, who serves as deputy supervisor, failed to sign the oath of office for that position. As per state law, the oath book must be signed within 30 days of appointment. Thus, the town also now finds itself without a deputy supervisor.
Enter Andrea Vazquez, Hartwick town clerk, who has jumped in to unofficially fill the void until a new supervisor and deputy can be secured. Appointed chair of both meetings, Vazquez had her hands full as the rift between board members—Briggs, LoRusso, Bruce Markusen and Tom Murphy—continued to disrupt town business.
Budget hearing, November 7
While town officials approved the draft budget unanimously last Thursday, they reached an impasse regarding bank signatories in the absence of a supervisor. Vazquez is not permitted to sign checks—only to print them. Briggs has been an approved signatory for the last eight years, in his role as deputy supervisor, but his failure to sign the oath book has further complicated matters.
“Following legal consultation, Briggs is not the deputy because the oath book was not signed within 30 days of appointment. In these circumstances, a new deputy must be appointed,” Vazquez explained. “He can be the deputy, but the board has to appoint him.”
“I have been the deputy for eight years. I have functioned as deputy, I have performed as deputy, I have signed checks as deputy,” Briggs said at the meeting. “No one said anything about [signing an oath] when I became deputy. This is a brand new technicality brought on to me yesterday.”
“This is a non-issue until it becomes an issue,” Vazquez said of the unsigned oath book. “That’s how I feel about it at this point.”
Vazquez informed board members that Briggs was the only remaining
►the exemplary life of clifton wharton, page 4
►gohs explains banner cycle, page 4
►marcus: famplan delivers, page 5
►bigger dreams nailed ‘dracula’, page 6
►shop local, support oneonta’s small businesses, page 7
►caa, smithy set goal for project, page 9
►act rule may result in millions lost, page 12
COOPERSTOWN
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently honored Bassett Healthcare Network’s New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health with a Circle of Excellence Award for their highquality and innovative health care delivery and patient care.
NYCAMH received the health plan’s 2024 Circle of Excellence Innovation Award, recognizing the healthcare organization for its meaningful impact in the quality of patients’ lives through clinical
leadership and vision to promote continuous improvement in the health care system.
Led by Clinical Case Worker Heather Chauncey, the NYCAMH Farm Partners Program provides free and confidential case management and therapeutic counseling to the farming community and individuals with occupational health issues. In addition to connecting members of the farming community with a wide array of resources and assists in filing and
Angel Tree Program Celebrates Spirit of Christmas
OTSEGO COUNTY
The Freeman’s Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta” are partnering with The Salvation Army again this year to help ensure a joyful Christmas for area families through the Angel Tree Program.
This tradition dates back to 1921 with the creation of The Freeman’s Journal Christmas Fund by Editor and Publisher Rowan D. Spraker Sr., as a way for neighbors to help others enjoy a happy holiday.
This is the 103rd year of this community tradition. The Salvation Army has gathered the Christmas wish lists, grouped by family, below. You can help Santa, and be an angel, by
selecting a family to sponsor. Gifts should be both new and unwrapped (price tags removed, please), and received no later than Friday, December 13, to allow the elves time for wrapping and loading. Gifts may be dropped off at the offices of
“The Freeman’s Journal,” 21 Railroad Avenue, Cooperstown, or at the Salvation Army Chapel, 25 River Street, Oneonta.
Family #1
8-YEAR-OLd fEmALE
Size: 14/16
Shoe size: 2
Likes: Bluey, Stitch, Barbies, Descendants
3-YEAR-OLd mALE
Size: 4T
Likes: Blippi, educational toys, Elmo
Family #2
12-mONTh-OLd mALE
Size: 12 mos.
Likes: Push-along toys, learning toys
Needs: diapers size 3 (only Huggies or Pampers, due to allergies)
Family #3
18-mONTh-OLd mALE
Size: 2T
Likes: learning toys, baby toys
4-YEAR-OLd fEmALE
Size: 6
Likes: Paw Patrol, princesses, Minnie Mouse
Family #4
10-YEAR-OLd mALE
Size: 10/12
Photo provided
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield honored Bassett HealthCare Network’s New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health with a Circle of Excellence Innovation Award for its meaningful impact in the quality of patients’ lives through clinical leadership and vision to promote continuous improvement in the health care system. From left: Erika Scott, deputy director, NYCAMH; Sue Ackerman, center manager, NYCAMH; Shannon Campbell, value based payment clinical consultant, Excellus BCBS; Jennifer Barretta, value based payment account manager, Excellus BCBS; Heather Chauncey, clinical case worker, NYCAMH; Mary Stubley, director of value based payment account management and payments, Excellus BCBS; and Julie Sorenson, director, NYCAMH.
Dissatisfaction Brewing About Ommegang’s Handling of Volunteers
By MONICA CALZOLARI
everal local charitable organizations have expressed disappointment regarding Brewery Ommegang’s handling of volunteers this year. According to Stacie Haynes, executive director of the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the SQSPCA and other notfor-profits depend on fundraising and donations to accomplish their missions. Haynes explained that being asked by Ommegang officials to help pour beer at their summer concerts has been a great opportunity to raise money for the shelter and have fun while helping a local business. Other not-forprofit organizations were also invited to help, in return for tips.
In 2023, Ommegang invited Cooperstown Rotarians to help pour beer at one of its concerts.
“We saw it as a public service. We received $2,008.00 and some cents in 2023,” said Bill Waller, Rotary Club of Cooperstown president. So, this summer, when Ommegang asked the Rotary Club to help check IDs for the Cake concert on June 22, the Rotarians gladly agreed. Checking IDs means asking to see a person’s driver’s license and putting an arm band on them to indicate whether they are of drinking age. About 25 Rotarians volunteered at the Cake concert.
$500.00, given the size of the crowd. There was never any discussion of a percentage based on how many volunteers worked the event, he said. He had to drive to the credit union and have the check made out to the Cooperstown club.
Tom Russo, a former Rotary Club of Cooperstown president, was one of those volunteers.
“We did not pour beer at the Cake concert this summer, but instead were told we would be collecting tickets and checking IDs,” he wrote. “We were also told we would be splitting the beer tips evenly with a feral cat rescue group from Oneonta. They would be doing the pouring. We were told that Ommegang staff would take charge of the
money and count it. That didn’t happen. The cat group took all the money with them. They claimed that they were told they got two-thirds of the tips, not half. We had to rely on their count and go to Oneonta to pick up our reduced share. We feel we were lied to and taken advantage of by Ommegang and will not be ‘volunteering’ again.”
SQSPCA officials also noticed changes.
“The SQSPCA has been pouring beer at Brewery Ommegang concerts since at least 2016,” recalled Haynes. The agreement was verbal, never in writing. In 2019, the shelter earned $4,469.00 in tips, pouring beer at the Deaf Cab for Cutie concert. Last year, $3,200.00 in beer tips from the Modest Mouse show was split
The verbal agreement between the Rotary Club of Cooperstown secretary and Ommegang was that Rotary would split the tips with the volunteers from Friends of the Feral 50/50 that night. But that is not what happened.
According to Waller, Friends of the Feral took all the tips home with them, then called Waller and said, “We have your money.” When Waller drove to Oneonta, Friends of the Feral representatives handed him a check for $500.00 made out, incorrectly, to the Oneonta Rotary Club. Waller said he was shocked at the amount of the check, and he found it odd that 50 percent of the tips came to exactly
between the SQSPCA and the Angel Network of Cooperstown.
“In the past, we never checked IDs or took tickets. Volunteers came, poured beer and we got all the tips,” Haynes said.
This year, when SQSPCA volunteers arrived on September 20 to pour beer for the Rainbow Kitten Surprise concert, they were asked to check IDs. Haynes declined, knowing full well that concert-goers do not make donations for getting checked into concerts. Instead of pouring beer at the September concert, SQSPCA staff and
volunteers helped move the poured beer and hand it to customers as a way to expedite the lines.
“We showed up in our SQSPCAT-shirts and with donation buckets labeled SQSPCA, and asked the crowd to be generous, saying all proceeds were going to the SQSPCA,” Haynes said.
When the buckets were getting full, a staff member attempted to empty one—as they had always done at previous shows—and was told that the tips belonged to the Ommegang staff.
Paul Puglia is a frequent SQSPCA volunteer.
“I’m writing this e-
mail about a concern I have with just recently volunteering for the SQSPCA. I volunteer for the shelter to help them when Ommegang has concerts. This last concert, the shelter did not receive any tips from volunteering. It’s to my understanding that when we volunteer, all tips will go to the shelter. If the shelter is not getting the money for my and everybody else’s hard work and time, why am I volunteering? This will be the last time I am going to volunteer for any Ommegang concerts,” Puglia said in an e-mail
Continued on page 10
HOMETOWN Views
EDITORIAL
Clifton R. Wharton Jr.: Paving the Way with a Litany of Firsts
Sadly, last Saturday, one of our own left us. Clifton Wharton, who with his wife of 74 years, Dolores, lived in Cooperstown for many years, died, in New York City, after a brief bout with cancer. He was 98, and he led a very full, and very meaningful, life. He worked hard to achieve it.
Born in Boston, Wharton, as the son of a successful career diplomat, lived for many years in many parts of the world before returning to Boston Latin School and then to Harvard, which he entered when he was 16. During his college years he took a break, in 1945, to join the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama, where he trained as a fighter pilot. The war ended before he saw action, and he returned to Harvard to earn a degree in history. Later, in 1992, Harvard bestowed upon him an Honorary Degree, one of 63 that he received during his lifetime.
Clif Wharton is well known for his many firsts: He was the first African American to attend the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a master’s degree in international affairs; the first African American to receive a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago (1958); the first African American to be named head of a major, predominantly white, university (Michigan State University, in 1969; he was 43 at the time); the first African American chancellor of the State University of New York (1978; SUNY, the largest college system in the country, has 64 campuses. Clif Wharton spent nine years there, earning a reputation as an advocate of public higher education in an economic morass); the first African American to become chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation Board (1982); the first African American chief executive of a Fortune 500 corporation (TIAA-CREF, in 1986, for six years). When President Bill Clinton asked Dr. Wharton to join the State Department as deputy secretary of state, in 1992, he became, for a time, the highest ranking African American in State Department history—until Colin Powell came along as secretary in 2001. He was a director of, at various times and among others, the Ford Motor Company, Time Warner, Equitable Life, PBS, the New York Stock Exchange and Tenneco. He served six presidents in foreign policy posts.
In the latter part of the last century the Whartons spent their summers in Cooperstown, where Wharton was a trustee of The Clark Foundation and Bassett. They entertained guests from afar, taking care to introduce them to their village friends, and took great advantage of the many activities—concerts, lectures, events and exhibitions going on nearby. They enthusiastically attended Glimmerglass Opera, as it was known at the time, where for many years Dolores Wharton served as a trustee. They were often seen as well eyeing the produce at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market and navigating their visitors through the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art at Fenimore Art Museum.
Clif Wharton was a sublime overachiever. He believed hard work and superior accomplishment would overcome the Black barriers and stereotypes that so many of his race come up against. As he once told “The New York Times,” “I am a man first, an American second and a Black man third.” And that clearly worked. He, and his wife with him, led a life that was fruitful, rewarding, instructive and exemplary, and he got there because, as he wrote in his biography— “Privilege and Prejudice: The Life of a Black Pioneer,” written here, in Cooperstown, and published by Michigan State University in 2015—he strongly believed in “the importance of not allowing racial discrimination or negative expectations to poison one’s sensibilities or deflect one from a chosen path.”
Clif Wharton left this world a better place. We will miss him.
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. Preferred length is 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.
Why Are Childhood Vaccines So Important? Learn from Your Local Graveyard
The topic of vaccines is prominent in the news right now—especially childhood immunizations. As a longtime pediatrician (and, even more so as a father and grandpa), I’d like to take this opportunity to reacquaint our community readership with some facts around childhood vaccinations.
Children across our state, our country, and the world are still at risk for dangerous diseases. There have been recent outbreaks of measles in New York State. Pertussis (whooping cough) cases are increasing significantly. Influenza remains a cause of hospitalization among infants and young children. Nearly 200 infants and children died in the U.S. during the 2023-2024 flu season. Vaccine preventable diseases remain a serious problem for those not vaccinated.
Have you ever observed gravestones in your local cemeteries? Have you noticed the names and ages etched in their stone over decades? Many gravestones—even in our local cemeteries— contain the names of children.
Infants and children died at high rates even as recently as 75 years ago. Some infants died of birth trauma and/or prematurity (my father’s oldest sibling died soon after birth, before she even had a name other than “baby”). Many infants’ and children’s gravestones speak to the ravages of infectious diseases, conditions where there were no effective treatments. Sometimes, family plots in graveyards reveal the horror of more than one loss at these early ages. From the Bowen family plot in the Fitch Hill Cemetery outside of Cooperstown, there are these names and dates: Alphonzo, died October 25, 1845, age 7 months; Lewis M., died July 27, 1851, age 11 months; and Hudson S., died August 2, 1851, age 7 years. The last two boys died within a week of each other, very likely due to an infectious disease. There is no greater heartache than losing a child. Except for losing multiple children.
What horrible plight could have resulted in these deaths at such young ages? Mostly, in the late 19th century, these infants and children died of
Heroes Banner Cycle Announced
things like dysentery, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, and pneumonia. Infant mortality decreased from 75 per 1,000 live births in 1925 to less than 7 per 1,000 live births in the year 2000. What was responsible for this incredible progress? Vaccines.
Currently, there are vaccines for more than two dozen viruses or bacteria, literally from A (anthrax) to Z (zoster). We can prevent the ill effects of many viruses and bacteria, the “germs” that have plagued infants and children, with vaccines. Variola, the virus which caused epidemics of smallpox, was eliminated because of vaccination. Rigorous immunization campaigns across the globe, which were accomplished with international cooperation, great expense, and physical effort, finally relegated smallpox to historical novels. Over the last 100plus years, vaccines have had a remarkable effect on the health and wellbeing of infants and children. So why is there so much concern now around both new and longstanding vaccines, one of the most important and lifesaving public health interventions in history?
The answer is mis- and disinformation, which have quickly become their own health concerns. I urge parents and guardians to seek medical advice and facts from their trusted pediatrician. Parents have concerns about vaccine safety—after all, it’s their baby, their toddler, their child. Vaccine developments and vaccine trials, especially for children, are monitored with extreme care and expertise. And ongoing, good research continues to inform doctors about changes in vaccines and about new vaccines which may prevent additional diseases. Your practitioner is the best source of information you have.
Alphonzo, Lewis and Hudson Bowen died in the mid-1800s. Ask your children’s healthcare provider about what immunizations your child should receive. The Bowen family did not have the option of vaccinations. But you do.
Chris Kjolhede, MD, MPH, is an Emeritus Pediatrician at Bassett Healthcare Network.
veteran (or a group of friends or family members), or the veterans themselves. The honoree does not need to be a native of Oneonta.
HOMETOWN ONEONTA
H o metown oneon t a 2008 - 2024 16th anniversary & The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
a publication of Iron String Press, Inc.
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Sales Consultant: Randy Christian Office Manager: Larissa Ryan Interns: Arya Patel and Sarah Roberts
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In 2023, the Greater Oneonta Historical Society launched the Oneonta Hometown Heroes Banner Program. The program honors Oneonta’s hometown veterans with a custom 18”x48” banner, mounted along the light poles in the town and city of Oneonta to honor veterans or those currently serving in the Armed Forces.
The Hometown Heroes banners are displayed from Memorial Day to Veterans Day each year, and each banner includes a photo of the veteran, their name and branch of service, time served, and any medals received.
GOHS would like to thank their sponsors, veterans, and the City and Town of Oneonta for helping make the 2023 and 2024 Hometown Heroes programs a success. GOHS looks forward to continuing the Hometown Heroes program honoring current and past service members in 2025. Banners can be sponsored by anyone who would like to honor a veteran. A sponsor may be a business, a friend or family member of a
Like last year, display locations for banners in 2025 will include light poles down Main Street, River Street, and Chestnut Street (up to Church Street) in the City of Oneonta and Chestnut Street (from West End Avenue) and Oneida Street in the Town of Oneonta.
The 2024 banners will come down in late November. They will be cleaned and stored at the Oneonta History Center at 183 Main Street. If you are a banner sponsor that would like to pick up your banner(s), banner pickup will be available at the History Center after December 15 during business hours, Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The History Center will be closed for the month of January.
Banner sponsors in 2023 and 2024 who wish to renew the display of their banner for the 2025 season may submit a renewal application for a small annual fee. Their banners will remain stored at
the History Center until next season and will be put back on display. Any banner that is damaged or in need of repair will be reordered, at no cost to the sponsor.
Current and new banner sponsors also have the option to apply for new banners for the 2025 cycle. Both renewal applications and new banner applications for 2025 were released on November 15. Applications will be available at the Oneonta History Center and for download on the GOHS website, www.oneontahistory.org).
Banner sponsors will also have the option of choosing their preferred location(s) for their banner(s). All banners (new and renewed) and their locations are on a first come, first served basis and spaces are limited, so be sure to renew your banner, or apply for a new banner, soon. The deadline for applications for new banners for the 2025 cycle is Friday, March 28, 2025. The deadline for applications for renewal banners for the 2025 cycle is Friday, May 2, 2025, availability permitting.
For additional inquiries, please e-mail directormm@
HeiTz/SHARoN STUART
90 YEARs AGo
Inherited monkey characteristics are responsible for humankind’s widespread use of the telephone, radio, talking pictures, and similar inventions, Dr. orestes Caldwell, engineer and editor, asserts. “outstanding traits of the monkey tribe,” said Dr. Caldwell, “are love of chatter and overwhelming curiosity – traits which have carried our own evolution to its present level of civilization. Monkeys like to gather in the treetops and chatter. And today, their human descendants delight to gather in conventions, night clubs, legislatures and afternoon teas. How acute is this love of chatter on the part of humans is attested by the fact that the anthropoid home of today has invented elaborate mechanisms and systems to carry this chatter from place to place, until the present capital investment based on human chatter totals billions of dollars.” (Ed. note: Dr. Caldwell’s observation 80 years ago is reflected in our present-day “treetop chatter” via cell phone texting, twitter, e-mail, and the internet in general)
November 1934
70 YEARs AGo
The oneonta Chamber of Commerce continued its drive yesterday to “put the spirit of Christ back in Christmas,” with judgment of paintings for the proposed Nativity scene Creche for the oneonta Post office lawn. Judges were hard pressed to decide which of 16 entries would be used. The field was finally narrowed down to three. The three artists from whose work will be chosen one for display are Louis E. Chicorelli, 225 Chestnut street; Celia Clark, Delhi, RD 2; and Martha Wadsworth, a senior at oneonta High school. Judging the sixteen entries were David Cooper and Gabriel Harris of the Community Art Center; the Rev. scott Farley, representing the oneonta Rotary Club; Harold Gray of Hartwick College; Michael Lawrence and J. Herbert Dietz, sr. November 1954
40 YEARs AGo
A student rental house at 52 Maple street was condemned as unsafe by city code enforcement officials Monday. It is the seventh rental house to be condemned under the city housing code in the past three months. student tenants face eviction proceedings if the building is not brought up to code within 30 days according to Peter Friedman, city code enforcement officer. Nine students live in the building in separate rooms according to landlord Vincent Gramaglia of Morris who said he intends to comply with the city order. The violations cited by Friedman include a fire alarm and detection system not properly maintained; exit light not working; exits not properly protected by appropriate fire-rated construction; padlock devices on sleeping room doors could prevent exit from rooms; holes in walls could allow spread of fire; a cellar space used as kitchen has no fire separation from boiler; and hotplates and refrigerators are in sleeping rooms not wired for such use.
November 1984
20 YEARs AGo
Partially turning the social security system into a private venture is not the way to save it according to Edward Gramlich, a former governor of the Federal Reserve Board. “I frankly am suspicious that every one of you would save enough for retirement,” Gramlich told the audience at the Anderson Center for the Arts at Hartwick College. “Personally, I’m not wild about that plan,” he added. Gramlich served as chairman of the Quadrennial Advisory Council on social security between 1994 and 1996. However, Gramlich foresees other changes in the system. one of those changes, he suggested, would mean increasing the age at which someone retires at the same rate that life expectancy increases. Transitional funding and borrowing to keep pace with retiree entitlements won’t necessarily work. The easiest way to have our own house in order is to start balancing the budget,” Gramlich said. November 2004
FamPlan: Building Healthier Communities Together
Family Planning of south Central New York is devoted to providing accessible, compassionate reproductive and sexual healthcare throughout otsego, Delaware, Chenango, Broome and Cortland counties. our mission centers on offering equitable health services and empowering individuals to make informed decisions that enhance their well-being. Regardless of background, income, or identity, everyone deserves the support and resources to make the best health choices for themselves and their families.
Expanding Access Across Five Counties
With six medical centers across five counties, in oneonta, sidney, Walton, Norwich, Binghamton and Cortland, FamPlan is committed to making quality medical care available where it’s needed most. We offer the full range of FDA-approved methods of birth control, as well as annual exams, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, lifesaving cancer screenings, rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP for HIV, and other medical services for women, men, and those who identify otherwise. All of our services are rooted in respect and confidentiality. our skilled clinicians and educators deliver personalized, non-judgmental care that supports each individual’s unique needs and situation, helping them feel confident and empowered. our team also provides one-on-one educational sessions that cover everything from family planning options to broader reproductive health education. This combination of clinical services and patient-centered education enables us to provide relevant, compassionate care.
Equipping Our Community with Knowledge
Beyond medical care, Family Planning of south
By MERL REAGLE
Central New York emphasizes education as a cornerstone of health. our educators work with schools, youth-serving organizations, other health and human service entities, and local businesses to provide awareness about healthy relationships, safe practices, and reproductive rights. This work is crucial for helping people understand their health choices, break down stigmas, and make decisions that positively impact their lives. Through targeted community outreach programs, we’re able to reach people from a variety of backgrounds. Each program is designed to be inclusive and impactful, creating safe spaces where individuals can ask questions, explore their options, and feel supported in their healthcare journey.
Looking Ahead: Advancing Health Equity
At FamPlan, we continuously strive to meet our community’s evolving needs. staying informed about health and policy changes allows us to uphold the highest standards of care. We work closely with local healthcare providers, nonprofits, and stakeholders to ensure that everyone in otsego, Delaware, Chenango, Broome and Cortland counties has access to the reproductive and sexual healthcare they need. FamPlan’s commitment to community input and up-to-date research helps us deliver inclusive, high-quality services that reflect our values of care and support for all.
Family Planning of south Central New York’s oneonta medical center is located at 37 Dietz street. For more information, call (607) 432-2250 or e-mail fpscny@fpscny.org.
Debra Marcus is chief executive officer of Family Planning of South Central New York.
Farewell, and Thanks, Bill
It is far too easy to become inured to daily headlines announcing the deaths of scores of people somewhere in the world, or of drive-by shootings here in these United States. Just think about it. What, for instance, does it really mean when just one person is killed? That one person might have been a child, a mother, a grandmother, a father, a brother—well, you get the point. Just think of the consequences of that death. Relatives have lost a loved one, friends have lost someone who added incalculable meaning to their lives, communities have lost someone who is an integral part of their communal identity. And the beat goes on. Each death is significant. We all die eventually, one would hope after living a long and full life. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the deaths we read about every day are the result of indiscriminate bombing, petty grievances, religious zealotry, grabs for power and ideologies that fuel countless atrocities. Sadly, far too many innocent people are victims of these darker animations of the human spirit.
In this light, I want to share some thoughts with you about my reactions to just one death. One not the result of any of these deplorable manifestations of humankind’s propensity to self-destruction. Like you, I get many e-mails every day. I enjoy deleting them more than I do reading them. But every so often one catches one’s eye. And that was the case a few days ago when I was informed that my much admired and beloved high school English teacher, Bill Carhart, had passed away.
When several of us got together in advance of our 50th reunion, one task was to nominate one teacher for special acknowledgement. We selected two people and my job was to write Bill a letter inviting him to the reunion. He had retired to Maine, doing those things he loved to do: read, of course, but also to fly fish, cross-country ski, and do some antiquing, which it appears he had become quite expert in. His response to my letter was a polite thank you, but no. Undaunted, I wrote back, but this time I enclosed a copy of the essay I had written about him that had appeared in “The Freeman’s Journal” some years prior and in my book, “Hawthorn Hill Journal.” That did it. He wrote back that he would come, admittedly encouraged by his wife, who later confided to me that when he read the second letter and the essay, he teared up. Suffice it to say that our reunion after all those years was very, very special. I remember the first time he entered the classroom, clad in
khakis, tweed jacket and scotch plaid tie, pretty much his standard uniform. He then perched crosslegged on his desk, looked at us quizzically and said, “Gentlemen, take out a piece of paper.” He then gave us a writing assignment, to be completed in class, which he took home to scrutinize. Suffice it to say, when he came back in a few days with the graded papers, he held them in his hand, looked us over from his perch and informed us that we all needed to learn to write. And write we did, a lot. That included the much dreaded term paper, an indepth study of an American author of our choice. I chose Melville, little realizing what I was getting into. I learned a very valuable lesson under Bill’s tutelage: The best writing is clear, concise and to the point. I’ll never forget my grade on a paper subsequently, one decorated at the end with a bright red shovel. I realized that when adding new vocabulary words to one’s repertoire, showing them off in a piece of writing where they have no natural place is, well, a very bad idea. Misplaced hubris.
My lifelong relationship with Thoreau, Emerson, Robert Frost and a host of notable American authors and poets stems from those days in Bill’s classroom and on many of the walks that we would take, especially on warm, sunny days. His was an expansive grasp of American literature, as well as history. More often than not our discussions were both rooted in a reading of the text and the historical context within which they were created. Bill’s methods were often zany, unpredictable—he never had to worry about losing our attention. He dazzled us with his sense of humor, his keen intellect and, most of all, his love of literature. He was an iconoclast in the best sense of the word.
Now, many years later, I read and reread Thoreau and Emerson and Frost and have shared my love of those writers with my own students over the course of 30-plus years.
I am convinced that I was a better teacher because of Bill Carhart. Not because I have consciously copied his style, but because he ignited a flame within me that has sustained me all these years. His passing has saddened me, but the gift of having him as my teacher—well, that is a gift I will always be grateful for. Thanks, Bill.
Dick deRosa’s Hawthorn Hill essays have appeared in “The Freeman’s Journal” since 1998. A collection, “Hawthorn Hill Journal: Selected Essays,” was published in 2012. He is a retired English teacher.
Who Needs Broadway?
Who needs Broadway when you have thriving theatre in Otsego County? In order to catch the very short run of most regional productions, it’s necessary to be vigilant. Get on a company’s e-mail list to notify you in advance of their schedule. Some productions may be as short as a one-night stand, or as fleeting as a flirtation from “Emily in Paris.”
A case in point is the recent “Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors” presented by Bigger Dreams Productions, which closed October 13 at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center. One can only hope the company will make this show an annual Hallowe’en event. A review of the October 4 performance below gives an idea of what may be in store if you take a chance on a blind date with an unknown company.
Count Dracula may have been born in Transylvania, but his heart belongs to Hollywood. From the moment the Count erupts onto the stage in black leather stud-wear, a cross between Harry Styles and
LIFE SKETCHES
A Buck Between Friends
Iwas a late starter at deer hunting because I moved back to Brooklyn just before I turned 16. It was while in the Army and reading Hemingway and Faulkner that I got the bug to hunt whitetails on Panther Mountain with my old friend Gerard in Richfield Springs. He took it upon himself to teach me everything he knew. “I’ll make a hunter out of you,” he’d say as a smile pulled a broken nose to the side of his face. But for five years I hunted 10 days each season without filling a tag.
I always went home with plenty of venison and hunting stories—but they were other men’s stories about other men’s deer. Even though I enjoyed the camaraderie of each fruitless year, I yearned to have my own tale to tell. So, again on opening day, I waited next to a fat beech, hoping my story would come along. A pair of does filtered through and then they were gone.
Hours later, I spotted a darkcoated deer far below, well out of shotgun range. I ducked behind the tree. When I looked again, the deer was gone. I scanned the woods without seeing anything. Then I spotted the deer a little closer to my stand. I thought there were antlers, but in the wet morning light they seemed to fade like thinning smoke. When I looked again it was about 200 yards below, and it was definitely a buck. He was coming toward me slowly, stopping along the way to browse, then raising his head and cocking his ears and smelling the air.
Now he was closer and still moving in my direction. I was too nervous to count the points and I almost wished I wasn’t there, for fear I would shoot and miss and never get over it. My hands felt so weak I could hardly push the safety off. He was less than 100 yards below, slowly feeling his way toward higher ground, but it was still a long shot for my 870.
I ran to where the buck had been when I fired. There was no sign. Then, as foolishly as a guy who runs after a train he’s missed, I began to follow the deer. In the dry leaves there was only a faint trace of the buck’s passing. Disgusted, I meandered down the mountain, looking for a track. Then I saw antlers lying on toasted leaves like a fallen oak. The deer lay still, 50 yards ahead of me. I moved toward him, my finger on the trigger, but when near, I could see that he was already dead. A sense of possession came over me and I looked around to see if someone was about to leap from behind a tree and seize my prize. I counted the points: 10! Wait till Gerard sees this deer! I took off my jacket and began to field dress my buck. I had done it all before, “For practice, so you’ll be ready for yours,” Gerard had said. When finished, I tied a drag line to the antlers and began the long haul out. It took an hour to get to the logging road where I met up with Gerard. He checked out my deer and said, “Buddy, I’ve been looking for this buck all my life. It’ll win the contest for sure.” Maybe I was in shock, because my friend was more excited than I was. We headed for Termite’s Schuyler House, where Gerard always entered us in the big-buck contest. After five unsuccessful years, entering my name had just about become a joke, but Gerard continued to put a dollar down on me.
The deer weighed in at 186 pounds—the biggest entered so far that season. Then we drove back to camp and strung it up in the maple tree out front. Word spread fast, and by noon, cars were creeping down our normally lonely road to take a look. Gerard, who had shot dozens of deer but never a 10-pointer, kept looking out the camp window at the buck hanging in the tree.
disco king John Travolta, you may feel you’ve already been bitten on the neck. The androgynous count, slithering around the stage, holds you in his riveting gaze, when you’re not laughing out loud at the antics of the rest of the cast.
Reincarnated by Andrew Munro, who seems to live the role of the suave vampire, he glides along with the posture of a principal danseur, assessing the necks of his future blood donors while other characters pretend he’s just another ghoul.
In the recent Bigger Dreams Productions “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors” by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, the rest of the talented cast cavort through a mashed-up version of Bram Stoker’s novel, Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula,” and Charles Ludlam’s “Irma Vep.” Along the way, the soundtrack channels film history. Fragments of themes from “The Exorcist,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “The Mummy (Swan Lake)” cue the audience to danger—or silliness, when you hear the theme from “Scooby-
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Suddenly he was about 30 yards off, and already passing to my left. Gerard would have shot five times already! When I moved, the gun barrel snagged on a curl of bark and the buck whipped around and looked straight at me. I fired a shot and he was off and running in the direction from which he had come. I got off one more round before he was gone. A rush of nausea came over me. How could I have missed? Had I pulled instead of squeezed the trigger? I wanted to bury the gun and myself with it.
We won the contest for weight and points that year. I don’t think any friend was ever happier about anything I did than Gerard. He made me tell my story to him many times. Scores of bucks fell under our sights in following seasons. Gerard never got his big one but, if he had, I don’t think he would’ve been any happier than when I got mine.
Terry Berkson’s articles have appeared in “New York” magazine, “Automobile” magazine and many others. His memoir, “Corvette Odyssey,” has received many good reviews: “highly recommended with broad appeal,” says “Library Journal.”
‘Tosca’ Airs at Foothills Saturday
ONEONTA
On Saturday, November 23, at 1 p.m., the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center will present Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca,” the third and last Metropolitan Opera HD Broadcast of 2024.
Prior to the broadcast, Glimmerglass Festival Guild Vice President Abby Kreh Gibson and Trustee Thomas Simpson will lead a free educational program beginning at 12:15 p.m. in the Upstairs Theater on the second floor. Foothills will open at 11:30 a.m.
The opera is adapted from a play by Victorien Sardou. It is a melodrama of intrigue, cruelty, deceptive hope, tragic irony, the unexpected, and emotional excitement. Puccini understood how to pile horror upon horror, and when it premiered in Rome on January 14, 1900, it was a huge success.
TErry bErKSon
Photo provided
Terry berkson (right) and best friend Gerard o’Connor hunted Panther Mountain for five years before berkson bagged his big buck. The photo above shows them on a hunt several years later.
A Friendly Reminder to Shop Small This Holiday Season
Downtown Oneonta has more than 60 locally-owned businesses. You can walk from Clinton Plaza to Elm Street and find everything from unique ornaments and hard-to-find games to vintage treasures and the latest Louise Penny book. While you’re strolling, you can stop at any of the 25 dining establishments and markets for a delicious bite to eat, including at least three spots serving the Oneonta delicacy of cold-cheese pizza.
Downtown is the heartbeat of Oneonta. Every dollar spent at a local small business helps our community and is an investment in the future. While Market Street is getting its facelift, Main Street and the surrounding side streets still offer free parking. Our downtown is beautiful, and walking a block or two to support downtown businesses if you’re physically able is another way to enjoy our city. For those unable to walk long distances, several downtown businesses offer convenient curbside pickup or delivery options.
Elected officials are hard at work coming up with solutions that address residents’ concerns, including making sure downtown and all of Oneonta is safe and welcoming. One way we can contribute to this effort is by going downtown, shopping small, and ensuring that our neighbors’ businesses succeed and continue to help make Main Street and the surrounding area vibrant and a place people want to be.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is supporting a couple of campaigns right now, including the “Season of Small Business” and “Small Business Saturday.” According to the Small Business Index, eight in 10 small businesses say the holiday season is important for their overall profit. Constant Contact reports that the majority of small businesses rely on holiday shopping for at least one-quarter of their annual revenue. This time of year is more important than ever to shop small.
Another event is Small Business Saturday, which encourages holiday shopping on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and kicks off one of the busiest shopping times of the year. This year, Small Business Saturday is November 30. Oneonta downtown businesses are already planning promotions and offering extra activities to welcome shoppers into their stores.
Last year, I did a lot of my holiday shopping during Small Business Saturday. I stopped by The Underground Attic and found dainty earrings and beautifully packaged lip balms for my nieces. The store added to the festive spirit by offering cups
NAACP Hosts Film Screening
ONEONTA—A free showing of “The Central Park Five,” a film by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, sponsored by the Oneonta Area NAACP, will be held on Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m. at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street.
In 1989, five Black and Latino teenagers were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park. They spent between 6-13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed to the crime, and their convictions were overturned.
Set against a backdrop of a city beset by violence and racial tension, this film tells the story of that crime, the rush to judgement by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories, an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.
Food Drive Supports Vets
HARTWICK—Rte.
205 Auto announced that it will host a holiday food drive for local military veterans and their families through Sunday, December 15. Donations of non-perishable food can be dropped in the black bin outside the auto shop, 3231 State Highway 205 in Hartwick. Donors can also fill out the contact information form in the donation bin to receive a $10.00 coupon for future car services. For more information, call or text (607) 282-2505.
of hot cocoa for shoppers. Around the corner at Community Arts Network of Oneonta’s holiday market, local artisans were selling their goods. I added velour hair scrunchies to my nieces’ gifts and picked up a bottle of delicious hot sauce for my boyfriend’s Christmas gift.
The Season of Small Business is happening now through December. Community matters more than ever in these politically divided times. What we can all agree on is that we want our community to be a great place to live. We can do that by supporting our businesses and shopping small this season.
I’ll be doing a series of business round-ups over the next few weeks to offer suggestions for places to shop this holiday season for unique gifts and ways to enjoy our beautiful downtown, starting with this list of stores where you can find new-to-you items.
Downtown Oneonta Thrift and Vintage Shops
Shakedown Street: Named after a Grateful Dead song, this funky thrift shop specializes in trendy vintage pieces, band T-shirts, and fair trade items.
The Underground Attic: With one of the most beautifully merchandised spaces downtown, The
.dining&entertainment
Underground Attic offers both unique vintage items and new gifts like candles and jewelry.
Silks and Treasures Consignment Shop: This store has the largest selection of clothing and home goods of any of the locally owned thrift shops downtown. You can find everything from holiday decor items to a brand-new winter coat.
Helping Hands Thrift and Gift Shop: Located in the old parish building next to Huntington Library, sales made at this eclectic donation-based store support purchases of items like gift cards, sleeping bags and pillows for unhoused people.
Cassandra Miller is a member of the Oneonta Downtown Renaissance Steering Committee and the editor of the “Townie” Substack newsletter.
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Notice of formatioN of Stonehouse Design LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on January 26, 2024. 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 Stonehouse Design, 173 Deerfield Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.21
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Tan Kat Farm, LLC, filed articles of organization with the NY Secretary of State on 04/14/2011. Office is located in Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. NY Secretary of State shall mail copy of process to 507 Wileytown Road, Hartwick NY 13348. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 6LegalNov.21
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Notice of formatioN of Excelsior Claims LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/28/2024. 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 PO Box 202, Gilberstville, NY 13776. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of Royalty Tobacco LLC.
Filed 9/5/24. Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail to 5626 St. Hwy. 7, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of
VA LAKESIDE ESCAPES LLC
Article of Organizations filed with the SSNY on 8/19/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copies of process to 23 Maggiolo Dr., Pearl River, NY 10965. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of Nelliston Storage LLC
Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on October 16, 2024. 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 271 Texas Road, Springfield Center, NY 13468
Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.5
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Notice of formatioN of Mountain Magic Market LLC
Arts. of org. filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 10/25/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy of process to 164 Ed Herman Road, Schenevus, NY 12155. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.5
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Notice of formatioN of The Hounds Cooperstown LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/14/2024
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 P.O. Box 365, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.5
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Notice of formatioN of 222587 Family AP LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/29/24. 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 190 Butternut Rd., Unadilla, NY 13849. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalDec.5
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY.
Name: BALLYKIS FARM LLC
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 18 October 2024. 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 257 Pope Road, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name: RITTON’S CONSTRUCTION LLC.
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 5 September, 2024. 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 2593 State Highway 28, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name:
LEGALS
ZETY ACRES LLC
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 5 September 2024. 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 PO Box 356, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of Limited LiabiLitY compaNY:
The name of the limited liability company is: Hidden Creek Lodge, LLC (the “Company”).
The date of filing of the Articles of Organization of the Company with the Secretary of State was September 25, 2024. The county in which the principal place of business of the Company shall be located is Otsego County.
The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the Company upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the Company to Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP, Attn: Christina J. Graziadei, 80 Exchange Street, Ste. 700, Binghamton, NY 13901.
The purpose of the business of the Company is any lawful business purpose.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of 1141 Lewis LLC
Articles of org. filed with the NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 10/09/2024. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 1141 Lewis, LLC, 1137 County Highway 11, Laurens, NY 13796
Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of
W.T. Huntsman Painting, LLC
Article of organizations filed with the SSNY on 10/25/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copies of process to William Thomas Huntsman V, 8 Kearney Street, Oneonta, NY 10965. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of HILL CITY VENTURES LLC.
Articles of organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 05/15/2024. The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him to: The LLC, 113 Herrick Hill Rd., Oneonta, NY 13820. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity. 6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of Limited LiabiLitY compaNY (LLc)
Name: Pleasantville Manor Holdings, LLC
Articles of organization filed by the Department of State of New York on: 08/20/2024. Office location: Otsego County. Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to: The LLC, 4 Glen Avenue, Cooperstown, NY 13326
Purpose: Any and all lawful activities
6LegalDec.12
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Notice of formatioN of CRAFTED CUTS LLC.
Filed 10/29/24. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: Brian Fed-
erico, P. O. Box 369, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose: General. 6LegalDec.19
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Notice of formatioN of SOTO SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Articles of organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 10/10/2024. The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County.
The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.
The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon it to: The LLC, 366 Larchwood Lane, Laurens, NY 13796. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act.
6LegalDec.19
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Notice of formatioN of MILLER LOVERS LANE LLC.
Articles of organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 11/4/2024. The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County.
The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.
The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him to: The LLC, 1277 Co. Hwy. 14, Mt. Vision, NY 13810. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.
6LegalDec.19
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Notice of formatioN of Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Articles of organization of Bajocchi, LLC (“LLC”) filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on October 9, 2024, effective on the date of filing.
Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at 31 Main Street, Suite #3, Oneonta, New York 13820, which shall be
the principal business location. The purpose for which the LLC is formed is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which limited liability companies may be organized under the NYS Limited Liability Company Law. 6LegalDec.19
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Notice of formatioN of Oneonta Main Street, LLC, Arts of Org. Filed 11/12/2024. Office: Otsego Co.
SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 16 N. 8th St., Fulton NY 13069. Purpose: Any Legal Purpose 6LegalDec.26
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Notice of formatioN of Tophoven Welding & Fabrication LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/14/2024. 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 470 Stevens Road, Edmeston, NY 13335. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.26
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Notice of pUbLic HeariNG
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard:
• Meeting to be held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. 16 Lakeview drive Southapplication for an area variance to build an attached garage within the sideyard setback.
The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Public comments must be provided by email to the Zoning Officer at zoning@cooperstownny.org, or by regular mail to the address below no later than Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
Respectfully, Jenna Utter, RMC Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
Tele: (607)5472411
Email: jutter@ cooperstownny. org
1LegalNov.21
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Notice to bidderS
Sealed bids will be received as set forth in instructions to bidders until 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, December 19, 2024 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/constnotices. 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/constplanholder. 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 business 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 D265380, PIN 9M1025, FA Proj , Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga Cos., BRIDGE WASHING - Various Locations., Bid Deposit: 5% of Bid (~ $125,000.00), Goals: DBE: 6.00% 2LegalNov.28
53 Pioneer Restoration Announced; Fundraising Goal Set at $2M
By WRILEY NELSON COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown
Art Association and The Smithy Gallery announced a major renovation and restoration project of the historic 53 Pioneer Street building in a joint statement in October. The $2 million project will encompass the entire three-story interior and the exterior facade, and will ultimately make the building adjacent to The Smithy available for year-round use. It will feature exhibition space, retail space, flexible use classrooms, a commis-
sary kitchen for culinary teaching, and an indooroutdoor event venue for the benefit of residents and tourists alike.
53 Pioneer is the southern half of a stone Federal-style building and faces The Smithy’s main building across an alley. A Cooperstown Graduate Program history report published by Peyton Tracy and Peter Glogovsky in 2016 notes that it was built in 1826 by William Wilson and Richard Cooley. Cooley’s family held the property until 1920. The Cooper family purchased it in 1929 and sold it to Smithy-Pioneer Gallery Inc. in 1987.
Altonview Architects, the Cooperstown firm known for the Brookwood School, Brewery Ommegang and the Farm Credit East building, has been retained to design the new facility. Their plan combines energyefficient updates and preservation of historic architectural features with a flexible, modern, and multipurpose interior. Carmen Busch will partner with the firm to plan outdoor spaces, including the garden patio that connects 53 Pioneer with the Smithy.
“We are thrilled to be embarking on this capital campaign to further invest
in the rich artistic culture of this incredible region,” said CAA and Smithy Executive Director Janet G. Erway. “Not only will we strengthen our offerings to artists and art enthusiasts, but we will continue to uphold the arts as a cornerstone and benchmark of a thriving community.”
The Smithy and CAA formed an affiliation in 2014 after years of parallel work and now share governance, leadership, and strategic planning. Combined, they have about 500 members and attract more than 5,000 visitors each year. 53 Pioneer
Students To Present Solutions for Local Needs
ONEONTA
The Community Foundation of Otsego County will present the 2024 Student Voices, Student Choices Awards at Hartwick College’s Slade Theatre on Monday, November 25 from 7-9:30 p.m.
“Encouraging philanthropy throughout Otsego County is a major goal for the foundation,” said Executive Director Jeff Katz. “We spark that interest by engaging our youth through a unique program for high-school students designed to sharpen their focus on local needs and issues
and encourage them to become leaders in their communities.”
In 2022, four teams from participating high schools—Cherry ValleySpringfield, Edmeston, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, and Richfield Springs—identified the greatest needs in their communities, researched organizations that address those needs, and then presented their ideas on solutions to a panel of local leaders and educators. In 2023, three more schools were added—Unatego, Morris and Milford.
“In 2024, we bring in the remaining schools that
have yet to participate— Worcester, Schenevus, Laurens, Oneonta, and Cooperstown—along with Morris, which placed second in 2023. With those schools involved, all high schools in Otsego County will have participated,” Katz said.
The event is always exciting, Katz continued.
“Participating students, school superintendents and principals, and faculty advisors are always enthusiastic, letting us know that their participation led to positive change in their communities,” he said.
And participation is not simply an exercise. In
will be operated jointly by both organizations.
To date, the project has raised more than $600,000.00 through a NY Forward grant. It seeks commitments of financial support over five years from businesses, individuals, foundations and government agencies by the end of 2026.
The fundraising goal of $2 million will support construction, furnishings, equipment and staffing.
CAA’s announcement noted that job growth in the arts and culture
sector outpaced overall job growth in Upstate New York by a factor of nearly 10 from 2009 to 2019. An ongoing migration of working artists to the state’s rural areas has partially mitigated overall population decline. In addition to new residents, arts projects contribute to increased tourism by providing a more diverse set of attractions.
For more information, contact (607) 547-9777 or gallery@cooperstownart.com.
the first two years, CFOC awarded $26,000.00 toward student projects.
“Everyone wins—students, communities, schools, Otsego County. Simply by participating, each student made an impact on their community,” Katz said. “We encourage the public to attend and share in the pleasure of seeing local high-school students as they propose innovative ways to improve Otsego County.”
The Slade Theatre is located on the fourth floor of Yager Hall at Hartwick College. Admission to this event is free.
The job scene
To place effective employment ads, call 607-547-6103
Attention
Interviewing for: Advertising Sales Agent
Applicants are currently being sought for the position of advertising sales agent
“The Freeman’s Journal,” “Hometown Oneonta” and “AllOtsego” media outlets. Required skills
Excellent communication skills essential. • Driver’s license necessary Must be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Experience preferred but not necessary; will train the right candidate.
Please send cover letter and resume to info@allotsego.com, with “Sales Position” in the subject line. No phone
Hartwick
Continued from page 1
signatory on the bank account and advised that a second signatory be added, “to protect all of you.” LoRusso agreed it would be good “to have a second set of eyes for the time being.” LoRusso also asked who had access to the supervisor’s office. Vazquez confirmed that both she and Briggs had keys.
At that point, LoRusso asked that the board move to Executive Session, to which Vazquez responded, “This is a budget meeting.”
A motion was then made to remove Briggs as signatory, but the motion failed, with LoRusso and Murphy voting in favor, while Markusen and Briggs voted against.
“If you don’t come to an agreement on a signatory, you’re not going to move town business along at all. Talk about square wheels,” Vazquez cautioned.
“This is farcical,” Markusen said of the oath book snafu. “It came out of nowhere and has caused huge problems in this town.”
“This is not my choice,” Vazquez replied. “This is what we have to move forward. We’re all in it together—it’s a mess.”
The motion to remove Briggs as bank signatory was taken off the table and no checks were signed.
Earlier in the meeting, in answer to a question from the floor regarding the financial status of the town’s water budget, Briggs reported that there is a fund balance, and Vazquez said nothing is flagging either higher or lower than the previous year. Former Town Supervisor Pat Ryan praised the new water meters, saying they “are working quite well— money well spent.”
In other business, the board approved the installation of a Christmas tree, donated by the LoRusso family, on the lawn of the town building and an expenditure toward a horse-drawn carriage in conjunction with “Holidays in the Hamlet of Hartwick,” currently in the planning stages.
The full meeting can be viewed at https:// www.hartwickny. gov/meetings/video/.
Board Meeting
The town board meeting on Tuesday, November 12 was well attended. It began with further dissent between board members, as a motion to have Markusen chair the meeting failed. A new motion, making Vazquez chair, was passed.
Public comment followed, during which multiple town residents spoke in favor of Briggs and entreated the board to reappoint him as deputy supervisor.
“I commend Chris Briggs for years of work and commitment…[it’s] a huge investment and it’s precious,” said one audience member, who felt it would be “tragic for any more town officials to leave office because of intimidation and bullying” and added that it is hard to come to
“these meetings because of the antagonistic and caustic attitudes.”
Heather Burgess Grant said, “It is only logical that we return Chris in this role,” while another audience member asked, “Why is there a visible divide at this table? How does this serve in the best interest of the town?”
Jan Conklin added, “You all voted for Briggs as deputy supervisor and it’s in your records. We are adults. It needs to stop and it needs to stop tonight.”
Another gentleman recommended, “For 16 years, we haven’t had this division. I personally believe we need an audit—if I were in Chris’ position, I would darn sure want that audit before I start signing anything.”
“I understand the upset. This board must come to an agreement. There is a great divide at this table,” responded Vazquez, who said she would reach out to the NYS Comptroller’s office regarding an official audit of the town.
While members of the audience blamed LoRusso for uncovering the oath book issue, Vazquez clarified that Supervisor O’Brien first brought it to her attention. An audience member asked whose responsibility it was to ensure the oath book was signed. Vazquez replied, “I take half the responsibility. We are all adults. I don’t take full responsibility.”
Briggs added, “I appreciate your support, folks, I really do, but we need to move forward for this town. We have a lot of business to take care of.”
The meeting continued to be contentious, as Markusen inquired of Otsego County Board Representative Margaret Kennedy whether or not the county’s Ethics Committee would convene to review complaints of possible ethics violations by both Briggs and LoRusso.
Kennedy replied that the situation is “unprecedented in the county— [there has] not been a lot of need.”
Although Kennedy was advised by the county attorney not to say much on the subject, she clarified that if an individual makes a complaint, the county can’t hear it, but if the town submits a resolution the county can hear it. Vazquez confirmed that the town did submit a resolution to the county, as well as copies of the complaints, and will defer to the county Ethics Committee moving forward.
“If the town submits, the town should get an answer,” Kennedy said. “I will follow up as much as I can.”
During her presentation at the meeting, Kennedy also spoke about the statewide state of emergency due to extremely dry conditions and low humidity, and the county state of emergency, which will remain in effect until there has been significant rainfall or snow. Burning of agricultural debris is also banned for the time being, Kennedy said.
“No open fires. If seen, they will be extinguished,” she warned.
In other county news, Kennedy reported that Otsego County’s tentative budget has been filed and is under the tax cap. The thought is that it will remain under the tax cap, she said. Kennedy also alerted those present to Operation Green Light, a nationwide effort to draw attention to, and to show support for, our veteran population, in which the county is participating. There are “lots of resources available for their transition to civilian life,” she added.
Vazquez kept things moving and, in other business, town officials approved the 2025 contract with the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for at-large dogs; discussed the installation of surveillance cameras for the recycling bins and education of residents as to what should and should not be placed there; announcement that the Hartwick Trolley Station historical marker had been installed, followed by a round of applause for Carol Goodrich. Motions were also made and approved which will allow Vazquez access to the town’s debit card and give her the ability to transfer funds temporarily, if necessary, until there is another plan of action. A motion was also made, and passed, to allow Briggs to sign checks in front of the entire board. Vazquez will print the checks and present them at the board’s next work session, where Briggs will sign singularly in front of the board until a second signatory has been approved. Forward movement in the search for a new town attorney was also made.
The meeting wrapped up as it had begun—on a sour note. After impassioned statements by both Markusen and LoRusso, Markusen moved to nominate Janice Gage as temporary supervisor.
“She knows the town, knows the history, and has a clear, strong voice,” Markusen said.
That motion failed, as did LoRusso’s motion to nominate Pastor Phillip Sell to fill the supervisor slot.
Murphy then nominated Vazquez as interim supervisor, saying, “She jumped right in.”
Vazquez thanked Murphy for recognizing her hard work, but insisted that the town attorney position must be addressed first.
As the meeting drew to a close, LoRusso moved that the board go into Executive Session, but that motion failed.
The full meeting can be viewedathttps://www.facebook.com/beth.utter.58/ videos/544338191649704.
Vols
Continued from page 3
on October 24.
And, from an anonymous volunteer, on October 18, “I volunteered at a concert recently at Ommegang for the SPCA. Those of us who volunteered were all shocked to hear that the SPCA was not receiving the tips collected that evening, but instead would get an amount deemed fair by
Ommegang later. This is not how it has worked in the past. When I asked the Susquehanna SPCA how much they ended up receiving, they said that no money has been received so far. We are incredibly disappointed in this.”
Haynes was promised a contribution of $1,000.00 to the shelter in recognition of its volunteers’ service to Ommegang at that concert.
When asked by phone to comment on this situation, Gary Buell, general manager of Ommegang’s Tap House since April 2023, appeared to be dumbfounded.
“We have a great relationship with the SQSPCA. I don’t know where this is coming from. We recently named a beer for a dog named Mojo, and 10 percent of all proceeds will go to the shelter.”
Buell is referring to the shelter’s “Fur-tual Reality Dog Show, conducted online from August 19 through September 25, wherein “The winner will have their dog’s photo on a can (or bottle) of Brewery Ommegang’s experimental beer, which can be purchased at Brewery Ommegang the month of October. 10% of these beer sales will go back to the Susquehanna SPCA.”
“As of November 19, we have not received the $1,000.00 check for the September 20 concert,” Haynes said, but she is “confident they will provide us with the $1,000.00 in recognition of the hard work of our volunteers.”
Buell said cutting checks takes time due to the paperwork involved.
While the SQSPCA volunteers remain disgruntled, Haynes confirmed that the experimental beer component of the virtual dog show is moving ahead as planned, and she looks forward to “continuing our partnership with Ommegang.”
“This is not a professional way to conduct business,” Puglia said. “I have heard they [Ommegang] have changed management and unfortunately people don’t see the big picture of helping each other out, but what I see is only greed. I do many things for the shelter, but this one is for the books.”
Waller concurred.
“As president of the Cooperstown Rotary Club, I was very disappointed at the result. It soured our relationship. I’d like to preserve a good relationship with Ommegang. They have been very supportive of our community for years.”
Waller added that the Cooperstown Rotary Club has held its last two annual dinner meetings at Ommegang and were very pleased with the service. Unfortunately, the Rotarians from this 100year-old service organization are not pleased with the way the concert volunteer effort was handled.
Buell had this to say regarding the Cake concert: “I wish somebody from the Rotary had mentioned something to me so I could have addressed it. This is the first I am hearing about it. Dan Smalls, who booked CAKE, was in charge of the ticketing. That was not even Ommegang’s responsibility.”
Clearly, money is a touchy subject. Verbal agreements can lead to miscommunication and unspoken expectations.
“Written agreements between all parties, moving forward, will go a long way toward righting any perceived wrongs,” Haynes said.
Angel
Continued from page 1
Likes: Pokemon, Legos, basketball
Needs: winter coat
3-year-old
feMale
Size: 18-24 mos.
Likes: Minnie Mouse, Stuffiez, sensory toys with lights and sounds
Needs: sippy cups
Family #5
12-year-old
Male
Size: large men’s (no jeans, please)
Shoe size: 9-1/2
Likes: baseball cards, Legos (likes red and blue)
Family #6
8-year-old girl
Size: 10/12
Shoe size: 4
Likes: Barbies, baby dolls, Hello Kitty
Male
4-year-old
Size: 6/7
Shoe size: 10C
Likes: Bluey, Mickey Mouse
Family #7
10-Month-old
Male Size: 2T
Likes: Learning toys, baby toys
Needs: diapers size 6
4-year-old
feMale Size: 4T
Shoe size: 11C
Likes: arts and crafts, princesses, Barbies
Family #8
12-year-old
Male Size: large
Likes: PlayStation 5 games, basketball
10-year-old
Male
Size: medium
Likes: Legos, crafts
10-year-old
feMale
Size: 16/18
Likes: crafts, Bath & Body Works products
Family #9
3-year-old
feMale
Size: 5T
Shoe: 9C
Likes: “Frozen,” princesses, learning toys
1-year-old
feMale Size: 24 mos.
Likes: learning toys
Needs: forward-facing car seat
Family #10
12-year-old
feMale
Size: XL (18)
Shoe size: 5
Likes: perfume, reading, Kindle Fire
7-year-old
Male Size: 10/12
Shoe size: 1
Likes: Legos, Pokemon, tablet
6-year-old
Male Size: 6/7
Shoe size: 12
Likes: Bluey, drawing, Legos, Magna-Tiles
3-Month-old
feMale Size: 6/9 mos.
Likes: baby toys, clothes, Pack ‘N Play Needs: diapers size 2 Honored
Continued from page 1
applying for needed services, FPP provides funding and resources to assist with living expenses, shelter, medical expenses and emergencies for farm families. Chauncey has also advocated for the agricultural community with the New York legislature and state organizations as well as the State Education Department to obtain the first farm vehicle modification for a disabled farmer in 20 years.
“NYCAMH’s programs strive to improve the lives, health, safety and well-being of New York’s farmers, their families, and their employees,” said Chauncey. “Farmers work hard for long hours, so we meet them where they are—on their land and by conducting trainings and support groups in their milking parlors and barns. It’s a model that reminds me of the old-fashioned house calls.
“Getting to know farmers, farm families, and farm workers, I see how grateful they are for the help my coworkers and I provide them. I also see the challenges they face. They motivate me to work harder and go above and beyond to help.”
Internal Medicine Associates of Auburn are also recipients of a Circle of Excellence Innovation Award for their Innovation and Excellence program which features a determined and systematic approach toward managing our patient population with an “all in” team commitment at the practice level, as well as thoughtful collaboration with patients.
“We developed the Circle of Excellence awards to recognize those who work in partnership with us to look at different ways to deliver highquality care, and we’re very happy to recognize Bassett Healthcare and NYCAMH for their innovative work and community impact,” said Tony Vitagliano, SVP provider network and Utica regional president, Excellus BCBS.
Continued from page 6
Doo.” When someone screams with pleasure, another voice says, “I’ll have what she’s having,” evoking the famous line from “When Harry Met Sally.” Plot is beside the point; action is everything. Humor catches you unaware when germaphobe Los Angeles realtor Jonathan Harker (Casey Thomas) and carriage driver (Gina Pryer) mime a ridiculously bumpy carriage ride. While bobbing about like ships in a tornado, Harker, who looks sicker as the ride progresses, pirouettes over the back of the rig to spew and bounces back again in one fluid motion. Another bit in the carriage comes later
as the former milquetoast Harker, now a sexy vampire, ravages his delighted fiancée Lucy (Gina Pryer) under a blanket. The noisy mating is covered by the other passengers singing “God Save the Queen” as the lovers couple furiously, the blanket erupting like Vesuvius. A standout subplot involves the male characters physically rejecting the pretty Mina (Brooke Tallman) as an ugly drudge. Treating rejection as a privilege, she vamps around the stage in an emerald gown, primping her head of massive red curls. When she finally snags the male gaze, it’s bad news. The Count notices her neck is almost as good as the unavailable Lucy’s and bites her into a coma. Blood drips from Dracula’s smile as
his wicked grin signals his siring of a new vampire.
It takes the newly arrived femme fatale Dr. Van Helsing (Brooke Tallmann again) to point out to the dunderheaded group that Count Dracula is a vampire. They go after the count on goggle-eyed hobby horses, galloping across the moors, one step behind Dracula. Threaded through the action, rubber bats fly around biting everyone as the characters try to figure out what’s wrong.
A party guest (Angela Cobb) dances by with a blow-up doll or two, attracting the attention of no one. The hilarious servant Renfield (Steve Dillon) runs about giggling and eating bugs like the madman he is. With a flip of his fright wig, Renfield
becomes the psychiatrist Dr. Westfeldt (Steve Dillon again) who uses his patients as household staff. At one point, Dillon morphs from Renfield to Westfeldt and back again in a tour-de-force of splitsecond timing, creating a conversation between his two characters.
When the characters finally find Dracula, you know the end is near. Someone calls for a stake to put through Dracula’s heart, and you’re not surprised when a sirloin appears. Primed for silliness by the rest of the hurly-burly, you laugh anyway.
Florence McDermott is the editor of the Rotary Club of Cooperstown’s newsletter, “The Oil Can.”
OBITUARIES
Renowned Portrait Photographer Kasterine
RICHFIELD SPRINGS
Dmitri Kasterine, who has traveled the world as a portrait photographer for decades, and his wife, Caroline, will host a gallery reception at their home on November 30 from 6-8 p.m. Kasterine has a large portfolio of photographs of—in his words—“prominent members of the mid-20th century cultural world.” A sampling of these include Samuel Beckett, Johnny Cash, James Baldwin, Mick Jagger, Rudolf Nureyev and HM Queen Elizabeth II. A special feature of the upcoming reception will be a short talk by the photographer about some of his subjects and their reactions to his photographing them. In addition to refreshments for all guests, high-quality prints of much of Dmitri’s work will be for sale at discounted prices. Copies of his books, “Newburgh: Portrait of a City” and “Who How When Where,” will be available for purchase, along with his hand printed mini-book. For those unable to attend the reception, the gallery will remain open by appointment in December and January. Dmitri Kasterine Photography is located at 1441 County Highway 23, Richfield Springs. E-mail inquiries can be directed to dmitri@kasterine.com. Reception Planned By
Donald Lee Bailey
1926-2024
LEONARDSVILLE—Donald Lee Bailey, 98, of Cooperstown, New York and previously of Leonardsville, New York, passed away October 28, 2024 at the Cooperstown Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing.
Donald was born October 12, 1926 in the Town of Plainfield, Otsego County, the son of Herbert Lee Bailey and Helen Penner Bailey. He graduated from Leonardsville Central School in the Class of 1944 with “high honors,” especially in math, having also completed four years of classes and training in the FFA program. He spent his life working on the family farm located on County Highway 19 near Leonardsville.
Donald never married. He was a private person who enjoyed country farm life, gardening, antiques, reading (typically the Bible and history stories) and watching TV, especially games shows and the RFD channel.
Donald was predeceased by his parents and brother-in-law, Raymond Key Sr. He is survived by his sister, Bernice B. Key of Cooperstown, his nephew, Raymond Key Jr. (Pamela), his greatgrandnephew, Scott Key (Katie), two great-grandnieces, Carrie Offen (Brett) and Sarah Blink (Corey), and by seven great-great-grandnieces and nephews.
In accordance with Donald’s wishes, there were no calling hours or service. Private burial services were held in the Leonardsville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests that donations in Donald’s memory be made to the Leonardsville United Methodist Church, PO Box 198, Leonardsville, NY 13364 or to the Leonardsville Fire Department, PO Box 185, Leonardsville, NY 13364.
Arrangements were under the guidance of Tillapaugh Funeral Service, Cooperstown.
Emily Ann Morris 1929-2024
COOPERSTOWN—
Emily Ann Morris, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and sister, entered into eternal rest late Friday night, November 8, 2024 at Levine & Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville, North Carolina. She was 95.
Born June 18, 1929 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Emily was one of six children of Clarence Henry Moran and Mildred Mary (Heist) Moran. In her youth, she attended St. Vincent de Paul School, and later graduated from Hillsboro High School. It was while she was on a hayride in Ohio that she met the love of her life, David G. Morris. They were married July 4, 1953, in Hillsboro, Ohio.
Due to Dave’s sales and management positions with Batesville Casket Company, the family lived in various places. It was while working with the Ingalls Funeral Home that Millie Ingalls encouraged the Morris family to move to and settle in Cooperstown, where they lived for 60 years.
During her years in Cooperstown, Emily enjoyed working for The Church Mouse Boutique on Pioneer Street, and also for a time ran a bed and breakfast out of their home, which she called “Evergreen.”
The family enjoyed horses and many other animals at their home on Middlefield Road. Emily and Dave also enjoyed many Sunday drives in their 1953 MGTD, which Dave had restored.
Emily is survived by two sons, David A. “Tony” Morris and wife Lynda of Traverse City, Michigan and Daniel P. Morris and wife Nancy of Cooperstown; two daughters, Ellen A. Morris and husband Stephen Mahlum of Cornelius, North Carolina, and Erin E. Budd and husband Stephen of Huntersville, North Carolina; nine grandchildren, Adelia Wiley, Victoria Morris, Madelyn Maxbauer, Olivia Morris, Leland Morris, Alexander Mahlum, Zachary Mahlum, David Budd and Margaret Budd; seven great-grandchildren; a sister, Margaret Hudson of Hillsboro, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased in 2021 by her husband of 67 years, Dave; a daughter, Mary Beth Morris (1981); an infant grandson, Samuel Vincent Morris (1997); two brothers, Dr. Vincent Stephen “Vince” Moran (1998) and Dr. Joseph Patrick Moran (2010); two sisters, Mary Delores Moran (1958) and Mary Elizabeth Moran (2014); and a nephew, Thomas Patrick Moran (2024).
Emily will be privately
laid to rest in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in Emily’s memory to Levine & Dickson Hospice House, 11900 Vanstory Drive, Huntersville, NC 28078.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Clyde G. Yakos 1938-2024
FLY CREEK VALLEY—Clyde G. Yakos, 86, of Fly Creek Valley, peacefully entered into eternal rest Monday afternoon, November 4, 2024, at his home following a lengthy illness.
He was born March 23, 1938 at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, one of two children of Tony and Anna (Hribar) Yakos. Raised on the family dairy farm in Fly Creek Valley, he graduated from Cooperstown High School with the Class of 1957. He then attended the New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences at Cobleskill where he earned an associate degree.
Clyde was inducted into the United States Army on August 7, 1962, and proudly served his country with Battery A, 68th Artillery AmericanBritish-Dutch-Australian Command as an Ordnance Supply Specialist. He received his Honorable Discharge on August 6, 1964.
After his discharge from the Army, he began employment as an orderly at Holy Family Hospital in New Richmond, Wisconsin,
where he would meet his future wife. On September 11, 1965, Clyde married Margaret Anne Moore in a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Erin Prairie, Wisconsin.
Later that year, they returned to Fly Creek Valley where Clyde managed the family farm. In 1973, in partnership with his father, Tony, they opened Yakos Farm Supply. The store was closed in 1986. The farm was sold in 1987. After selling the farm, Clyde was employed at The Otesaga Resort Hotel for 10 years, where he became a familiar site at buffets in the main dining room.
Clyde had been a member and former president of the Lions Club of Cooperstown, as well as a member of the Pierstown Grange.
Clyde is survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret; their three
sons, John Yakos and Karen Lyons of West Palm Beach, Florida, Robert and Amanda Yakos of Clemmons, North Carolina, and Randy and Jennifer Yakos of San Diego, California; six grandchildren, Logan Yakos of West Palm Beach, Florida, Samuel Yakos, Nathan Yakos, and Joseph Yakos of North Carolina, Jackson Yakos and Caitlin Yakos of California; and a sister, Elaine Yakos-LeBron of Ecuador. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a later date. He will be laid to rest in the family plot in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Richfield Springs. Memorial donations may be made to Helios Care, 297 River Street Service Road, Suite 1, Oneonta, NY 13820. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Photo provided EMILY ANN MORRIS
Continued from page 4
oneontahistory.org or call the History Center at (607) 432-0960.
GOHS looks forward to the 2025 cycle of the Hometown Heroes Banner Program.
Marcela Micucci Executive Director Greater Oneonta Historical Society
Why Weren’t
We Notified?
I am writing about the impending Lakefront Viewing Platform slated to be built out over the water at the end of Pioneer Street that is now out to bid. Some of us on the block have only just found out about this project moving forward through contractors bidding on it. While I am not in favor of this project in this location, my letter today is about the failure of the village to inform anyone who will be directly impacted by this project, the absence of any public notification, transparency, or due process in the pursuit of this public works project.
The worst affected by this failure in transparency are my new neighbors, Wayne and Peggy Hymers, at 2 Pioneer Street. The Hymers bought 2 Pioneer in early 2024 and were ready to get to work on their dream home. If you follow real estate in town, you know that Wayne and Peggy paid a handsome price to have a home on the water and in town. The problem is, the way the village has been functioning, there was no way for them to know that a public works project was about to be built next to their home in a space where usable land currently doesn’t exist. Their real estate agent didn’t tell them, nor did the agent representing the seller; if the agents knew, and didn’t tell them, that would be grounds for a lawsuit, so I suspect they didn’t know.
There was no public hearing, there were no notifications in mailboxes to residents in the area, and there were no posted signs in the area to advise people that in a certain amount of time the Village of Cooperstown would be building a viewing platform that would enable every tourist and local who wanted to use the platform to have a perfect view directly into the Hymers’ front yard and living room. I imagine the Hymers’ property values
have fallen, or will when the platform is built. They will also have the added joy of people essentially hanging out in their front yard at all hours, which is not what they signed up for when they purchased the property.
The point is that with the proper notification from the village, the Hymers would have had the ability to make an informed choice about their purchase. They could have negotiated a better price, knowing that a public works project was going to be built next door, or they could have walked away and purchased somewhere else, but now they are stuck with this situation. I understand that this is not a zoning issue, so apparently notification is not required, but is that right?
When the project was up for consideration under the DRI proposal, people could weigh in for the state to judge the projects. I know much of our block of Pioneer Street rejected the project, but those comments were not made public. On Pioneer Street, we know that we live near a park, so we are ready to accept a certain amount of noise and activity, but we are already at our limit and it will only intensify with the Lakefront Viewing Platform.
Since it was first brought up in its various forms and quests for funding, this project has been extremely difficult to follow online. While there are a bunch of links about the project, they are confusing and often conflicting. The first time I see a mention there was a 2018 grant to explore and create a possible design for the platform. It doesn’t seem to appear again until the pursuit of the DRI grant, then that morphed into NY Forward, but it was not funded through either of these grants and in one article it says it was slated for a future pipeline. Then suddenly, this year, buried in village meeting notes that I now see, the project was voted on and has been quietly underway with no notice beyond that. I would say the most unsettling part is that I specifically called the village about the issue this June, was told that the project was slated for construction in 2028, and that there would be public hearings. Based on that information I thought I had time, but now I know that information was false and I do feel mislead by the village.
Quite honestly, the only way I would have really known the course of this project would be to be in government or go to every village meeting. While I appreciate the civic spirit in that, it is simply not possible for everyone to do that. For that reason, most municipalities prefer to send notices to neighbors about upcoming projects that will directly affect them so there can be a discussion period and have people weigh in on what will be happening in their community. Perhaps therein lies the rub.
I know that there are always going to be projects that I like and projects I don’t like, but that isn’t the point. The point is process, and without it, one will always feel like a fast one is being pulled. Transparent process can make a good project better and strengthen community. Transparent process can also identify why weak projects will not serve the community. Lack of a fair and informed process encourages distrust and an unwillingness to put aside individual desires for the good of the village. Without a fair process people can feel duped and may feel the need to defend themselves. In this instance, if the Hymers felt the need to defend their interests through a lawyer, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Wendy W. Smith Cooperstown
Platform Is Old News
To its collective credit, the Village of Cooperstown has labored long and hard to plan, get permitted, get funded and build a wheelchair-accessible viewing platform at the foot of Pioneer Street in the village park.
Anyone that pays any attention to what goes on in Cooperstown— even from far away Texas—has known about this publicly publicized project for a long time.
One of the Pioneer Street neighbors expressed their concerns about the platform some time ago. Per the law, the village was not required to give notice to adjacent property owners, but, since hindsight is 20/20, the village should have sent a notice to the neighbors. The village might consider amending its code to require notification to adjacent property owners of major municipal projects. So that’s the moral of this play: better communication
with adjacent property owners. Regarding the complaints made by the neighbors: You live next to a very popular public park—with picnic tables, trash receptacles, park benches, an awardwinning landscape buffer by the lake, walkways, a bandstand, all with a spectacular public view of a gorgeous lake. The park is frequented by friendly people, visitors, your neighbors and the occasional grouch. You’ll take your grandchildren and your friends in wheelchairs to the viewing platform. They’ll love it.
Chip Northrup Cooperstown
Is Regret Setting In?
In light of what has already transpired in the form of pronouncements and proposed presidential appointments since the election, it does not seem too early to ask whether “buyer’s remorse” has set in among those who voted for Donald Trump. Whether it has or not, one thing is certain: None of them can plead “I didn’t realize” or “If I only knew…”
Trump and his acolytes repeated over the past year and longer what they intended. They spelled it out in plain English in their widely disseminated manifesto called Project 2025. National and local TV, radio, and newspaper ads published their grievances and solutions for all to see and hear. When called upon to confirm what was said or proposed, Trump and his spokespersons, and Republican officeholders and candidates, demurred, dissembled, but seldom disavowed.
All that is left for the rest of us now is to refuse to allow any politicians or citizens to wriggle out of their unqualified pre-election support and advocacy of Trump and his policies by pleading ignorance or lack of awareness. They are individually and collectively responsible for all that lies ahead for our country and our neighbors.
John A. Rudy Cooperstown
NY Not Ready for ACT Rule
For the first time in 31 years, I am unsure if my career and employer can survive in New York State due to the Advanced Clean Truck Rule set to begin on January 1, 2025. Our industry has weathered many crises
Platform Information Meeting Scheduled
By DARLA M. YOUNGS COOPERSTOWN
On Monday, November 25, the Village of Cooperstown will hold an informational meeting at 5 p.m. with Michael Haas of Delta Engineering, prior to the village’s 6 p.m. board meeting. Haas will review plans for the proposed viewing and fishing platform to be installed at the northern terminus of Pioneer Street, in Lakefront Park.
According to Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, the project—some eight years in the making—was conceptualized as a result of public input, including the village’s 2018 Parks Survey and numerous public charrettes for the 2016 Comprehensive Plan, which emphasized the need for greater ADA-compliant accessibility and access to Otsego Lake via Lakefront Park for non-boaters, including a walking/fishing pier.
“It was from the [Comprehensive] Plan and the survey that the idea of an accessible, ADA-compliant viewing platform arose,” Tillapaugh said. “As a result, the village applied in 2018 for a planning grant for the development of the concept, which will provide better visual and pedestrian access to waterfront within the Village of Cooperstown for non‐boaters of all ages and abilities.”
“We received that grant, which funded an architect/ designer, and the village selected Michael Haas of Delta Engineering,” Tillapaugh continued. “Michael designed the Lucy B. Hamilton Amphitheater along the Otsego Lake shoreline at Fenimore Art Museum. We also utilized Michael for the wholly villagefunded redesign of Pioneer Park—brick pavers, lampposts, stage area, etc.—which made that park accessible in 2019.”
Haas attended a recent Parks Board meeting at Tillapaugh’s request.
“Realizing that there have been changes in Parks Board leadership and members in the six years since efforts to create an accessible viewing platform began, Michael Haas attended the October 7 public meeting. I have also asked Michael to review the project prior to next Monday’s board meeting,” Tillapaugh said.
Several Pioneer Street residents have criticized the viewing platform project, and village transparency, recently.
Village officials have indicated that the information meeting is not a public hearing, but rather an overview of the project and an opportunity for comments and questions from the public.
The Village of Cooperstown’s “Phase II: Comprehensive Plan & Downtown Revitalization Strategy” can be found at https://www.cooperstownny.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/village-ofcooperstown-comprehensive-plan_final.pdf.
before, but the ACT Rule could be the final blow to Burr Truck, a familyowned business of 57 years, proudly located in Broome County since 1967.
The potential impact? Losses of $18 million in annual sales, $4.8 million in parts and service revenue, and 30 percent less jobs. We support the state’s sustainability goals and have invested in electric truck technology, but New York is clearly not ready. Businesses and livelihoods are at stake if lawmakers can’t find a sensible path to a cleaner, greener New York.
Mark Stone Corporate General Manager/Director of Sales Burr Truck Vestal
Our dealership is one of many urging New York government officials to pause the state’s implementation of the ACT Rule, along with the Trucking Association of New York and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The ACT Rule, set to begin on January 1, 2025, will require our dealership to sell one battery electric vehicle before every 10-13 clean diesel trucks. Even with incentives, these electric trucks cost $110,000.00 more than their diesel counterparts, with fewer than 40 sold statewide since 2021. High costs, limited availability, and lack of state-funded, heavy-duty infrastructure are impossible hurdles to overcome.
‘Gift of the Magi’ Reading Set
ONEONTA—The 37th annual Friends of Christmas Community Dinner, presented by Saturday’s Bread, will once again host a staged reading of the classic O. Henry holiday tale “The Gift of the Magi.” The touching story is adapted for stage reading by Jon Jory and will be directed by renowned actor, playwright, and screenwriter Patrick Breen. It will be performed at the First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3. Admission is free with donations graciously accepted to support the Community Dinner. The dinner itself will be held at the same location from 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 21. It is intended to ensure that no one must spend the holiday season alone. To reserve a dinner, sign up to volunteer or donate, visit www. friendsofchristmas.org or call (607) 431-8025.
CAA Wreath Festival Returns
COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association’s ever-popular Adorn-a-Door Wreath Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 30 in the upstairs ballroom gallery at 22 Main Street. It will feature about 100 wreaths by local artists and businesses to be sold by silent auction. The event is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.00. “Dinner’s On Us,” a package of gift certificates to local restaurants valued at $400.00, will be raffled off at 4 p.m. All proceeds support the CAA and its scholarship fund for area high-school seniors.
Art Garage Exhibit To Open
MIDDLEFIELD—The Art Garage will hold an opening reception for its final exhibition of the year, “Multiples,” from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, November 22. The new show features ceramics by Marcie Schwartzman of Cooperstown, animal wood carvings by Lavern Kelley of Oneonta, stained-glass tabletop “light boxes” by Trevor Wilson of Hobart, photographic collages by Gail Peachin of South Worcester, and brushless paintings by Michael Fedorov of Maryland. It will be on view through January 25. The gallery is open for regular hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and by appointment any day of the week at (315) 941-9607.
Kendi Film To Be Screened
COOPERSTOWN—The Race, Equity and Justice Series will present a screening of “Stamped
from the Beginning” in the upstairs ballroom of the Village Hall, 22 Main Street, from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, December 8. The film is based on the award-winning book of the same name by Ibram X. Kendi and examines the history and evolution of anti-Black racism in the U.S. Rev. Mike Coles of the First Baptist Church will lead a discussion afterwards, and pizza and beverages will be available.
Craft Fair Benefits Class of ‘28
MARYLAND—Schenevus Central School’s Class of 2028 will hold a holiday craft fair fundraiser at the school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. In addition to local vendors with a wide variety of holiday shopping, there will be a raffle table supporting the class directly.
‘Legends’ Game Date Slated
COOPERSTOWN—The annual Cooperstown Central School alumni soccer match will kick off on Lambert Field at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 28, rain or shine. The Legends Game has been played on Thanksgiving Day each year since 1990, except for the COVID-19 cancellation in 2020. All former Cooperstown soccer players, including current seniors, are invited to join. Participants will be divided between Team Youth and Team Experience based on their ages. Youth defeated Experience 8-0 in last year’s match, led by MVP Colby Diamond’s three goals. The younger team has won three of the last four matches after securing their first-ever victory in 2019.
Walk/Run Will Benefit CFP
COOPERSTOWN—A Thanksgiving Morning Walk/Run to support the Cooperstown Food Pantry will begin in the Clark Sports Center parking lot at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 28. All participants may choose their own speed and distance. Monetary donations may be made online or in person. For more information, contact Dee at (607) 282-0626.
Chamber Seeks Tree Sponsors
ONEONTA—The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Festival of Trees at Southside Mall is open for sponsorships from local businesses. Sponsors will have the chance to showcase their organization to the public, engage with the community and support chamber events across the region. Participants can either provide a six-foot artificial tree with lights, decorations, skirt and topper, along
with the $50.00 entry fee, or sponsor a tree for $200.00 and let the chamber do the rest. Festival setup will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., December 1 through 5. For more information, contact Karen Laing at klaing@otsegocc.com or (607) 432-4500.
Local ADK Plans Excursions
ONEONTA—The Adirondack Mountain Club, Susquehanna Chapter, recently released its schedule for December. They will hike Bramley Mountain in Delhi, a steep and difficult trail, on Tuesday, December 3. Excursion leaders Tom and Roberta Austin may be reached at (607) 435-8107. Carolyn and Jim Austin, available at (607) 437-5734, will lead a hike at Gilbert Lake State Park on Tuesday, December 10. There will be a woodland hike in Jefferson led by Betsy Cunningham, (607) 4373758, on Tuesday, December 17.
Contact the group leaders listed or Diane Aaronson, (607) 432-9391, or Linda Pearce, (607) 432-8969, for outing information and meeting point locations. Participants must have the proper clothing, equipment, and fitness level for each type of activity, including sufficient water, and carpool participants are asked to contribute toward gas costs.
Free Concert Announced
HERKIMER—Herkimer College will host a free holiday concert featuring the Modernistics at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 7 in the SarkusBusch Theater. The Modernistics are an acclaimed singing and tap-dancing group led by Ted and Pamela Powers, backed up by jazz virtuosos Peter H. Bloom, Mark Leighton, and Dave Zox. The free concert is made possible by the Robert H. Wood Great Artist Series.
AAA Projects Record Travel
UTICA—AAA projects that a record 79.9 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, an increase of 1.7 million over last year and 2 million more than pre-pandemic travel in 2019. For the first time, the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day were included in the forecast to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. A record 71.7 million people are expected to travel by car, taking advantage of gas prices that remain more than 40 cents lower than the same time last year. The report noted that traffic conditions will be at their worst on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
►Friday, Nov. 22
LEGAL 10-11:30 a.m.
“Estate Planning: Do You Know Where to Begin?”
Presented by attorney Lauren Glynn during senior coffee hour. Seating limited; registration requested. Kinney Memorial Library, 3140 County Highway 11, Hartwick. (607) 547-4232.
THANKSGIVING Noon to 3 p.m. “Thanksgiving Gathering.” Bring a dish to pass. Includes a performance by Judy Pitel, 1:30-3 p.m. The Oneonta Gathering Place, 5506 State Highway 7, Oneonta. BLOOD DRIVE Noon to 5 p.m. Oneonta Elks Lodge 1312, 86 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. redcrossblood.org
DINNER 4:30-6:30 p.m. “Free Spaghetti Dinner.” Laurens Presbyterian Church, 3 Main Street, Laurens. (607) 265-3354. OPENING RECEPTION 5-7 p.m. “MULTIPLES.” Featuring never-before-seen works in ceramics, paint, stained glass and more. On view Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through 1/25/25 or by appointment. The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, Cooperstown. (315) 9419607.
THEATER 6 p.m. “The Jungle Book.” Presented by the Elementary Drama Club. Admission fees apply. Also held 11/23. Donald A. Drake Auditorium, Cherry ValleySpringfield Central School,
597 County Highway 54, Cherry Valley. (607) 2643265.
MUSIC 6-9 p.m.
“Singer Songwriter Series: Liana Gabel.” Muddy River Farm Brewery, West Gate Plaza, 107 Winney Hill Road, Oneonta.
MUSICAL 6:30 p.m.
Audition for “American Idiot: The Musical.” Callbacks held 11/24. Atrium, Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta, (607) 431-2080.
FUNDRAISER
7-10 p.m. “One Night in Vegas!” Casino night fundraiser to benefit the Susquehanna Headwaters District. Tickets required; proceeds benefit local youth in scouting. The Loft, Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “All’s Well that Ends Well.” Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@oneonta.edu.
►Saturday, Nov. 23
FUNDRAISER 7:30-10
a.m. Donation breakfast sandwich event. Sausage, bacon, cheese, and eggs on a hard roll. Coffee, tea and hot cocoa provided. Westford Volunteer Fire Department, 1812 County Route 34, Westford. (607) 638-9075.
FUNDRAISER 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Bake Sale.” Pre-
sented by the Xi Delta Iota Sorority and the Oneonta BSP Chapter. Support local family and community services. Munson’s Building Supply, 5662 State Highway 7, Oneonta.
HOLIDAYS 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Holiday Bazaar.” Crafts, cookies, collectibles, jewels, earth-friendly items and more. Soup, chili and pie slices from Mary’s Café. Proceeds benefit United Women of Faith projects. First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street, Oneonta.
FIREARMS 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. “18-hr. NYS Pistol Permit Course.” Fees apply. First day held at F&C Firearms, 27482 State Highway 23, Stamford. Second day held at Oneonta Sportsmen’s Club, 251 Rod and Gun Club Road, Oneonta. training@fcfirearmsny.com.
LIBRARY 9:15 a.m. “Coffee Group.” Held each Saturday. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.
CONSERVATION
9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Field Trip to Falcon Heart Rescue Rehabilitation Center.” Presented by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society. Registration required; suggested donation to the rehabilitation center. Carpool from the Ford Avenue parking lot across from the YMCA, Oneonta. (607) 267-8491.
SCIENCE 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Eco Explorers: Hands-on Biology!” DIY terrariums, lava lamps and more. First come, first serve. Most activities appropriate for ages 5+. Free and open to the public.
A.J. Read Science Discovery Center, 112 Physical Science, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. (607) 436-2011.
WORKSHOP
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Make a Pillowcase.”
Easy two-session class for all skill levels. Fees apply; registration required. Continues 12/2. Leatherstocking Quilts, 155 Main Street, Suite B, Oneonta. (607) 441-3111.
PLANETARIUM Fees apply; registration required. SUNY Oneonta Planetarium, Room 018A Perna Science Building, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Visit suny.oneonta.edu/ science-outreach-activities/planetarium
• 10:30 a.m. “Betelgeuse’s Galactic Vacation: An Alien’s Search for Planets!”
• 11:30 a.m. “The Sky Tonight.”
FRIENDSGIVING
1-6 p.m. Friendship bracelet, raffle, prizes and more. Interskate 88, 5185 State Highway 23, Oneonta. (607) 432-0366.
OPERA 1 p.m.
“Tosca.” Livesteam from the Metropolitan Opera House. Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.
ARTS & CRAFTS 1-3
p.m. “Diamond Art.” Presented by instructor Stacia Barrett. Small children will need adult supervision. Suggested donation; registration required. Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.
DISCUSSION 1-3
p.m. “Lattes & Literature.” Presented by the Morris Village Library. The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 285-4111.
OPEN MIC 7-9 p.m. “Coffee House.” Singers, writers, musicians, and more are invited to share works. 10-20 minute slots.
Light refreshments available. Free, open to public. Held each 4th Saturday. Schuyler Lake United Methodist Church, 128 Church Street, Schuyler Lake. (315) 858-2523.
ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m. “Space: The Final Frontier.” Concert by the Catskill Symphony Orchestra. Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “Some Like It Hip Hop Musical.” Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@oneonta.edu.
►SuNday, Nov. 24
LIBRARY 1-4 p.m.
“Cooperstown Writers Group.” Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. ARTS & CRAFTS
1-4 p.m. “Nip & Sip Mosaic Tree Workshop.” Presented by Wendy Reich of Don’t Tell Stella Designs. Fees apply; registration required. Also held 12/1. 25 Main Collective, 21 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-4025.
REMEMBRANCE 2
p.m. “Tree of Lights Ceremony.” Celebrate the lives of loved ones in a positive and uplifting way with readings, remarks, and music. $15/ornament. Helios Care Office, 297 River Street Service Road, Oneonta. (607) 432-5525.
HOLIDAYS 2 p.m.
“Decorating Day.” Presented by Cooperstown Community Christmas Committee. Sign up to decorate Main Street for the holidays. Meet at Santa’s Cottage in Pioneer Park, Cooperstown.
►MoNday, Nov. 25
BREAKFAST WITH THE BOARD 8-9 a.m. Casual meet and greet with Cooperstown Village Board
members to discuss local projects, agenda items, more. Includes coffee and donuts. All welcome. Held fourth Monday of each month. Village Board Room, Village Hall, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. PLAY & LEARN 10 a.m. Guided sensory learning for children aged 5 and under. Held each Monday. Cooperstown Village Library, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8344. SENIOR MEALS
Noon. Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal each Monday and Wednesday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $10.60 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of baked fish, O’Brien potatoes, spinach and tropical fruit. Cherry Valley Facilities Corporation Café, 2 Genesee Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 547-6454.
CONNECTIONS
12:30 p.m. “Beginner Tai Chi for Arthritis.” Held each Monday and Thursday in Studio 2. Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown.
POTTERY 1:304:30 p.m. Open Studio. Experienced potters are invited to work on personal projects and hone their skills. No instruction provided. $30/session. Held Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays. The Smithy Clay Studio, 1 Otsego Court, Cooperstown. Gallery@SmithyArts.org.
BLOOD DRIVE 2:306:30 p.m. Richfield Springs Community Center, 6 Ann Street, Richfield Springs. RedCrossBlood. org
ARTS & CRAFTS
4-6 p.m. “Watercolor.” All levels welcome. Fees apply; registration required. Butternut Valley Arts and Crafts Center, 124 Main Street, Morris. (607) 2632150.
GARDEN 6:30 p.m. “Make and Take: Thanksgiving Centerpieces.” Presented by the Oneonta Federated Garden Club. St. James Church, 305 Main Street, Oneonta.
