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We salute this year’s Clark Scholarship winners, page 2
VISIT www. Volume 214, No. 25
AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, June 23, 2022
Two-year-old Julia Yeske got herself all kinds of upside down and twisted around but thought it was the funniest thing of all time as she joined with her young and energetic pals at the Villiage Library of Cooperstown’s “Baby Prom,” held June 15 to mark the end of the Library’s springtime storytime sessions and get ready for a summer filled with more activities. For more ‘prom’ pictures, along with photos of other area events from the week, see page 11.
INSIDE ►Primary elections: New York’s Democrats, Republicans choosing candidates for governor, lieutenant governor; League of Women Voters guide available, page 3. ►TIME FOR ‘SUMMER DREAMS’: This week’s insert stays closer to home with a trip to the Wyeth exhibit at Fenimore Art Museum, a tour of some very fine local restaurants, and a look at the history of the Historical Association. ►A FEW THOUGHTS ON IMPORTANT THINGS: Our columnists this week look at an effective response to COVID in one Cape Cod community, reveal plans for commemorating Bassett’s legacy, get some quality thinking done while weeding, and caution against inaction when it comes to voting in primaries. Our editorial: we endorse Hochul, Delgado, Wilson. Pages 4, 5, and 6. ►a round of applause to all: Local scholars earn Dean’s List honors, page 10. ►It’s parade season!: Town of Springfield brings back its famous Fourth of July parade (on July 4th!) and the Otsego Lake Association floats into summer with its annual boat parade (on the 3rd), page 12. Follow Breaking News On
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Cooperstown Central School nearing the end of its search for new junior/senior high principal The Cooperstown Central School District is nearing the end of its search for a new junior/senior high school principal, following a process that began when ousted first-year principal Karl O’Leary was escorted from the building on the afternoon of Friday, March 18, 2022. In an e-mail to The Freeman’s Journal/ HometownOneonta,DistrictSuperintendent Sarah Spross said she updated the district’s Board of Education at its June 8 meeting, with the schools now looking to make an appointment at the Board’s July 1 or July 6 meeting. Ms. Spross said the district advertised locally, statewide, and nationally, hearing from a total of 13 candidates. From that pool, five were chosen for an initial interview and one from that group declined. The school hopes to have interviews completed by June 24, with secondary vetting completed by June 29. As had been done in the past, candidates have been interviewed by members of the faculty association, service unit association,
parent-teacher association, administration, and Board of Education. Leadership from each organization selects members to conduct the interviews; Board of Education members volunteer to participate. According to Ms. Spross’s e-mail, the process this time increases the number of panel members, and includes three panels instead of two. Candidates first meet with the faculty, service unit, and parent-teacher associations; the second panel comprises administration and Board of Education members. Those first two panels make recommendations for second interviews to be conducted by a third panel, comprising the district superintendent, business official, and Board of Education members. At the conclusion of the interviews, a final candidate will be selected and a full reference check completed. The top candidate then will be offered the position. Cooperstown Central School has come under fire from parents for its rapid turnover at the principal’s office in the past decade.
Hall of Fame leader looks back on his first year in the village
Josh Rawitch, family, dive ‘head-first’ into Cooperstown Take a look at National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum President Josh Rawitch’s Twitter account and you’ll meet a person not just embracing his profession, but also serving as a de facto ambassador for the Village of Cooperstown. He and his family — wife Erin and children Emily and Braden — relocated to the village nearly one year ago from the sprawling Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, Arizona, and they’ve embraced their new lives in a much smaller town in the northeast. “It’s been exactly what we thought it was going to be,” Mr. Rawitch said in a discussion with The Freeman’s Journal/Hometown Oneonta marking one year since the Hall announced his appointment as its eighth president. “We dove head-first into life in Cooperstown, everything from our kids getting into school activities, my wife getting involved with non-profits, starting to make friends with people who live here. All of that is like we thought it would be.” He shares with his online followers pictures of scenes like the small bridge arching over Willow Brook near Lake Street or a stop at the Cooperstown Diner on Main Street. “I’m trying to give people a little slice of what life is like with my Twitter account,” he said. “Not everybody can come here, so I try to give them a little bit of the flavor.” “You can’t really know until you live it what small-town life is going to be like,” Mr. Rawitch said. “There are so many unique things to this town that we love, from the mom-and-pop shops to the walkability of it all to the grade schools
to life on the lake. It’s such a special place. On top of it all it happens to have this unbelievable baseball mecca in the middle of it. It’s just an awesome place.” As he did one year ago upon his appointment, Mr. Rawitch spoke of his deep appreciation for his baseball career, which began at age 18 as an intern for the Los Angeles Dodgers — there for 15 years before a decade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Those jobs, he said, prepared him well for the leadership role at the Hall of Fame. “What I gained with the Diamondbacks was a vision of how to lead an organization, how to lead people,” he said. “I had the benefit of a great leader, our club president Derrick Hall, who let me sit in on things I had no business sitting in on, and I just learned from that. He wasn’t saying, “Hey, let me teach you how to lead.” He was just doing it, and I got to eat it up for a decade.” “When I left the Dodgers I was nowhere near the type of leader that I feel like I am now,” he said. “Ten years from now, I hope I’ll be even better, but I think the Diamondbacks really prepared me on how to create an organizational culture, how to lead with empathy, how to push people outside their comfort zone, and how to motivate.” Recalling the earliest days in his career, Mr. Rawitch said he enjoys working in Cooperstown with students and organizations that look to the Hall of Fame as a centerpiece in the baseball world.
Photo Courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch
“I remember the very first time I was an intern for the Dodgers,” he said. “For whatever reason I had the guts to walk in to the general manager’s office and ask for a meeting. (Dodgers GM) Fred Claire sat down with me, asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, ‘Someday I’d like to be in your chair interviewing the 18-year-old intern.” Continued on page 10
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
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ALUTE TO THE 2022 CLARK SCHOLARS
Jane Forbes Clark, The Clark Foundation president, has announced 197 students in 12 area school districts and ONC BOCES have been awarded first-year scholarships totalling $752,400. The scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, citizenship qualities and service to their communities and schools. The Clark Foundation anticipates providing over $4.1 million in scholarships for the coming year which includes these awardees and students presently attending institutions that are eligible for grant renewals. Since the program’s founding in 1961, close to 14,800 students have participated in the program.
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Lena Elizabeth Greene Ronald Jeffrey Hickling Laquoia Marie Hoagland Brynn Michelle Rifanburg Quinn R. Schoonover Michael Andrew Troiano
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Delaney R. Beardsley Jeremiah N. Boyko AnNi Carroll Madison Nicole Clark Laura Ruth Culver Biata Curtis Jacob Dahms Olivia DeKing Enrico Joseph Denza Jordan Roy Dietz Gabrielle Karen Dixon Griffin Patrick Doyle Samantha Doyle Luke Conrad Edwards Thomas Fallon Harrison Fellows Lillian Hoage Zoe Elizabeth Hoke Catherine Huntley Lauren Jones Reilly Thomas Jones Emma Marie Kocienda Dylan J.T. McMahon Alyssa Marie Northrop Emily Jean Oliver Hannah C Pcola Christopher David Piechowicz Amber Piersma Jack William Reed Connor James Roberts Samuel S. Rogge Shana Mae Simmons Alivia Stephan Sara Josephine Thayer Madeline Grace Washburn John Wolanski Jerimiah Johnson Wood Kestrel June Zimpel
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LAURENS CENTRAL Emily Joy Brown Genesis Bushnell Jaden T. Gravelding Joshua David Houck Kya McNicol Cassidy Brook Moxley Natalie Kaye Segina
MILFORD CENTRAL Zachary Richard Brown Shawn Michael Butler Sawyer Dane Eckberg Erica Eggleston Emily Christine Garlick Thomas David Konnick Jack Wilkey Miller Chloe E. Munro Sarah Audrianna Munson Eliza Nicole Robinson Mariah Faith Saggese Brianna Cecielia Sanchez Martin Wallace Thorsland Leeanna R. West Jacqueline Worman
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THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
New York’s primary for governor, lieutenant governor is June 28; League offers ‘VOTE411’ guide With early voting in New York’s primary underway through Sunday, June 26, voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, June 28, to decide their party’s choice for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor. Democrats vying for the governor include incumbent Kathy Hochul, Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. The race for lieutenant governor is a separate ballot line in the election; incumbent Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado faces a challenge from activist Ana Maria Archila and former New York City Council member Diana Reyna. There is no Republican Party primary for lieutenant governor. The League of Women Voters of Cooperstown and the League of Women Voters of Oneonta have updated their electronic voter guide — Vote 411 — with biographical details and responses to questions posed by the League to each candidate. To review the guide, visit www.vote411. org, where New Yorkers simply enter their addresses to read who is running and compare the candidates’ information. Voters also can print a customized sample ballot and find their polling place. Candidates who have not submitted
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information to the League are listed with “Candidate Has Not Responded;” their responses will be posted as soon as candidates provide the information. ““New York state has a closed primary, which means only those registered in a recognized party may vote. In Otsego County, voters will be choosing the Republican and Democratic party candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor,” said Patty MacLeish, CoPresident of the LWV of the Cooperstown Area. “Using VOTE411, voters can learn from the candidates in their own words about their positions.” Polls are open on Election Day, June 28, from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Early voting continues through Sunday, June 26, at two sites: Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market St., Oneonta, and Meadows Office Complex, 140 County Highway 33W, Cooperstown. Early voting hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., except Thursday, June 23, when the hours are noon until 8 p.m. For more information about the primary elections in Otsego County, visit the Otsego County Board of Elections (https://www.otsegocounty. com/departments/board_of_elections).
news briefs
Fed funding for county food, shelter works
Otsego County has received nearly $14,000 in funding from the federal Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program for local agencies providing food and housing and will work with a local board of religious and health and human service agencies to award and distribute the grant. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive the funds must: 1) be private, voluntary nonprofits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capacity to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply. Public and private voluntary agencies interested in applying
for Emergency Food and Shelter Program Funds must contact Patricia Leonard at the Family Service Association, pleonard@fsaoneontany. org or 607-432-2870 for an application. Applications must be received via email by June 27, 2022 at 4 p.m.
Briggs Pool opens July 1
Briggs Pool in Oneonta’s Wilber Park opens for the season July 1, from 1 until 6:45 p.m. Those living within Oneonta’s city limits may enter free of charge but must have a park pass, available now at the Oneonta YMCA from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. and at the Wilber Welcoming Center beginning July 1. Residents should bring a photo ID with proof of residency. The non-resident cost for admission is $1/child, $3/adult, or $8/family; a seasonal non-resident pass is also available. The Oneonta Family YMCA will open Wilber
job scene
swim lessons and SAWW registration for residents and non-residents on July 1; registration will continue until slots are full. Contact the Oneonta Family YMCA at 607432-0010 or visit www. oneontawmca.org for more information.
OPD arrests two in murder
The City of Oneonta Police Department reports two arrests in the Memorial Day murder of Kaleb O’Neill, who died after a stabbing in an alleyway behind 189 Main Street in Oneonta. According to an OPD statement, arrested in the commission of murder in the second degree are brothers, 31-year-old Terry DeCutler of Sidney, New York, and 34-year-old Nicholas DeCutler of Unadilla, New York. Both men were arraigned in City of Oneonta Court by the Hon. Judge Robert Gouldin and remanded to the custody of the Otsego County Sheriff.
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Perspectives
THURSDAY, June 23, 2022
A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL
Ted potrikus
editorial
The primary thing: vote
We endorse The Freeman’s Journal / Hometown Oneonta endorses the following candidates in the primary elections for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor:
Kathy Hochul and Antonio Delgado
Mrs. Hochul rose immediately to the occasion when her scandal-scarred predecessor abruptly resigned from office in 2021. Her equanimity was and remains the temperate influence the state needs; she has been able to parlay that to a more productive and seemingly collegial atmosphere in the state Capitol. To be sure, she has made a couple of missteps along the way – choosing now-indicted Brian Benjamin as her lieutenant governor and pushing a sweetheart deal for a new stadium for her beloved Buffalo Bills. She recovered well from the Benjamin debacle by tapping Rep. Antonio Delgado as her new lieutenant and, as this page has noted, that Bills stadium was a foregone conclusion that any governor would have sought to keep the team in town. Mr. Delgado is no stranger to Otsego County; we believe as the whole of New York comes to know him as we do, they will meet a public official who connects to the community. His skill sets serve him well in office. Neither of Mrs. Hochul’s opponents meet the challenge: Rep. Tom Suozzi’s campaign began with an encouraging promise to stick to the political center but gained no traction. Jumaane Williams is so focused on New York City we fear he would know nothing about New York much farther north of Yankee Stadium. We are concerned that Mr. Williams’s Lieutenant Governor running mate, Ana Maria Archila, may gain some Ocasio-Cortez mojo and surprise people on primary day. Her sole attribute seems to be an ability to be obnoxiously and melodramatically confrontational. That’s not what we need these days. In the June 28 Democratic primary, we endorse Kathy Hochul for governor and Antonio Delgado for lieutenant governor.
Otsego County and the whole of New York stand on the cusp of an eventful election season that begins with the June 28 primaries for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and state Assembly. Because we can’t have nice things in the Empire State, we’ll have a second round of primaries on August 23; those are for state Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. And also a special election on August 23 to fill out the last few months of now-Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado’s term in the 19th Congressional District. Then another election for the 19th CD in November — in a district that will have entirely different boundaries thanks to redistricting, so one of the candidates for the special election for the 19th on August 23 is not running for reelection to that district in November, but instead will seek a full two-year term to the state’s 18th Congressional District and leave two others to duke it out for the 19th. Thank you, state legislators who hijacked the voter-approved 2014 amendment establishing non-partisan redistricting, redrew lines you thought your party-appointed state Court of Appeals would uphold, and then whined when you got caught with your hands in the constitutional cookie jar and the Court said “no thanks.” Even the Assembly district lines got the judicial heave-ho last
week, so we’ll have new ones in 2024! Calendar confusion aside, primaries are important. Just ask Joe Crowley. He’s the former Democrat Congressman from Queens who spent all his time a couple of years ago lining up support for his planned run against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House instead of campaigning in his home district for his primary against some unknown kid named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Whoops. My in-box has a lot of press statements these days from the office of Elise Stefanik touting summer primary victories for House candidates from other states who have her support. I get it – as ugly as it may seem from the outside, this is how one rises through the ranks in Washington, D.C. The halls of Congress are a crowded place with at least 535 voices clamoring to rise above the din. Those whom one supports in a primary will be those to whom one turns for reciprocal support when it’s time for leadership votes. But my goodness she’s supporting Carl Palladino out in Buffalo in his August 23 primary for Congress. I’ll do my best to keep from name-calling, but a buffoon is a buffoon. This guy, in 2021 (2021!), called Adolf Hitler “the kind of leader we need today.” If that’s not an automatic disqualifier from holding any office, I don’t know what is. It also should be an automatic disqualifier from endorse-
ments from anyone. And that’s without counting up all the other nonsense things the guy has said and done during his “political career.” The lesson in the end, to me, is this: failure to vote in the primary leads to situations the general electorate may want. It used to be – and to a certain extent it still is — that party operatives tend to be the people who show up on these random primary days and party operatives tend to obey the party bosses. In the case of Crowley vs. Ocasio-Cortez, though, her team was able to activate enough voters to push her over the top in a primary election in which only a tiny percentage of eligible voters showed up and, overnight, turned her into a political rock star. Mr. Crowley and the party that endorsed him failed to turn out the vote that sticky June day in 2018. June 28, then, is an important voting day, as will be August 23. Elsewhere in this week’s paper, we have a story about the great work of the Cooperstown and Oneonta area League(s) of Women Voters and their on-line, easy-to-navigate election guide. They’re doing what they can to demystify a voting process that Albany seems bound-and-determined to keep as cloudy and obfuscated as possible (despite noble press releases pledging more fairness in state elections). Please take a look, and we’ll see you at the polls!
Harry Wilson
Speaking of confrontational, we are disappointed by Rep. Lee Zeldin’s transmogrification into Donald Trump-lite, using cheap playground taunts for his opponents instead of engaging on issues. We know Mr. Zeldin to be knowledgeable and thoughtful; his attackdog persona is unwelcomed, his chasing after a Trump endorsement embarrassing. He and fellow candidate Andrew Giuliani seem more interested in a thumbs-up from Mr. Trump than they do engaging in a forthright, issues-based discussion. And that Steve Bannon, perhaps one of the planet’s most hateful, destructive people — left his federal court hearing last week to support Mr. Giuliani at a fundraiser is all we need to know to give wide berth to Mr. Giuliani’s candidacy. Harry Wilson, on the other hand, has stuck to his core issues — New York’s battle with street criminals, reasonable reforms to the state’s ill-conceived bail reform laws, an economic turnaround plan that makes sense, a proven ability to work with both parties. His moderation on these and other matters make him, we think, the candidate best able to attract the votes a Republican would need to win in a heavily-blue New York. Mr. Zeldin’s campaign criticizes Mr. Wilson for being an advisor to the Obama Administration as if it’s some kind of treason. We think it illustrates a statesmanship too long lacking in New York’s political minefield. In the June 28 Republican primary, we endorse Harry Wilson for governor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
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The Freeman’s Journal welcomes letters to the editor that reflect the writer’s thoughts on an article or other item appearing in the paper. They must include the writer’s name, address, email and telephone/ mobile number; the opinions expressed must be the writer’s own. Hostile, offensive, factually incorrect or excessively inflammatory content will not be published. The length must be no more than 250 words. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit letters for clarity and space. Please send letters to: info@allotsego.com.
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Pride month lives
I read an article in the July/August issue of Wired magazine titled “When COVID Came for Provincetown.” It tells the story of how one community, Provincetown, Massachusetts, came together to fight an outbreak of COVID last summer. The response wasn’t led by the government, which was more than happy to do its job to staunch the spread of the disease, but by members of the community — including friends and family and people who vacationed there. This was truly an entire community response. It gives a roadmap to how the proper response to COVID can protect people while allowing life and commerce to continue as much as safely possible. Provincetown is a resort community of 3,600 year-round residents, similar to Cooperstown and the immediate surrounding area, which, during tourist season — also similar to Cooperstown — balloons up to 60,000 at a time. Imagine Induction Sunday, every day of the summer. It is particularly noted as a major vacation destination for the LGBTQ+ community, which also is estimated to make up 50 percent or greater of the year-round population. In June 2021, there hadn’t been a single case of COVID reported from Provincetown. Massachusetts had set aside its mask mandate, it seemed
everyone was vaccinated. Things seemed normal. Then on July 10, one vacationer on his way home to Washington, D.C., received a text message from a friend that someone they knew called them to say he had COVID. The friend’s group urgently drove off the highway to find a pharmacy with home test kits, and all were positive. The first person, when he arrived home, tested himself. He was also positive. The extended community involved one of their own who was a data scientist. So far no one involved was seriously ill; remember all involved had been vaccinated but they were afraid of spreading it to others. An impromptu reporting system was set up and the message spread rapidly. Eventually almost anyone at risk was notified and for the most part behaved responsibly; they got tested, reported the results, put their masks back on, and isolated until they confirmed that they were negative. Ultimately, through genetic testing carried out in Cambridge, it was determined that the cases from Provincetown came from 40 different entries of Delta from all over the country. One substrain alone was responsible for 83% of the cases. The outbreak did not happen because of any homogeneity of the infected, but due to an influx of the
virus from different locations. It was just luck that all of this focused in Provincetown that week. What is remarkable is not that the outbreak occurred, but that the community of residents and visitors responded so effectively and rapidly, thereby limiting the spread of the flare-up. This was not a failure of COVID management, but rather a success story, through contact tracing. In this situation the ultimate number of cases that came out of that highly densely packed environment was limited to about 1,000 nationwide, before that flare-up burned out. The people involved could have just quietly kept their personal information to themselves, which would have allowed the propagation of cases to continue but to a person they shared information for the greater good. They should be proud of their response. If you can, read the original article. The detail and narrative is quite interesting. It is in the current issue of Wired and can be accessed at https:// www.wired.com/story/provincetown-covid-delta-outbreak-response/ Dr. Richard Sternberg, retired Bassett Hospital orthopedic surgeon, is providing his professional perspective during the COVID-19 threat. Also a village trustee, he lives in Cooperstown.
fitting tribute. It is absolutely possible to preserve Floral Hall; unfortunately, this will not happen. I am so heartbroken over the loss of this treasure, I cannot bear to visit the grounds without it. Floral Hall has always been a focal point of the Otsego County Fair for countless delighted fairgoers. With its 90' by 90' footprint, it encompasses no small portion of the fairgrounds. Many generations have devoted their passion and talents in lively competition for the prize of “Best of the Best,” beautifully displayed in the very center of the building for all to see. It has served as the ideal meeting
place for friends to begin a fun day at the fair. On the hottest of fair days, it was a peaceful, cool, “Haven of Rest” for weary fairgoers, and provided ample room for many to escape those pop-up downpours that so often occur during a fair week. The loss of Floral Hall is more than simply the loss of a magnificent structure. It is the loss of a deep heritage and an old friend. It will be desperately missed by those who were blessed to experience its contribution to so many lives for so many years. Pat Patterson Mt. Vision, NY
in 1808
Tara Barnwell Publisher Ted Potrikus Editor Larissa Ryan Business Manager
Kathleen Peters Graphics & Production
Ivan Potocnik Web Architect
Tom Heitz/Sharon Stuart Historian
Editorial Board Elinor Vincent, Michael Moffat, Tara Barnwell, Ted Potrikus OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR Otsego County • Village of Cooperstown • Village of Milford Cooperstown Central School District MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, NY Press Association Subscription Rates: Otsego County, $69 a year. All other areas, $89 a year. First Class Subscription, $155 a year. Published Thursdays by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: 607-547-6103. Fax: 607-547-6080. Email: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com Contents © Iron String Press, Inc.
Letters
Floral Hall: a mainstay of the Otsego County Fair for decades For 144 years Floral Hall has been the home of wonderful exhibits, countless memories, and community involvement at its best! It is the oldest building on the Otsego County Fairgrounds, and holds an honored spot in the National Register of Historic Places. Having recently learned this building is slated for demolition next month, I felt it would be irresponsible of me to allow its demise without a
THURSDAY, jUNE 23, 2022
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5 News from the noteworthy
BASSETT HEALTHCARE NETWORK
Bassett legacy is center of new campaign Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library
185 YEARS AGO
June 19, 1837
160 YEARS AGO
The laws of this state forbid that any person shall travel in this state for the purpose of selling goods or merchandise, the product of a foreign country, without a license procured of the Secretary of State. Every pedlar who has not such a license is liable to be taken before any Justice of the Peace in the State and fined $25. Any pedlar who refuses to produce his license to any officer or citizen who shall demand the same, is liable to a penalty of $10. June 20, 1862
135 YEARS AGO
Union School – The annual exhibition, graduating exercises, and awarding of Regents’ diplomas, of this institution, will take place at the Court Room on Friday evening of this week. Admission 25 cents. Prize essays will be read as follows: “Druidism,” by Fannie H. Murray; “Cooperstown,” by Minnie U. Marsh; “Foliage,” by Minnie E. Averell; “Seesaw,” by Fannie E. Austin; “Charity,” by Gertrude A. Bunn; and “Poetry,” by Grace H. Farmer. June 24, 1887
85 YEARS AGO
Baseball fans of Cooperstown who were interested in the performance of Don and Doug Weir as catcher and first baseman respectively for Cooperstown High School, would have had an added thrill had they realized that these two boys were members of another and more remarkable team — the Weir Wonders, all brothers, and children of Mr. and Mrs. Elial G. Weir of Oaksville. Although they range in age from Leslie, who might be mistaken for the mascot, to Douglas, who was a postgraduate this year at the local school, they are capable we are assured, of filling every post on the diamond. June 23, 1937
35 YEARS AGO
Enforcement of the two-hour parking limit on Main Street in Cooperstown goes into effect next Monday, according to police chief Hank Nicols. Peter O’Connor, a graduating high school senior, has been hired as the summer’s parking enforcement officer, Nicols said. June 23, 1982
20 YEARS AGO
John May, MD, director of the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), was honored recently with the Stueland Scholar Award. The award is presented annually by the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI, for leadership in agricultural health and safety. May accepted the honor at a conference last month in Marshfield during which he spoke on the topic, “Occupational Health in Agriculture.” Affiliated with Bassett Healthcare, NYCAMH has worked since 1983 to promote safe and healthy farming practices. June 21, 2002
Solution: ‘‘Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z” (June 16)
Nearly two years after going silent to regroup on its organizational strategies after hiring a new chief executive officer, Bassett Healthcare Network is re-emerging into local media markets with a legacy-driven ad campaign focusing on the 100-year-old health company’s impressive history and promising future. The first of these full-color ads highlights the accomplishments of founder Dr. Mary Imogene Bassett, one of the first female medical directors in the United States. A second ad profiles Aurelia Osborn Fox, the patron of Oneonta’s A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital first founded in 1900. A third features Judge A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor, the namesakes of O’Connor Hospital in Delhi founded in 1921. “Three pioneering women are the reason Bassett Healthcare Network today has such an impressive legacy of care and compassion in Central New York,” explains Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, Bassett Healthcare Network president and CEO. “Few hospitals can claim their success comes from the vision of strong women, who were passionate about health care and unfailingly and unselfishly committed to the communities from where they came.” “The compelling stories of Dr. Bassett, Aurelia Fox, and Olive
O’Connor are only the first part of the story,” Dr. Ibrahim adds. “We are also producing an ad that reminds New Yorkers that Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who was our physicianin-chief from 1953 to 1963, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his own pioneering work on bone
marrow transplants that were first conducted at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.” “Our network is much more than a rural hospital,” Bassett Healthcare Network board chair Douglas Hastings said. “We have an outstanding cancer institute, nationally-renowned Gender Wellness Center, heart program, orthopedic program, surgical services, primary care, and accomplished research collaboration that is among the most prominent in the region.” “Our 95-year-plus collaboration with Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons trains medical students every year on how to be superb rural doctors with special training in performance improvement, care of patients over time, and care of each patient’s mental health,” said Dr. Henry Weil, Bassett’s chief clinical and academic
officer. “The joint commitment of Columbia and Bassett in providing this sort of training in leadership in a rural location is without parallel. Bassett calls it its ad campaign “Uniquely Bassett.” It includes two themes. The first, called “A More Excellent Way,” tells the story of Dr. Bassett’s brand of personal care for her patients. The second, “Leader in Healthy Rural Communities,” focuses on Bassett’s diverse health care services and programs. “Legacy is important,” said Dr. Ibrahim. “But we are ‘Uniquely Bassett’ thanks to our people today and the care they provide to our patients, patients’ families, and community neighbors. The last 100 years have proved that truth to us and we will continue to demonstrate it to everyone we serve in the century ahead. “Bassett has a unique legacy,” he said. “A legacy that belongs to you and all of Central New York.” Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600 square mile region in upstate New York. To learn more about services available throughout the Bassett Healthcare Network, visit www.bassett.org. Follow Bassett on Facebook at facebook.com/Bassett. Network.
BY Merl Reagle
Great Expectations…If you must be optimistic, this is the place ACROSS 1 Shows fatigue 5 Wedding seat, often 8 “A Rock” opening 11 Labor, for ex. 15 Writes illegibly 19 Corp. VIP 21 “Say, mister?” 22 “Clear the ___” 23 Oolong outlet 24 Bulging with bucks 25 Vinyl resting place 27 Leg part 28 Writer Madame de ___ 30 Comic Mort 31 Nectar fruit 32 Samuel’s teacher 34 Jane Alexander once headed it: abbr. 35 Turkish title 36 Clausian syllables 39 Hall or Hannah 40 Acclimate anew 42 Hall happening 44 Ryan’s Love Story co-star 45 Square 47 In summer, on the Somme 49 Sweet Rosie of song 50 Strips bare 52 Keaton or Chaplin? 54 Swiss mathematician 55 Egg-shaped 56 Sour-smelling 57 Pounding water 59 Number of Neapolitan flavors, in Naples 60 Drop the ball 61 Fragment 62 Italian river 63 Member of a coop co-op 64 Call a turkey, e.g. 66 Boat store’s wish for the New Year? 70 Pest’s evocation 71 Boring routine 72 Art movement 73 Director Lee 74 Literary monogram 76 Guadalajara gold 77 Salon guru Jose 78 Having overhangs 79 Heat unit 81 Medium’s deck 83 Read aloud 85 Ivy, for example 87 Actress Donahue of Father Knows Best
89 J.D. Salinger, for one 90 Bygone Swedish auto 91 Bit of sun 92 Acquitted 94 “Don’t come in here!” 96 Fake one’s feelings, maybe 98 Baseball’s Cobb et al. 99 Gilbert and Sullivan princess 100 Aides to profs 101 Cold time in Colo. 102 Last call? 103 Belgian river 104 Big stink 106 Starsky’s partner 108 Steve and Butterfly 112 Lone Star star’s first name 113 Drive-in theaters, in Variety 116 Fidel’s bro 117 .001 of an inch 118 Bilko et al. 119 Surveillance staple 120 Bacterial-action cheese 121 Porker’s pad 122 Rocket-launching org., abroad 123 This, in Tijuana DOWN 1 Jet type phased out in 2003 2 Jet jockey 3 Cheese shop’s hope for the New Year? 4 Walk casually
5 Where Artaxerxes I and II ruled 6 Light at the end of the tunnel 7 H aberdasher’s hopeful comment for the New Year? 8 “Love ___ two-way street” 9 Pulmonary alveolus, put simply 10 Noted squinter 11 Writer Roald 12 Significant time 13 Architect I.M. 14 Cigarette danger 16 H elicopter service’s prediction for the New Year? 17 Sleep symbol 18 Geometric shapes 20 C hicken farmer’s goal for the New Year? 26 G ambler’s desire for the New Year? 29 Decaf ___ 31 It means “old” 33 Spy novelist Deighton 36 A strology forecast for the New Year? 37 You, at a take-out counter 38 Liquid used in plastics 39 The older of two catch players 41 C arpet layer’s New Year’s prayer? 43 Unrefined, in French 46 Flying flock’s shape 48 Tried
51 Egypt, once: abbr. 52 Galatea’s love 53 “No sweat” 56 Garb 58 Protein “pattern” 64 Shield from danger 65 Via hearing 67 Document setting 68 Szczecin’s river 69 Agenda, for short 75 Witness 79 La intro 80 Deli offerings 82 ___ trip 84 Overhead figures? 85 Purina product 86 “American Pie” rhyme 88 Cashes in 90 Take to court 93 “Rats!” 95 Black Sea port 97 He was Steed on The Avengers 103 Christmas 105 Pick ___ (be overly precise) 107 Banned weapon 108 Hazel’s boss, to Hazel 109 Driving need 110 On the ___ vive 111 Sneaky 114 Tell 115 Jacuzzi’s cousin
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Richard Derosa Hawthorn hill
Weeding, mulching, and thinking The other day while weeding and then mulching our raspberries, I enjoyed several friendly encounters with bumble bees. Most of the time they were going about their business of snuffing out pollen with little regard for me. I suspect that they might have been somewhat curious about me and what I was up to. There is no way I can prove it, but every once in a while one would bumble quite close to me, even sort of linger helicopterlike about my head. Checking me out I bet. Apparently, I was not worth worrying about. Their interest in pollen negated any lingering interest in me. One rather far-fetched thought, but perhaps not so preposterous, was an extrapolation of sorts. If we two very different creatures could share this space so easily and get along so well, why is it that we find ourselves in the pickle we are as a nation and world where no one seems capable
of giving any ground to the other. If a bumble bee can do it, certainly humans can find ways to act more civilly towards one another. I have had many of these close encounters while weeding over the years. I wrote about one with a butterfly many years ago. Why should I still be mystified by what one writer years ago described as “man’s inhumanity to man?” In light of the recent episodes of barbarity in this country, there should be no reason whatsoever to remain mystified. Yet, mystified I remain.
W h y ? B e c a u s e knowing what we know about the infinite capacities we have to do good and to better the material and spiritual lives of one another we persist in suppressing what we know are our ‘better angels.’ Not all of us, but a misguided few whose damnable acts pollute what could otherwise be a much better world, a much better place to live in and to thrive in. Stephen Pinker’s book Enlightenment Now highlights all that is possible if we were to only take advantage of all the progress that we have made in so many
different areas of imaginative human endeavor. We are indeed a remarkably inventive lot capable of meeting every challenge we face if only for the will do so. The abiding question is this: do we have the will? Regardless of almost daily reasons to despair, the only viable alternative is to remain hopeful. Weeding affords one the opportunity to witness an infinite number of creature interactions that in almost all cases exhibit an innate tendency to shy from actions that provoke enmity. That is not to say that the natural world is a blissfully peaceful place. Not the case at all. But it is a place where aggression appears to have a defensible purpose. Sadly, we live in a world at a time when indefensible aggressions hold sway. One cannot weed away the ugliness of the nonweeding world. Be nice if we could pluck out evil as easily as we can weeds.
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THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7
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A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
OBITUARIES George W. McCrea, 86 February 11, 1936 – June 16, 2022
Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar. Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.
Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821 www.grummonsfuneralhome.com
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Legal nOtice NOTICE TO THE VOTERS OF OTSEGO COUNTY Candidates for the Democratic & Republican Primaries June 28, 2022 Polls open 6AM-9PM ******* DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR Thomas R. Suozzi Kathy C. Hochul Jumaane D. Williams LT. GOVERNOR Ana Maria Archila Diana Reyna Antonio Delgado REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR Rob Astorino Andrew Giuliani Harry Wilson Lee Zeldin POLLING PLACES BURLINGTON Municipal Building 6011 St Hwy 51 BUTTERNUTS Municipal Building 1234 St Hwy 51 CHERRY VALLEY Community Center 2 Genesee St
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NEW LISBON Town Hall 908 Co Hwy 16 TOWN OF ONEONTA DISTRICTS 1,3,4 Town Hall 3966 St Hwy 23 TOWN OF ONEONTA DISTRICT 2 FoxCare Center 1 FoxCare Dr OTEGO Municipal Building 3526 St Hwy 7 OTSEGO DISTRICTS 1,2 St Mary’s Parish Center 31 Elm St OTSEGO DISTRICT 3 Town Building 811 Co Hwy 26 PITTSFIELD Town Hall 175 St Hwy 80 PLAINFIELD Courthouse 133 Co Hwy 18A RICHFIELD Town Hall 18 E James St ROSEBOOM Town Building 126 Co Hwy 50 SPRINGFIELD Community Center 129 Co Hwy 29A
DECATUR Town Barn 104 Co Hwy 37
UNADILLA Town Hall 1648 St Hwy 7
EDMESTON Municipal Building 2 West St
WESTFORD Town Hall 1812 Co Hwy 34
EXETER Highway Garage 7411 St Hwy 28
WORCESTER Town Hall 19 Katie Ln
HARTWICK Town Office Building 103 Town Dr
CITY OF ONEONTA Foothills Performing Arts Center 24 Market St
LAURENS Town Building 37 Brook St MARYLAND AMVET Post 2752 25 Main St MIDDLEFIELD Clark Sports Center 124 Co Hwy 52 MILFORD Town Hall 2859 St Hwy 28 MORRIS Engine & Townhouse 118 Main St
Otsego County Board of Elections 140 Co Hwy 33W, Ste 2 Cooperstown, NY 13326 607-547-4247 www.voteotsego. com Legal nOtice Notice To Applicants Otsego County has been awarded
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Federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security Under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Otsego County has been chosen to receive $13,603 from Phase 39 to supplemental food and shelter programs in the county. Through Phase 39, the Local Board is charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of high needs areas around the country. A local Board made up local religious and health and human service agencies will determine how funds are awarded and distributed. Priority will be given to agencies providing food and housing. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive the funds must: 1) be Private voluntary nonprofits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive Federal Funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capacity to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply. Public and Private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program Funds must contact Patricia Leonard at the Family Service Association, pleonard@ fsaoneontany.org or (607) 432-2870 for an application. Applications must be received via email by June 27, 2022 at 4PM. Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Wendover
COOPERSTOWN – George W. McCrea, age 86, of Cooperstown, passed away peacefully early Thursday, June 16, 2022. George was born February 11, 1936, in Elizabeth, N.J., a son of James M. and Alice (Reilly) McCrea. When he was a youngster his family moved to Laurens, where he graduated from Laurens Central School with the Class of 1955. During his high school years, he was a three-sport all-star in football, basketball and baseball. On January 18, 1956, he enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country as a Third Class Petty Officer for four years
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following the Korean War. He often recalled when his ship, the USS Leyte, hit a whale, noting, “It stopped the ship dead in the water.” His aircraft carrier was responsible for patrolling the northeast coast of the United States. Following his honorable discharge on December 17, 1959, he apprenticed to and became a stone mason and a bricklayer. He also owned and operated a farm on Middlefield Center Road. George married Constance “Connie” Larsen of Cooperstown, and together they raised their three children, first in the Village and later on their farm in Middlefield Center.
LEGALS
Properties, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/8/22. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 115 Armstrong Rd, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalJul28 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Oneonta East LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 5/19/22, Otsego Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to Zenbusiness Inc. 41 State St #112 Albany, NY 12207 General Purpose 6LegalJul.28 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Break of Noon, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/13/22. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 829 E. 15th St, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalJul.28 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of X-Infinity 1985 Real Estate, LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 1/27/22. 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
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may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him to: The LLC, 14 Miles Ave., Oneonta, NY 13820. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity. 6LegalJul.28 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Lion View LLC Filed 11/30/21 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 111 Bert Crain Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful 6LegalJul.21 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 656769 Main Street LLC, filed with the Secretary of State on 05/17/2022. Principal Business and Office Location: 103 Main Street, P.O. Box 431, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326, Otsego County, N.Y. The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail process to 103 Main Street, P.O. Box 431, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalJul.14 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 20 OTSEGO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 03/31/2022. Office location: Otsego SSNY desg. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY mail process to 2302 NATIONAL DRIVE, BROOKLYN, NY, 11234.
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Any lawful purpose. 6LegalJul.14 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 5430 State Highway 28 LLC Filed 4/5/22 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 5 Locust Lane, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful 6LegalJun.30 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of HG Investors LLC Filed 11/10/21 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 328 County Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful 6LegalJun.30 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Pop-In Smoke & Vape, LLC. Filed 4/29/22. Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail 5381 St Hwy 7, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalJun.30 Legal nOtice Application for Authority of SEOHUB, LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/18/2022. Formed in PA 7/11/2011. Office loc.: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The principal business loc. and address SSNY shall mail copy of process is 168 Dam View Dr., Media, PA 19063. Cert. of Organization filed
George is survived by his wife, Connie; three children, Karen (Keith) McCrea of Meco, Katherine McCrea of Anchorage, Alaska, and Michael (Marie) McCrea of Middlefield Center; seven grandchildren, Erin Lamouret, Collin Lamouret (Sandra) and Hannah Lamouret Gross (Joshua), Piper Lightwood and Maxwell Lightwood, and Julia McCrea and Leah McCrea; and four great grandsons, Alexander, Rhett and Keelan Gross and Patrick Lamouret. He is further survived by a brother, John McCrea of Oneonta, a sister, Patricia Mooney of Kingston and many nieces and nephews.
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with the Secy. of the Commonwealth, 302 N. Office Bldg., 401 North St., Harrisburg, PA 17120. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 6LegalJun.30 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of The Professional Casual Network LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 5/10/22, Otsego Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to Zenbusiness Inc. 41 State St #112 Albany, NY 12207 General Purpose 6LegalJun.30 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: FIELD OF DREAMS FARMHOUSE LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 10 May 2022. 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 2350 County Highway 8, Otego New York 13825. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: RUNDAMENTALS, LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 9
He was predeceased by his parents, his brothers James Merritt and Joseph Edward and his sister, Alice. There will be a brief memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, with Fr. Kyle T. Grennan, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Cherry Valley, officiating. At the conclusion of the service, Military Honors will be accorded by members of the Cooperstown Veterans Club and the United State Navy Funeral Honors Team. Immediately following there will be a Celebration of George’s Life to be held at The Tryon Inn, 124 Main Street, Cherry Valley, at which all are invited to attend and share your memories with the family. In lieu of flowers, if you so wish, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
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May 2022. 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 467 Springfield Hill Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23
Highway 14, Mount Vision, NY 13810. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23
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IMPORTANT FILMS MEDIA LLC.
Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company. Name: JDK BUILDERS LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 9 May 2022. 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 301 Griggs Road, Springfield Center, NY 13468. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: HEMLOCK HILL WATER SERVICES LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 26 April 2022. 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 1616 County
Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name:
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 26 April 2022. 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 289, Gilbertsville, NY 13776. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: WJGRP, LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 28 March 2022. 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 370023, West Hartford, CT 06137. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJun.23
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-9
A-10 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
Congratulations! Congratulations to the following Otsego County students for their fine academic achievements for the 2022 spring semester: Baldwin Wallace University Dean’s List
Jaelyn Jaquay Cherry Valley Cazenovia College Dean’s List
Courtney Bateman Edmeston Olivia Boecke Otego Airelle Jacquette Oneonta Logan Lund Edmeston Eliya Pickwick Mount Vision Clarkson University Dean’s List
Delaney Kate Holohan, Cooperstown Hudson Valley Community College, Dean’s List
Lindsay Monser Cherry Valley Amy Roe Oneonta Tristan Ethier Richmondville Nazareth College, Dean’s List
Annika DeVries Burlington Flats Morgan Stoecklin Hartwick The College of Saint Rose Dean’s List
Alexa Hurlburt Otego Julia McCrea Cooperstown Thomas Odell Maryland Claire Warner Westford Miami University, Deans List
Reed Porter Cooperstown Siena College, Dean’s List
Victoria Graml Richfield Springs Erin Herring Garrattsville Daniel Johnson Edmeston Willow Sunderland Oneonta Southern New Hampshire University President’s List
Renee Priola New Berlin Jennifer Race Worcester Kaitlin Eldred Oneonta
Peter Fitzgerald Sidney Antonios Pentaris Oneonta Kevin Martin Worcester Melissa Youker Richfield Springs SUNY Oneonta Dean’s List
Aliyah Abdelsalam Oneonta Riley Bowen Hartwick Jerred Brodie Mount Vision Zachary Brown Fly Creek Haleigh Burton Unadilla Megan Catella Oneonta Alexander Ceacareanu Oneonta Ronica Clarke Richfield Springs Nicole Connolly Richfield Springs Amanda Davenport Fly Creek Cadence Dudley Oneonta Samantha Flood Richmondville Amethyst Gardner Oneotna Ghulam Ghous Unadilla Samantha Harvey Maryland Raven Henry Unadilla Sylvia Hernandez Schenevus Abigail Hubbard Oneonta Trystan Jennings Oneonta Laine Johnson Oneonta Katherine Kodz Richfield Springs Joseph LaRosa Oneonta Leonard Larson Sidney Faith Logue Hartwick Alexandra Loucks Oneonta Andrew Lutz Oneonta Samantha Mace Davenport Aubrie Malesky Davenport Madison Messina Oneonta Allison Miller Oneonta Montanna Miller Davenport
Aidan Neer Otego Dylan Neer Otego Carlos Rios Oneonta Ashton Ritter Oneonta Kalyna Rogers Richfield Springs Samantha Ruisi Oneonta Nathaniel Schwed Oneonta Jillian Segina Mount Vision Sabrina Shulman Oneonta Amanda Snyder Fly Creek Cristopher Solano Oneonta Erika Spranger Schenevus Elizabeth Thompson Morris Reece Thorsland Oneonta Nathan Vibbard Sidney Kaitlyn Watson Oneonta Bethanie Weand Oneonta Jeremy Wise Gilbertsville Jacson Wolfe Oneonta Nicholas Zamelis Cooperstown SUNY Potsdam Dean’s List
Andrew Bowen Hartwick Brionnah Buck Worcester Tess Hecker West Edmeston Kaylee Hovick Otego Jasmine Schrom Richmondville Caroline Whitaker Hartwick University of AlabamA Presidents List
Ashley Harrington New Berlin University of Rhode Island Dean’s List
Carly Erway Fly Creek University of Scranton Dean’s List
John P. Lambert Cooperstown Wilkes University Dean’s List
Heather Brinig Cherry Valley Jack Flynn Oneonta Nathaniel Edwards Morris
Local Graduation Calendar ►Friday, June 24 EDMESTON – 7 p.m. Edmeston Central School, 11 North St., Edmeston. www.edmestoncentralschool.net LAURENS – 7 p.m. Laurens High School, 55 Main St., Laurens. www.laurenscs.org RICHFIELD SPRINGS – 5:30 p.m. Richfield Springs Central School, 93 W. Main St., Richfield Springs. www. richfieldcsd.org
SCHENEVUS – 7 p.m. Schenevus Central school, 159 Main St., Schenevus. www.schenevuscsd.org UNATEGO – 7 p.m. Unatego Central School, 2641 St. Highway 7, Otego. www.unatego.org
597 Co. Hwy 54, Cherry Valley. www.cvscs.org ONEONTA – 10:45 a.m Oneonta High School, 130 East St., Oneonta. www. oneontacsd.org
►Saturday, June 25
COOPERSTOWN – 1:30 p.m. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Route 80, Cooperstown. www.cooperstowncs.org
CHERRY VALLEY-SPRINGFIELD – 11 a.m. Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School,
►Sunday, June 26
Changing the ‘colors’ THE COOPERSTOWN DINER on Main Street celebrates the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 with replica uniforms from David Ortiz, Gil Hodges, and Tony Oliva under the glass at the tables in the neighborhood favorite, with Hank Aaron’s #44 keeping watch. Marking the switch from the Class of 2021 to ‘22 at breakfast last week were, clockwise from top left, Tom Shieber, Senior Curator for the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Diner’s Casper Ewig, Bill Francis, Baseball Hall of Fame researcher, and John Odell, Curator of History and Research for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Josh Rawitch
Continued from page 1 “From that point forward, I thought, ‘this guy gave me the time, I will always give time to whoever it is going forward,” he said. “This guy was GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers and he found time for an 18-yearold intern? How could I not?” That day, in fact, Mr. Rawitch invited four of the Hall’s summer interns to his office for a lunchtime discussion — a part of the 10-week program for student from all over the country to learn about sports management, communications, and other aspects of the Hall’s universe. “A really good program,” Mr. Rawitch enthused. “It’s not about just putting the students to work. We do seminars, meetings — last week, the former president of Minor League Baseball was here talking with them for an hour. They get great experience.” He’s looking, too, at the challenges ahead for the Baseball Hall of Fame and its place in a changing generational dynamic. “We need to stay relevant for the next generation of fans,” he said. “There’s no doubt that a 75-year-old grandparent walking through these doors is going to have an unbelievable time recounting what their childhood was like and connecting with their generation. We have to make sure that the Dreams Park and All Star Village kids, and any other family that’s coming in here, that those kids are having the same sort of experience.”
“That’s going to take some work on our end,” he continued. Noting the Hall’s new QR code stations, he said, “How do you continue to make this relevant, whether it’s through technology or utilizing your phone in different ways. Bridge the generations but move it forward.” A part of that bridge, he said, is “keeping the feeling you have when you’re walking on Main Street like you’ve stepped into a time machine.” “We wanted to live in the village, experience the things — including the challenges that come with a lot of tourists crowded into a small space,” he said of himself and his family. “It’s important for us.” “One significant thing I learned after moving here was just how much else there is to do around town,” he said. “The lake, the Farmers’, the Fenimore, the art classes, the surrounding areas that I don’t think I realized. I’m really impressed, so on Twitter I’m trying to tell the story of all the other great things we have here.” “I just chaperoned my son’s sixth-grade trip — a scavenger hunt around the village with clues here and there,” he said. “I learned as much as the kids did. We were walking along the east side of the Susquehanna and came across the Stone Bridge. I never knew that existed. I stood there with the kids and thought, ‘Look at this! It’s gorgeous!’” “This first year could not have gone any better,” Mr. Rawitch said. “We feel lucky to have landed here.”
Letters
Elise Stefanik: kind of a female Louie Gohmert In Texas, we live on the edge of former Congressman Louie Gohmert’s district, who, among other wacky things, said, “We can’t let gays in the military or they will massage each other all day and we won’t be ready for war.” In New York, we now find ourselves gerrymandered into Elise Stefanik’s district, whose political sentiments have devolved to reflect those
of the most extreme of her constituents. Kind of a female Louie Gohmert. But less amusing. Chip Northrup Cooperstown
Bear markets a two-front war: Russia, China
Buy or Sell then ring the bell, Win or lose only time will tell. Prediction:RussianBear Market followed by a Chinese Panda Bear Market
and add North Korea’s national animal Ghollima to the mix. Warning: “According to military terminology, a two-front war occurs, when opposing forces encounter on two geographically separate fronts. The forces of two or more allied parties usually simultaneously engage an opponent in order to increase their chances of success.” Good Investment: Work to prevent a twofront war. Gerry Welch Cooperstown
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-11
Juneteenth in Oneonta Oneonta marked Juneteenth with a day-long Neawha Park festival on Sunday, June 19, celebrating Black culture, food, music, performance, and art. Artist and SUNY Oneonta graduate Bertram Knight of the Bronx (right) shared a gallery of his photos representing the day’s ‘health and wellness’ theme and said he was honored to return to Oneonta. ‘I know through my art I can be about the change that I want to see,’ he said, with his works alongside vivid paintings from fellow SUNY grad Nyala Blue. Below, event organizer Diandra Sangetti-Daniels, left, and her twin sister Sierra, welcomed the chance to raise public awareness of the holiday. “We started two years ago more reactionary to the violence against Blacks in the country,” Diandra said. “We’re celebrating our culture and history today and happy to see so many people coming out to learn more.”
“Baby Prom” at Village LIbrary The Village Library of Cooperstown wasn’t at all quiet on June 15 as children and parents marked the end of the spring activities season and prepared for a summer of storytimes to come with “Baby Prom,” a morning filled with crafts stations, snacks, a ball pit, and a bubblewrap dance floor that delighted the kids, parents, and grandparents alike. At left, two-year-old Millie Sittler navigates the tunnel; above, three-yearold Teddy Talbot keeps the beat while he and three-and-a-half year old Arabella Anderson stomp out some bubble wrap. Library Director Heather Urtz Amendolare has a full calendar of events for kids this summer — stop by 22 Main Street for the fun!
UltiMutt fun despite the chilly rain The weather on June 18 was for the birds, but that didn’t stop the fun at the UltiMutt Dog Show to benefit the Susquehanna SPCA and the Rotary Club of Cooperstown. Clockwise from left, that’s Bill Mead with his St. Bernard, Charlie Bucket, Laine Lehr with Belle and Buddy the Boston Terriers, Elizabeth Hall with King, her Collie, and SQSPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes with Roger, the lovable guy she adopted from her shelter. Families and friends turned out despite the cold and rainy day to enjoy 10 fun classes of pooch pride, along with vendors, food trucks, family activites, and more.
A-12 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022
Parade, fireworks, history alive in Float your boat on Otsego Lake Springfield for Fourth of July fun for the return of the boat parade The Town of Springfield Plan to float your boat — rain or shine brings its famous Fourth— in the Otsego Lake Association’s of-July parade back after a Annual “We Love Our Lake” Decorated two-year pandemic hiatus Boat Parade to begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, and, this year, they’ve July 3. chosen longtime parade The parade will form off Three Mile organizers Debra Ann and Point, then proceed slowly along the Jonathan Miller as grand westerly side of the lake, and end at marshals for the festivities. Lakefront Park in Cooperstown. The lead Photo credit: Debra Creedon “Deb and Jon have been boat will be decorated and marked with (from OLA website) the driving force to put OLA banners. together one of the finest After a two-year pandemic pause, the Boats on parade during the 2021 OLA parade. parades and celebrations Otsego Lake Association will again judge Three Mile Point, Brookwood Point, in Central New York,” said boats, award prizes, and have candy for Fenimore Art Museum, Leatherstocking Fourth of July Committee participants. The parade welcomes boats Country Club (for members only), Otesaga Chair Ernie Whiteman, who large and small — including antique or Hotel, and Lakefront Park. There are no succeeded Debra Miller classic, human-powered, wind-powered, fees, registration forms, rules, or regulaas Chair. “After taking electric, jet, outboard, or inboard/outboard tions except travel slowly, stay in line, and over for Deb as chairman Jonathan and Debra Ann Miller, Springfield’s grand marshals powered. OLA encourages boaters to be courteous to other boaters. two years ago and having decorate using the theme “Our Lake is Pandemic notwithstanding, the 2021 the event canceled due to long procession with floats, chicken and other treats, live a Treasure,” but welcomes decorations parade featured nearly 50 boats and was COVID, it finally hit me marching bands, eques- music by the Cooperstown of any sort — unusual, humorous, patri- one of OLA’s largest. The parade is meant to Community Band, the ninth otic, party-themed, sports, military, or no be a fun-filled, family event for all boaters this year as to the great job trians, and many surprises. This year, as the Town annual Fourth of July Quilt decoration at all — it’s up to the boater. and many, many hours they to celebrate Otsego Lake. both put into it. I would like of Springfield (established Show, historical displays by Boaters may join the parade at any time Contact Wayne Bunn, Boat Parade to take this opportunity to in 1797) marks its 225th the Springfield Historical or place along the route, especially for non- Chairman, at bunnwayne@gmail.com congratulate and salute two anniversary, the theme Society and the Fort Plain motorized boaters who might not want to or 518-542-6630 with questions or amazing people for all they “Hometown 4th of July — Museum, 4H farm animals, travel the full route. for more information, and visit www. have done to make this event Enduring Traditions” invites raffles, and more. Spectators can watch from shore at various OtsegoLakeAssociation.org to volunteer the community to share their On the evening of the points along the parade route, including and/or see pictures of the 2021 event. the success that it is.” The Springfield Fourth favorite American traditions Fourth, a free concert by The Council Rock Band will take OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT of July Parade first began in in the parade. The 2022 parade will place at Glimmerglass State 1914 and is believed to be the second-oldest ongoing take place on Monday, Park starting at 7:30 p.m., to Beautifully remodeled three Independence Day parade July 4, starting at 11 a.m. be followed by a display of room suite in the heart of Lifetime Income Strategies fireworks at dusk. in the country. The parade sharp. Downtown Cooperstown. Tax & Planning Services Spectators can follow the For more information, welcomes fire departAnnual lease: $1800/mo. ments, veterans’ groups, and parade to the Springfield visit Springfield 4th of July community organizations Community Center for Parade and Celebration on Heat and wi-fi: included. 28 Oneida Street, Oneonta patriotic celebration Facebook, or email spring- Serious inquiries only. from all over the region a Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/ SIPC. Tax services offered through Donald Benson, CPA, PC. Securities to be honored in an hour- featuring Brooks’ barbecued field.july4@gmail.com. America and Donald Benson, CPA, PC are separate entities. Advisory
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