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Trustees Pondering Culverts, ‘Heroes’ Banners, Sign Law
By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY
COOPERSTOWN
The two mostdiscussed topics at the Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, August 26 had trustees looking both low and high across the village landscape.
On the one hand was an issue related to amending a Special Use Permit in order to allow the construction of dwellings over a stream and culvert on a private property in the village. On the other hand was whether to pursue a request made by interested parties to update village law in order to allow signs to be hung from utility poles in the village.
While neither matter was ultimately decided by the trustees on Monday, both will be the subject of future board meetings and/or public hearings, beginning with the next meeting on Monday, September 23.
With regard to the proposed construction project over the stream, a
►oneontan a coach at paralympics, page 2
►hunters can qualify for ammo rebate, page 3
►animal welfare orgs work together, page 3
►olympics, Democracy anD patriotism, page 4
►lots of letters, page 4
►ayres talks about cbos, funDing, page 5
►enD-of-summer events abounD, pages 8-9
►places to go anD people to see, page 12
request has been made by the owners of 28 Railroad Avenue—The Railroad Inn—to add three twostory dwelling units to the property. The proposed site for the new construction is over Willow Brook and a culvert on the property. A site assessment by local engineering firm Hermann Engineering made several recommendations, including for foundation construction to protect the culvert in the future; pre-construction replacement of the existing culvert due to its current condition; and for the village to have an easement for future maintenance access.
A public hearing on the subject opened and closed without comment, setting the clock at 62 days for the trustees to reach a decision. The trustees then held a lengthy discussion, primarily focused on three questions: ownership of the culvert; where the responsibility lies, or should lie, for maintenance of the culvert; and whether a water course located on private property in the village is something for which the village can claim ultimate rights and paramount interest to control it.
A forthcoming study from the Army Corps of Engineers will help to clarify whether it is advisable for the project to proceed in its proposed location (i.e., to build structures over a stream and culvert), but in the meantime, the trustees agreed—after agreeing to disagree for now on who exactly has ownership and responsibility for the culvert—to bring the issue to the village Planning Board and also discuss the project again, with the village attorney in attendance, at the
Continued on page 6
Parties Meet To Consider Uses for, Conservation of Former Boy Scout Camp
By TERESA WINCHESTER MILFORD
Some 20 representatives from Otsego County environmental organizations, governmental bodies and agencies, and Boy Scout-related personnel gathered on August 23 at the former Camp Henderson Scout Reservation on Crumhorn Lake in the Town of Milford. They were joined by U.S. Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-19th District) and State Senator Peter Oberacker (R,C-51st Senate District). All parties were seeking a harmonic convergence to ensure the conservation of the 668-acre former scout camp, one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land remaining in Otsego County.
The extensive acreage features abundant woodlands, 63 acres of wetlands and more than 11,000 feet of frontage on New York State Department of Environmental Conservation classified streams. It is also immediately adjacent to the Susquehanna State Forest. Also part of the package are numerous buildings, including a 10,000-squarefoot dining hall in good condition, a tower for rock climbing, a craft building and 20-30 other structures, in varying states of repair and suitable for different uses.
The land, owned by Leatherstocking Council BSA, was put on the market in 2022 as a result of collateral damage resulting from multiple sexual abuse lawsuits, which led the Boy Scouts of America to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020. Other factors such as poor camp attendance, camp condition, and a denial of an “Intent to Operate” also played a part in the decision to sell. The asking price is $6.9 million, with no constraints as to how the property can be sold, subdivided or used.
The meet-up was organized by the Otsego Land Trust to provide
Continued on page 10
County Offers Advice on Safe Bat Handling
By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY OTSEGO COUNTY
In the region known as the home of baseball, it’s not surprising to find some concern about how some folks are handling their bats.
But we’re not talking about swinging lumber on the ballfield. We’re talking about everyone’s favorite flying mammal: Vespertilionidae, or the common bat. And what’s alarming, according to the Otsego County Department of Health, is that this year’s rise in county residents being started on a post-exposure vaccination course for rabies can be linked to one factor in particular: Residents do not know the proper way to handle a bat.
In data last updated August 20, the county health department reports that it “has started 50 individuals on Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis (vaccination).”
Laura Bryant, LPN, is the rabies coordinator for the county health department’s immunization program. Bryant said that while the number of animal samples collected in the county and being sent out for rabies testing is on par with other years, there does feel like there’s been a noticeable uptick in the number of humans being treated for possible rabies exposure. Treatment involves a four-shot regimen given over a two-week period, with the first shot boosted with immunoglobulin to help the immune system.
“The 50 doses of ‘post-exposure’ are because we have not been able to test an animal, or we had a sample that was unsatisfactory, so for safety reasons [we start the vaccination course],” said Bryant, who also noted that there have been no recorded cases in the county of a human contracting rabies.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bats are statistically the most commonly reported animals to have rabies, and that most people in the U.S. who die of rabies were exposed to a bat with rabies.
In an effort to combat potential human and pet exposure to a possibly infected bat, the Otsego County Rabies Information and Statistics webpage directs people to an informative, threeminute, 10-second video produced by the Minnesota Department of Health about how you can safely remove a bat from your living space.
The short version of how to safely collect a bat: Don’t panic, don’t grab any tools or sporting goods to try to kill
Continued on page 2
Photo by Teresa Winchester
Congressman Marc Molinaro, Senator Peter Oberacker, Otsego Land Trust
Executive Director Gregory Farmer and Otsego County Conservation Association Executive Director Amy Wyant exhange ideas and information regarding the 668-acre property in Milford formerly known as the Camp Henderson Scout Reservation. The property has been available for purchase since 2022.
the bat, do use a Tupperware or shoebox with ventilation holes and, if certain conditions exist—like you or someone else has been bitten, or been asleep in the same room before the bat was captured, or you’re not sure if either is true—then once you’ve caught the bat, take it to the appropriate authorities so the bat can be tested for rabies.
If none of the conditions exist that raise the alarm for rabies transmission, then you can release your bat back into the wild as you would a spider or a moth.
Said Bryant: “What we advise people is once you’ve captured the bat, or if you have any questions, please contact our office [at (607) 547-4230]. If it’s after hours, contact the 911 center, and ask to speak to somebody from the Otsego County Department of Health, and they will page the on-call person, and we will contact you right away, because we always have someone available to answer any questions or to assist with this. If in doubt, please contact us. We’re always happy to answer questions.”
A second reason for an increased number of instances of possible human exposure to rabies, according to the county health department? Citizens who are not adhering to state law by ensuring that their pets are up to date on rabies vaccination.
To help remedy that issue, the county offers free rabies vaccination clinics throughout the year, with
three more currently scheduled for 2024, each from 6-8 p.m.: Tuesday, September 10 at the Burlington Flats Town Barn; Thursday, October 3 at the Otego Fire Department; and Thursday, December 5 at the Hartwick Seminary Fire Department.
Noting that “dogs, cats and ferrets can be taken to any clinic,” the county encourages any questions to be directed to the Department of Health at (607) 547-4230.
In addition to the county clinics, the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has partnered with the county health department to offer additional free rabies vaccinations once a month, with the schedule currently set for 36 p.m. on the following three Mondays: September 23, October 28 and November 18. Questions about SQSPCA clinics can be directed to (607) 547-8111.
“We feel that knowledge is power, and we’d just like to share the knowledge so that people can protect themselves, and to prevent themselves [from having to vaccinate],” said Bryant, before later adding, “It’s better to be safe than sorry, and if your pet is not vaccinated and we can’t test the animal, then your pet goes into six months of quarantine, which is not easy for a pet. For people, we can give you the post-exposure, but it’s not always easy, and it’s not always cheap [or a pleasant experience].”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wants people to know that “bats are misunderstood creatures,” and are “amazing,
beneficial animals [that] have an undeserved bad reputation.”
The internationally focused organization Bat Conservation International reports that “globally, bats provide vital ecosystem services in the form of insect pest consumption, plant pollination, and seed dispersal, making them essential to the health of global ecosystems.” But, warns BCI, “Today, bats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destruction, accelerated climate change, invasive species, and other stresses. Without concerted international action, their populations will continue to fall, driving many species to extinction.”
So learning how to properly handle and remove a bat from your living space is not only important for protecting your health and your pet’s health, but also vital for the health of the planet.
What’s the most-basic advice Bryant has to offer? It’s two-fold.
First, said Bryant, “Batproof your house. Usually it’s around the eaves, around the chimneys…Any place a mouse can go, a bat can go.”
And if that doesn’t work?
“Capture the bat, and then contact us,” said Bryant. “If you have any questions, if you’re not sure, capture the bat, and then contact us. And if you don’t feel comfortable releasing the bat, bring it to us, and we can release it. If in doubt, call us. If you don’t feel safe making that decision, call us, and we can advise.”
The job scene
Oneonta’s Theis Preps Paris Paralympics Team for Race
By DARLA M. YOUNgS PARIS
Andrea Theis of Oneonta is in Paris right now, preparing athletes under her tutelage for the row of their lives.
The U.S. qualified two crews for this year’s Paralympics in the City of Light—PR3 Mixed Double Sculls and PR3 Mixed Four with Coxswain. Theis is the coach of the two Paralympians in the PR3 mixed double sculls, Todd Vogt of Rochester and Saige Harper of Easthampton. The PR3 four with coxswain, coached by Tom Siddall, are Emelie Eldracher, Ben Washburne, Alex Flynn, Skylar Dahl and gemma Wollenschlaeger.
According to USRowing, the PR3 four with coxswain recently won a silver medal at the 2024 World Rowing Cup III in Poznan, Poland. All but Wollenschlaeger were part of the crew at the 2023 World Championships.
The PR3 mixed double sculls crew of Harper and Vogt finished fourth in Poznan. Vogt won a silver medal in the event with Wollenschlaeger at last summer’s world championships, while Harper was part of the silver-medal four in Belgrade.
Information about all rowers can be found at https://usrowing. org/teams/paralympic.
On Friday, August 23, Theis touched base with Iron String Press upon arrival in Paris.
“We are doing great! Completed one week pre-Paralympic training in Italy and just arrived to Paris last night,” Theis wrote in an e-mail. “We were welcomed at the airport by friendly people and a full security detail. We had our first practice on the venue and later today we go through the Team USA Welcome Experience, where gear is
Continued on page 8
Photo provided
Todd Vogt and Saige Harper prepare for Paralympics rowing competition at the training camp on Lake Varese, Italy.
Group Discusses Spay/Neuter, Solutions to Unwanted Pet Problem
By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA
About two dozen people gathered for the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 2024 Community Forum on August 15 at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center to discuss animal-related issues.
Stacie Haynes, executive director of the SQSPCA, kicked off the meeting saying the goal was to continue the conversation started at the 2023 Community Forum, which drew about 80 members of the community.
Last year’s forum inspired area residents— Gina Colone of Oneonta and Traci Dilello of Laurens—to form Friends of the Feral, run entirely by volunteers. Haynes said this group “is doing an amazing job” trapping, neutering and releasing feral cats.
FOF has grown since then. Colone and Dilello have been joined by Kirsty Roefs of Unadilla and Bobbie Martindale of Laurens, among others.
Roefs gave a brief report about the work the volunteers do and some of the challenges they face. She informed the group that “one unspayed
cat can produce 60 more cats in 17 months.”
Spaying a female animal or neutering a male animal are surgical procedures that prevent pets from reproducing by removing their reproductive organs.
More education is needed about the benefits of spaying and neutering, officials said. It can help manage the pet population, reduce the number of animals in shelters and improve the quality of life for pets. Spaying and neutering can also have a positive impact on an animal’s behavior and health.
Non-lead Ammo Rebate Offered to Deer Hunters
ew York deer hunters
and pose a serious health risk to animals further up the food chain. Bald eagles are especially vulnerable, and researchers believe that lead ammunition imposes a major restraint on their population recovery. A multi-year cooperative project by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Conservation Science Global, U.S. Geological Survey and the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University seeks to understand the impact of non-lead ammunition on bald and golden eagle populations. Hunters will receive the $60.00 rebate upon producing a receipt and completing brief preand post-season surveys. For more information, visit https://huntersforeagleconservation.org/new-york/.
A trailer park in Laurens was cited by multiple individuals as a source of many feral cats and kittens, some of whom have herpes, distemper, and rabies. These animals require medical care in addition to spaying and neutering.
Roefs added, “I feel like there’s a huge uptick in friendly cats who have been abandoned.”
One reason people might not spay and neuter their pets is because the surgery by a private veterinarian typically costs $300.00-$400.00. Some people cannot afford
this. Transportation could also be an issue, the group theorized. By contrast, the Susquehanna SPCA charges $60.00 for this service for those who meet the low-income qualifications. They provide this spaying and neutering service on a weekly basis and also hold free rabies clinics monthly.
When FOF started their work, the Susquehanna SPCA had a waiting list of 500 cats to spay and neuter, so FOF had to find other low-cost providers. Colone and Dilello have taken 3035 cats at one time to the
Animal Care Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. They also bring feral cats to the Love & Hope Animal Sanctuary Inc. in Franklin, which still provides spaying and neutering.
Forum attendee Hillary Cotes of Hartwick shared a personal account of how a neighbor’s pit bull got loose, attacked her, and bit her arm and leg severely before killing her dog, who was trying to protect her.
Cotes is searching for ways to prevent this from happening again. After a judge ordered that the pit bull be euthanized, the
neighbor just acquired another pit bull. She reported that her neighbor is cruel to his animals.
Cotes met Alicia Lasher, Town of Hartwick dog control officer, at the forum and they exchanged information. As SQSPCA and FOF work together with the community, dog officers, and elected officials, the group hopes to alleviate animal suffering and to promote their humane treatment.
Crystal Postighone of Morris has rescued and fixed 15 cats with her own money and funds she has raised with glass buttons she makes and sells.
Postighone said, “I adopted two cats from the Susquehanna SPCA and currently care for six cats.”
She described how hungry cats show up on her property, which is adjacent to a farm.
Some cat breeds are known for being good mousers. They help keep barns clear of mice and rats. Cotes proposed that perhaps farmers could be educated about the benefits of spaying and neutering their barn cats and that these animals be returned to the farms to keep the mice population down.
Three members of the
Continued on page 7
Photo by Monica Calzolari
Members of the Susquehanna SPCA, Friends of the Feral and the community at large met on August 15 to talk about the benefits of spaying and neutering, among other animal-related issues.
APerspectives
Batting Up
ugust is speeding by, but there is still a lot happening, and a lot to do. There is still time for one last get-out-of-town, the water is still warm and inviting (at least when the HABs aren’t paying attention), school isn’t open, baseball is intensifying, football is beginning, the grass is still green, the hayfields are mowed, the tomatoes are ripe, the corn is perfect and the deer are in our gardens. And the bats, those agile, flying furballs who are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight, have taken over the night skies, swooping merrily about all around us.
Indeed, although bats are active here from April on, the real season of bats is late summer and early fall, coming to a close after Hallowe’en, when we take down our eerie bat decorations and say goodnight and goodbye to the real ones, some of which hibernate and others of which migrate.
There are more than 1,400 species of bats living all around the world. The species—Chiroptera—is from the Greek words for hand and wing. Bat fossils date from 55 to 56 million years ago; two skeletons found in Wyoming are 52 million years old. There are 47 bat species in the United States, and Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia each have an official state bat. There are insectivores, which are microbats, and frugivores and nectarivores—which are megabats. Microbats eat insects—flies, mosquitoes, crickets, beetles, bees; megabats eat fruit and nectar. Of all the species, the smallest is the almost two-inch long hog-nosed bat, in Thailand; the largest is the flying fox, with a wingspan of 5’7”, living in Australia, Indonesia, Madagascar and Asia. Bats’ offspring, usually only one, are called pups; and they are all very clean, constantly grooming themselves and any bat around them. Some species live for more than 30 years.
Contrary to being “blind as a bat,” all bats can see. Microbats, who can detect light at low levels, navigate to eat by echolocation, ultrasonic sounds emitted to produce echoes from nearby prey, and by sight to move from their roosts to their feeding grounds. Megabats can see as well as humans. While bats have long been misunderstood—sinister creatures of the night that conjure fear and loathing in many of us (thank you, Hollywood)— they are vital to the health of our environment and our economy. They are pollinators and seed dispersers; without them we can write off bananas, avocados, mangoes and (!) tequila; about 80 medicines come from plants that rely on bats for their survival. They dispose of agricultural pests, saving that industry upward of $4 billion a year on pesticides and crop damage, and saving us from pesticides as well. And they pollinate our orchards and groves. A bat can consume up to 3,000 insects (think mosquitoes) in a single night. Some may have rabies, although it has been found that of all the bats tested only six percent carried the disease, a lower incidence than that found in skunks and foxes.
Here in New York, there are nine species of bats. Six of these live and hibernate in multi-populous colonies, in caves; three live outside, individually, upside down in trees, and migrate to warmer latitudes in the winter; all of our bats are microbats—insect-eating echolocators. In Otsego County, the little brown bat is the most common. It is a cave-dweller and a hibernator, and it is the most likely to contract White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that covers the nose, ears, and wings of a bat, disturbing its hibernation and depleting it of energy, thereby killing it. White-nose syndrome spreads from bat to bat, cave to bat and cave to cave, the latter in many instances by people. The disease was discovered in Howe Caverns, in Schoharie, in 2006 and it is responsible for the deaths of millions of bats and the complete extirpation of several species. More than 15 species in this country are now listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered, threatened or under consideration.
Our bats are environmentally and economically important. They are good to have around. And they are recovering from the WNS as we become more aware of the necessity to leave them, and their caves, alone. They don’t want to get stuck in either our houses or our hair. Give them a little space.
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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, e-mail 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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Staff Writer: Kristian Connolly Office Manager: Larissa Ryan
Columnists and Contributing Writers
Of the Olympics, Patriotism
The Olympics are over, yet some impressions linger. One in particular comes to mind. Like many of us, I watched both the men’s and women’s soccer matches. The men made it to the knockout stage and the women fought hard and won the gold medal. Both teams have a lot to be proud of. The source of pride in something or someone is not always rooted in winning or losing. Winning is nice, but so is doing the best one can and feeling good about that. I watched every match and feel a deep sense of pride in both teams’ accomplishments. But that is not what I wish to discuss here. Rather, it is what I saw and felt when the television cameras would pan the stands, enabling us to catch glimpses of the thousands of USA fans who attended the games, as well as those who filled the main stadium to watch track and field events. The image of athletes making the rounds of the stands draped with American flags was wonderful to see. It was equally encouraging to see athletes of different nations proudly display their flags as well. Pride in accomplishment is not a solely American virtue.
What struck me the most was this: the ethnic and racial diversity of these rabid, cheering, happy, proud Americans. White faces, black faces, yellow faces, what a wonderful pallet of what America is and always has been about, a stewpot of all kinds of people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, all sharing in the joy they feel at the accomplishments of their fellow citizens. This color thing has always puzzled me. I guess I am considered white, but when I stand beside a really white object, I’m anything but white. We all come in different shades and hues. I’m too old to think we might get over this color thing while I am around. We are not, contrary to what some would delude themselves into believing, a white country. Far from it. Ideology is all too often grounded in fear of that which is different, when difference is really what makes the world so profoundly interesting and worth, well, fighting for.
One need not view camera
Property Owners Not Consulted
At the August 14, 2024 Town of Otsego Board meeting, officials serving on the Highway Committee announced a major drainage project. In 2025, and possibly starting this year, the town will be undertaking extensive changes to the drainage system for managing stormwater runoff.
sweeps of crowds at sporting events to witness the reality of American diversity. Walk down any city street, visit any mall, be a passenger on a plane, train or bus, spend time between flights at any airport, park outside a mall or big box store—any place where large segments of the population gather—and it is clear to the eye, and the mind, if it is open, that we are not the homogeneous crowd some would like to believe us to be. Although I have never done one of those ancestry tracing tests, I can thank at least three starkly different cultural groups for my existence. Anyone who takes the time to read up a bit on American history, especially our most formative years, knows full well the remarkable contributions that immigrants have made to our development as the strongest economy in the world. We remain the bastion of hope for so many as an enduring democracy that protects and promises freedom for all, no matter their color, religion, ethnicity or sexual preference. That is what is so disturbing about the ascendance in certain quarters of this notion that we are, and always have been, a sacred, cosmologically determined bastion of whiteness. History debunks that notion amply well enough. Trouble is, far too few of us are willing to take the time to give history a chance. Takes too much time. But then again, most things worth doing take a bit of time. Being American has nothing at all to do with color, race, religion, or any other manifestation of one’s being. It has to do with one’s accepting the essential tenets of this democracy we so deeply revere. No need to list them here. Just check out the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. As Lewis Lapham wrote several years ago in an “Atlantic” essay, it is about our “shared vision” of what this extraordinary experiment called America is all about. Dissent, i.e. disagreement, is essential to the stability of a functioning democracy. Disagreeing with one another is fine; hating one another because
Continued on page 8
property owner in the town will decrease from diminished curb appeal as most town roads are 16-20 feet in width; add six feet of ditches to either side, and you are now up 32 feet of roadway. The town has the legal right to “open” an existing road to at least 49.5 feet, but not a legal right to property between the existing roadway and 49.5 feet. They have to legally obtain that land.
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Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of William Cooper is in the Fenimore Art Museum
The town just completed its initial project on Tripp Hill Road. This resulted in the installation of new ditches and the replacement of existing ditches that measure at least six feet wide and three feet deep. This approach has the potential for personal harm to anyone driving into a ditch when expecting a shoulder to be there and financial harm to property owners.
There already is a history of drivers sliding off of the road due to snow and ice. Now, consider how such a large ditch could damage a car and its occupants, starting with the inability to drive out of the ditch and making it safely onto the roadway.
The financial value of every
According to New York Highway Laws, in order to legally obtain the right to do this, the town has to be granted permission by the property owner, pay the property owner for the right or institute eminent domain proceedings.
The town doesn’t plan to do any of those options, they plan to simply “take the property.”
When Councilwoman Pat Kennedy was asked if the town was going to ask the permission of the property owners to use their land, she replied “No, we are just going to tell them what we are doing.”
Why should you care?
Well it’s unconstitutional.
The Fifth Amendment states “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
Consider the impact to your property. Chances are, if you have a ditch on your property, it is a foot or two wide. Many of us can step over the existing ditches to access our property; at six feet, it is a long jump. You most likely have a culvert under your driveway, and most are usually 12 inches wide. I have to guess they haven’t thought of that nor will they pay for larger culverts to be installed. Consider a heavy rain storm filling a six-footwide ditch, moving its runoff down the road.
Now think of the increased volume and velocity that runoff will have. Driveway culvert or not, imagine all of that water flowing over your driveway and what will be left of it. Think of the excess water flowing onto your property and into your homes.
Most of us have landscaping along the road that will be gone, as well as the privacy it offers.
What options do you have? You can speak up and tell the town that you object to their approach to governing and that you want to have a say in what happens to your prop-
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Terry Berkson, Monica Calzolari, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Elizabeth Cooper, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Karolina Hopper, Wriley Nelson, Joel J. Plue, Tom Shelby, Dan Sullivan, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin
HAw THORn HILL jOuRnAL RICHARD DEROSA
Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART
160 YEARS AGO
A returned soldier of the Sixteenth Connecticut regiment says that our soldiers who are prisoners at Andersonville, S.C. number no fewer than 12,000; that they are confined in an open field bare of all trees or shrubbery; and that, in these dog-day heats they are suffering severely. A similar account is given of a still larger number of Union prisoners confined in Georgia, where large numbers are dying from exposure, lack of food and proper attendance.
August 26, 1864
85 YEARS AGO
August 30, 1939
60 YEARS AGO
The Sperry Chevrolet garage south of the Village of Cooperstown on Route 28 recently completed its new showroom. The structure, which contains 10,500 sq. ft., features a colonial brick front in keeping with the architectural character of the village. The showroom has room for 6 cars and the rear contains a modern garage and body shop. Sales will be managed by Robert Sperry and Robert Clinton.
August 26, 1964
35 YEARS AGO
The month of September has been declared “James Fenimore Cooper Month” by Mayor Harold H. Hollis, in honor of the Bicentennial of Cooper’s birth. A service at Christ Church at 5 p.m. on September 15, the date of Cooper’s birth, will be a highpoint. Professor George Test, a Cooper expert at SUNY Oneonta, will be the main speaker. On September 10, an organ recital performed by The Farmers’ Museum associate curator Kate Boardman and organ restoration specialist Sydney Chase will be held at the Fenimore House at 2 p.m. Boardman and Chase will play an 1800-vintage barrel organ that was a popular feature at Otsego Hall, the Cooper family residence.
August 30, 1989
20 YEARS AGO
The Otsego Electric Cooperative has announced a new, high-tech service they will begin to provide to area customers in the near future—an affordable, broadband internet service for rural families. OEC is partnering with “Wild Blue” and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative to provide satellite-delivered broadband internet access. Robert Murdock, CEO of OEC, believes the service has the potential to transform rural areas and generate economic growth. “I think it’s going to go like gangbusters,” said Murdock.
August 27, 2004
CBOs Require Community Support to Thrive
Thank goodness for community-based nonprofit organizations. They are a uniquely American model of providing a social safety net for our neighbors. They are numerous, they are mission driven, and are responsive to the needs of their communities.
Many do not know or think about how these non-profits survive, especially in a challenging economy where the prices of goods and competitive labor market increases while revenues are static or, in some cases, decreased. I have worked in for-profit and non-profit, and the goals are very different. For-profit organizations are just that, driven by profit. And non-profits are called that for a reason, although they need to make an operating margin to be sustainable for pay increases, for new program growth, etc.
CBOs are not franchises of a larger corporate entity. Most do not have a financial pipeline to support our services for those in need. CBOs have three sources of revenue. First from a fee for services, which usually does not cover the cost of that service. Second, there are grants from foundations and the federal and state government which, in combination with the fees for services, does not cover the cost of service. And third, and partially by design, community fundraising. Partially by design, because the community has to value the service enough so that community members make contributions to support the CBO. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require hospices to ensure that a percentage of services are provided by volunteers. Many foundations require matching funding from community donations to demon-
By MERL REAGLE
Rated Triple-A… A
On September 20th, there is a unique opportunity to support many of your favorite CBOs. “Mohawk Valley Gives” is a 24-hour community-wide giving day benefiting participating nonprofit organizations in Otsego County and the greater region.
strate community support for the service.
Some who come from traditional businesses have a hard time understanding that most CBOs do not make a “margin” from the provision of services. Even large non-profits, such as hospitals and health systems, struggle to make a margin and rely upon grants and fundraising, especially in New York. Our communities are very giving and supportive of CBOs and this is, again, a very American trait. We help our neighbors; many have or know someone who has benefited from the services of a CBO.
Helios Care provides many complementary services in addition to hospice care which are not reimbursed for by Medicare or Medicaid or any payor source. We do it because it benefits our patients and their families. During the pandemic, we provided bereavement services to anyone who may need it, normally reserved for hospice patient families. And we have now continued that service because of demonstrated need. Other CBOs do the same: respond to the changing needs of their constituents.
So, on September 20th, there is a unique opportunity to support many of your favorite CBOs. “Mohawk Valley Gives” is a 24-hour communitywide giving day benefiting participating nonprofit
Continued on page 6
erty. I have tried that, to no avail. Or you can always sue for inverse condemnation for taking the property to open the road or for creating ditches that deprived you access to all of your land. You can sue for the town flooding your property and taking larger or newer easements.
How do I know this? I have two lawsuits against the town. The first is for flooding our property and taking easements. The second suit is for widening the roadway, installing ditches that deny access to our property, and denying us our privacy.
Keep in mind, the taking of our property on Tripp Hill was limited to our home. We filed a lawsuit. You might think that would have discouraged the Town from doing it again. Nope, they just did again for at least a half mile of roadway—right next to us.
I am willing to provide additional information regarding how this would affect you, and I would be pleased to organize a joint response to the Town Board. If anyone is interested, please e-mail me at tripphillroad@gmail.com.
Brian Kegelman Fly Creek
Donald Trump Has a Choice To Make
Since President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, candidate Trump has seemed less and less interested in his run for a second term. In his appearances, he looks old and listless. His speeches are mostly rehashes of his old pejoratives and debunked claims. For whatever reason, including the fear of losing to a woman, Trump acts like he’s trapped and looking for a way out. Following Biden off the stage, with a blanket pardon in hand, may be that way.
Pardoning Trump for all his criminal and public actions, from his first campaign for president in 2016 to the date of the pardon, would require the participation of all parties, most notably President Biden. Like President Ford with Nixon, President Biden could justify a pardon as being in the best interest of the nation. He could argue that a pardon could contribute to the reconciliation of the country, a goal he ran on in 2020 and worked toward during his time in office.
Of course, Trump’s withdrawal and Biden’s pardon would have to be effectuated at least by Labor Day, to give the Republican Party time to field a new ticket. It is Trump’s choice to make before it’s too late.
John A. Rudy
Cooperstown
Concerts Were a Boost to Village
I read with interest the little piece in the Journal on “20 Years Ago” and the Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan concert in Doubleday Field. While it is true that Trustee Stuart Taugher did originally oppose the idea, he embraced the results when the concert was a rousing success.
This concert came about through an approach by Jeff Idelson, then president of the Hall of Fame, to then-Mayor Carol Waller. Jeff met with Carol and said that Willie and Bob were beginning a concert tour set in small baseball parks and wanted to kick it off at Doubleday Field.
At that time, Cooperstown had a clouded past with large, public concerts, with some even bankrupting the individuals involved, so this was a very touchy subject. Mayor Waller supported the idea and laid out strong stipulations: fixed amount to be paid to the village, any damage repaired at their expense, Fire Department has food, etc. Even with Mr. Taugher’s concerns, the Village Board approved the endeavor. Most comments were positive, but one individual said to Carol, “You’ll ruin your political future if this fails,” to which she responded, “I don’t have a political future, mayor is it!”
It was a great concert. The combination of Willie Nelson’s folksy tunes coupled with Bob Dylan’s
rock/folk style were a great hit, and approximately 13,000 people were in the stands and on the field that August evening. The village was paid a fixed fee from the promoter, all the wear and tear to the field was repaired, and there was minimal risk to the field and the village.
A series of concerts followed with similar results, but with varying attendance. The Beach Boys, Sugerland, Paul Simon and Peter Noone were a few of the headliners. It added an additional dimension to the late summer and all came about through the efforts of Jeff Idelson’s initiative.
Carol Bateman Waller Mayor, Village of Cooperstown (Retired)
School’s Plans for Books Unclear
It is a huge understatement to say that I was appalled when I read on allotsego.com about CCS’s plan to remove thousands of books from the school’s libraries and classrooms [https://www.allotsego.com/ lack-of-clarity-about-removal-ofbooks-at-ccs/]. I cannot imagine what the thinking of such a move might be. However, when I read the list of books to be removed, it does not seem that CCS is trying to ban books, but rather to eliminate library books altogether.
I base this on the fact that “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston is on the list for removal. For those who do not know this book, it is described on Amazon.com as follows:
“One of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” brings to life a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost 30 years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.”
And while there may be individuals who would like to see this book banned, it is most difficult to imagine a library, especially a school library, which would choose to ban this book. Thus, it might seem that the goal of CCS is not to ban books, but to eliminate the books and thus the school libraries. Although this would seem to be a completely radical idea, it has been done in other school districts. For example, in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where I now live, the school district has eliminated the high-school library this year.
Needless to say, there has been much hue and cry from parents. Yet two very important issues prevailed. During the last school year, only 300 books were checked out of the high-school library. Plus, since every student has a school-issued Chromebook, any research a student needs to do can easily be done online.
I have no idea what the intention of CCS might be when it comes to their library program. But it would seem to me that a good place for them to start would be to explain to residents of the district what the school is planning to do and why it is in the best interests of its students. Until that information is made public, it is rather hard to assess exactly what the effect their ultimate plan might be on their students who are, after all, the only reason the school exists.
offer her assistance in filling out paperwork to get her Medicaid back? Why couldn’t she have a Bassett Navigator? Why does the mental health clinic have a wait list of six-plus months out? Why aren’t we hiring more providers? Why isn’t the county providing more mental health services in the Oneonta area a number one priority? Why do the Oneonta City Police feel helpless to handle those with mental health issues? What does the community expect them to do? There isn’t a psych unit to take them to. They can’t drop them off at the mental health office on Main Street. They can’t take them to Bassett. Arresting them serves no purpose when the bail reform law releases them, and they won’t show up for court or even have money for the fines. Why does DSS put people who just got out of rehab right back into a motel room where the chances of them relapsing from neighboring drug dealers or old bad-influence friends? Why doesn’t Oneonta have controlled rooms/housing or a halfway house? Because it’s easier to sweep them under the rug and consider passing laws like the campsite and tent law in the Town of Oneonta so they can’t set up a tent in the city? “No person who is the owner or user of any mobile home, house trailer, recreational vehicle, or tent shall park or otherwise locate said vehicle equipment or tent upon any premises within the Town of Oneonta for the purpose of using the same for living, sleeping or eating quarters, nor shall any such person use or occupy any such trailer equipment for living, sleeping or eating therein except in a duly authorized mobile home park or campground.”
Now there is a proposal for putting dividers on the benches so no one can sleep on them? Way to help your fellow man. Where are the fruits of the mayor’s homeless plan that he rolled out a year and a half ago? Many committees were formed but nothing concrete has been done. Talk is cheap: Let’s see some action. This lady did not have to die. She did not have to live the life she did. The system failed her. The Oneonta community failed her and her family. Think about it. Marcia K. Hoag Pittsfield
Disappointed With Business Coverage
It is astonishing and disappointing that a local paper writing about two local products (“Oneonta Food Makers Among Finalists in Statewide Contest,” Vol. 216, No. 31) doesn’t mention that at least one of the products is available locally. Toonie Moonie marshmallow creme is available at the beloved and irreplaceable Cooperstown Natural Foods on Linden Avenue in Cooperstown (the very location I purchased the offending paper). Jeff Bezos does not need your help (by the way, grocery chain you mentioned is owned by the online behemoth, so you gave him a double shout-out). I wouldn’t be surprised if Toonie Moonie and Vêsucré were available elsewhere in Otsego County, like Green Earth, for example. Did you check? If there’s an opportunity to mention, incidentally, a local business in the course of your writings, take it. Local businesses, including local papers, need the support. Predatory billionaires don’t. Maury Bouchard Schenevus
Boy Scout Camp
Continued from page 1
a tour of the property and stress the importance of conservation. Land Trust Executive Director Gregory Farmer sees the decision to sell the property as an opportunity to collaborate among like-minded organizations for the protection and conservation of “significant natural resources in perpetuity.” According to Farmer, the 668 acres has a high conservation value capable of building regional climate resiliency, as well as strengthening the tourism economy and improving the quality of life for both resident and visitors.
“The hillsides are entirely wooded, offering a tremendous amount of carbon capture. The infrastructure is fabulous, with hiking and biking trails,” Farmer said of the camp, which has not been open since the COVID-19 pandemic.
An information sheet distributed by Farmer and titled “Crumhorn Communities Hub” stated: Otsego County Conservation Association, Otsego Land Trust, and Otsego Rural Housing Assistance are proposing a multi-faceted project to create an environmental education center, develop a Community Resiliency and Resource Center, and assist underserved community members with health, safety, and energy efficiency repairs on their homes.”
According to the flier, OLT would develop a management plan to protect the natural resources of the property through a conservation easement in perpetuity.
Amy Wyant, Otsego County Conservation Association executive director, said that her organization hopes to run the environmental education center, stating, “We want to teach people to become stewards, to implement clean energy and green energy.” Wyant reeled off an ambitious laundry list of services to be offered to the community: heating and cooling emergency center, senior programming with transportation, full-time day camps, youth programs, and the creation of both summer and full-time jobs. Wyant also proposed a BSA reunion to “honor BSA history and the donors who made this place possible.”
Otsego Rural Housing Assistance Executive Director Bridget Stith also saw possibilities for the camp property.
“The property has buildings ideal for work force development—a place to train a new generation of contractors. We hope to move a work force into the community for repair and maintenance,” Stith said, alluding to the large number of vintage homes in the county, many built before 1930.
Congressman Marc Molinaro’s Community Project request for $2 million for Crumhorn was recently approved by the House Appropriations Committee, but still needs to navigate through the rest of the federal budget process. Elected in 2022, Molinaro said he had secured $27.6 million for district 19 in 2023 and $32.3 million for 2024. He spoke with obvious pride about his record in land conservation. During his 2011 to 2019 tenure as county executive, Duchess County became the second county in the state to establish an open space protection program, he said.
“I had the county work with towns, villages, and cities to identify open space and green space worth protecting. We partnered with the local land trust and preserved 8,500 acres,” the congressman said.
Molinaro pointed out to attendees that the U.S. Department of State sometimes provides shoreline funding and the USDA may be of assistance to ORHA.
Senator Oberacker, who calls Schenevus home and served on the Otsego County Board of Representatives from 2016-2020, said that he had spent “many days” at the camp during the summers of 1974 and 1975.
“I can’t think of a better use to preserve what I enjoyed,” he said of the Crumhorn Communities Hub project.
Assuming a self-effacing presence at the gathering, Oberacker said he had come “to listen to concerns and questions.” He also stated that he was “working quietly behind the scenes.”
Oberacker offered a word of advice to parties seeking funding.
“Don’t get discouraged working with state agencies. Albany’s sprint is like a caterpillar going across a window sill,” he said.
Catherine Lake Ellsworth Mount
Vernon, Ohio
Hoag: The System Failed Amber Joy
I work in the human services field in Oneonta. I interacted with Amber Joy (the homeless lady who was hit and killed by a car a few weeks ago) almost daily. It is my opinion the system failed her. No one helped her get on Medicaid so she could get the meds she needed for the mental issues she suffered from. No one helped her get housing. No one helped her get into mental health counselling. Why did a “feeding program” have to be the ones to
Editor’s Note: Reporter Monica Calzolari was asked to write an article about Toonie Moonie and Vêsucré, and their success in the first round of “Coolest Thing Made in New York” voting, with some background about the contest itself. Readers interested in learning more about Toonie Moonie and Vêsucré, including where their products can be purchased, can visit tooniemoonie.com or vesucre.com, respectively. No snub to local outlets was intended.
Helios Care
Continued from page 5
organizations in Otsego County and the greater region. It is easy and convenient to see all the CBOs and what their funding needs are, read their stories, and donate to multiple agencies in one place. The website, givemv.org, will go live on September 20 and will remain open for a few days to help facilitate donations.
We obviously hope you donate to Helios Care so we can continue to provide our services to those facing serious life-limiting diseases. However, donate to those CBOs you value: It helps everyone.
Dan Ayres is president and chief executive officer of Helios Care.
Nominations Sought
COOPERSTOWN
The Clark Sports Center is seeking nominations for its annual Fetterman Award, given in memory of Patrick C. Fetterman, long-time associate director of the ACC Gymnasium/Clark Sports Center. Nominations are due by Friday, August 30.
Fetterman Award recipients are honored for their dedication to serving Cooperstown’s local youth, especially in the area of athletics. The intent is to honor a community member with a show of genuine appreciation by the Clark Family/Foundation/Sports Center for all they have done for youth and athletics, officials said.
Nominees should meet the following criteria: must be involved with local youth in the area of athletics; caring, compassionate, kind; honest, fair, ethical; unselfish motives, good-hearted; shows good sportsmanship, patience, sense of humor; teaches through example; well-liked and respected by children and adults; enjoys what he/she is doing; is truly interested in helping children with a positive experience; has direct contact with children, but in their involvement may help with fundraisers, etc.; may be a coach, referee/umpire, organizer; is an excellent role model.
Nomination letters may be dropped off to Brenda Wedderspoon-Gray at the Clark Sports Center, mailed to the sports center at PO Box 850, Cooperstown, NY 13326, or e-mailed to wedderspoongrayb@clarksportscenter.com.
The Clark Sports Center will make a presentation of this award at a special gathering of friends, family and members of the community, date and time to be announced.
SQSPCA
Continued from page 3
SQSPCA Board of Directors also participated in the forum: Laurie Zimniewicz, Jill Basile and Thomas Huntsman, MD.
Basile suggested that Otsego County’s elected officials be informed about these cat and dog problems. She told the audience that “SQSPCA does not receive any money from the county” for general operations.
Zimniewicz said, “An
e-mail blast is a really good idea.”
She also suggested phone calls to follow up the e-mail to elected officials.
Haynes stressed the importance of fundraising to cover the costs associated with rehoming companion animals.
“The SQSPCA has a full-time veterinarian… We lose $850.00 on every adoption.”
The shelter makes sure every animal adopted out is spayed or neutered and has all its vaccinations, Haynes said.
Part- t ime Sanitation
Su P ervi S or Sportsfield Specialties is seeking an experienced Sanitation Supervisor who will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining strategic cleaning schedules for its Delhi, NY Production Plant locations.
r e SP on S ibilitie S/Dutie S inclu D e but not limite D to:
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with the required procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Manage aspects of the cleaning schedules.
• Manage the deficiencies or needs for repairs with Continuous Improvement Manager and Maintenance personnel.
• Train and instruct employees in tasks, safety, policies, and procedures pertaining to equipment, zones, etc.
• Ensures all cleaning equipment is well maintained and is safe to use.
• Manages stock levels of cleaning materials and equipment.
• Perform cleaning duties to include dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning ceiling vents, operating floor cleaning machines, removing debris or scrap to appropriate areas, etc.
• Clean working zones to include production workstations, warehouse, and machinery.
• Perform large machinery cleaning and de-greasing of machinery and surrounding areas.
• Monitor, collect and compact trash, debris, and recycling materials as necessary for disposal.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
The job scene job scene
To place effective employment ads, call
Help Wanted
the town of Otego is currently accepting applications/ resumes for the position of Hwy. driver.; Cdl required. Comes with benefits and retirement. pay based on experience. please send resume to: town of Otego Highway department .O. Box 468 Otego, nY 13825 or email to: otegohighway@gmail.com”
r equire D q ualification S/
S kill S:
• Ability to give directions and cleaning check lists to assigned personnel.
• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals, proper storage, and disposal methods is a plus.
• Ability to learn and operate forklift and any other cleaning equipment.
• Ability to complete tasks in a safe and efficient manner.
• Ability to use and operate ladders, vacuums, and wear PPE (dust masks, gloves, goggles, etc.)
• Required to pass a medical examination and get fit tested for respirator mask.
• Ability to operate a computer or tablet and perform basic computer functions for record keeping.
e x P erience/eD ucation: Experience/Education:
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• 2+ years of experience in commercial or residential cleaning.
• 2+ years of experience in a supervisory role.
Hourly Pay Range: $25- $27 per hour
Schedule: Monday - Thursday Hours of Work: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Competitive benefit package includes but not limited to; health, dental, vision, 401(k), Flexible Spending, life insurance and paid time off. To apply, submit application online at www.sportsfield.com, apply in person at 41155 St. Hwy 10, fax your resume to (607) 746-3107 or mail to Human Resources, P.O. Box 231, Delhi, NY 13753. Sportsfield Specialties, Inc. is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.
Part- t ime Sanitation S P eciali S t
Sportsfield Specialities is seeking experienced Sanitation Specialist who will be responsible for deep cleaning the Delhi, NY Production Plant locations and provide a clean safe workplace for employees.
r e SP on S ibilitie S/Dutie S inclu D e but not limite D to:
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with the required procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Perform general cleaning, stocking, and supplying designated facility areas.
• Cleaning to include dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning ceiling vents, operating floor cleaning machines, removing debris or scrap to appropriate areas, etc.
• Clean working zones to include production workstations, warehouse, and machinery.
• Perform large machinery cleaning and de-greasing of machinery and surrounding areas.
• Monitor, collect and compact trash, debris, and recycling materials as necessary for disposal.
• Follow cleaning schedules and notify management of occurring deficiencies or needs for repairs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
r equire D q ualification S/ S kill S:
• Ability to follow directions and cleaning check lists as assigned.
• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals, proper storage, and disposal methods is a plus.
• Ability to learn and operate forklift and any other cleaning equipment.
• Ability to use and operate ladders, vacuums, and wear PPE (masks, gloves, goggles, etc.)
• Required to pass a medical examination and get fit tested for respirator mask.
• Ability to complete tasks in a safe and efficient manner.
• Ability to operate a computer or tablet and perform basic computer functions for record keeping.
e x P erience/eD ucation:
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Previous experience in commercial or residential cleaning is preferred but not required.
Hourly Pay Range: $18- $20 per hour, DOE
Schedule: Monday - Thursday Hours of Work: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Open Vacancies: 2
Competitive benefit package includes but not limited to; health, dental, vision, 401(k), Flexible Spending, life insurance and paid time off. To apply, submit application online at www.sportsfield.com, apply in person at 41155 St. Hwy 10, fax your resume to (607) 746-3107 or mail to Human Resources, P.O. Box 231, Delhi, NY 13753. Sportsfield Specialties, Inc. is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.
Authorization to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. We do not sponsor employment visas.
Dreams Summer
Farmers’ Museum Prepares for Seasonal Favorite Harvest Festival
COOPERSTOWN
Harvest Festival, celebrating the bounty of fall, returns to The Farmers’ Museum on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Both days feature live performances, and there will be an abundance of activities for families and kids at Harvest Fest. At the crafts table, kids can make corn husk dolls, paper strip pumpkins, and autumn greeting cards. There will also
Theis
Continued from page 2
uted. Everyone is healthy, focused, and ready to race!”
Theis, who was inducted to the Cornell University Hall of Fame in 1999 for women’s rowing, is no stranger to Olympic competition. Cornell’s website gives the following account of her accomplishments:
“Three-year letter winner for the women’s crew. She rowed in the No. 6 seat in the varsity boat which won the Women’s National Collegiate Rowing Championship and was third at the Easterns in
be face painting, scavenger hunts and a children’s hay bale maze. Outdoor games include cornhole, nine pins and some traditional 19thcentury games. Visitors can ride the Empire State Carousel and the Girl Scouts will be onsite, as well as the Cornell Cooperative Extension and 4-H.
At the Farmstead, find cider pressing, corn shelling and grinding, and horse-drawn wagon rides. In the blacksmith shop, kids can discover how
1989. In August 1989, she won a gold medal in the open quad scull at the U.S. Olympic Festival. Following graduation, she was a member of the U.S. National team. At the 1995 Pan American Games in double sculls she was 2nd; 6th in the quadruple sculls at the ‘94 World Championships; 8th in double sculls at the ‘93 World Championships; was a sculling spare at the ‘92 Olympic Games; and placed 7th in the quadruple sculls at the ‘91 Lucerne International Regatta. At the ‘96 Olympic Games in Atlanta, she was a member of the USA women’s quadruple sculls, which placed 8th in the finals. Has been a
Farmers’ Museum
Many artisans show off their skills each year at Harvest Festival—quilters, a jeweler, woodworkers, a porcelain painter, bakers, maple producers, and artists, featuring many unique items from the region.
member of the women’s crew coaching staff at Princeton since 1998.”
The Paralympic Games Paris 2024 are scheduled to run Wednesday, August 28 to Sunday, September 8, with Para rowing events beginning August 30. The action gets underway on Friday, August 30 at 3:30 a.m. EDT with heats and continues at the same time on Saturday (repechages) and Sunday (finals). For more details, visit https://www.nbcolympics.com/schedule/ sport/para-rowing/paralympics. Rowing events can be watched live at https://www.nbcolympics.com/para-rowing.
metal is shaped by the hammering of molding clay, which has the feel of hammering hot steel.
Animals always take the spotlight at Harvest Festival. Aside from the museum’s farm animals, Hinman Hollow Sport Training will dazzle with their canine agility and obedience demonstrations.
deRosa
Continued from page 4
we have different ideas about how to approach common problems is, well, both silly and counterproductive. It leads nowhere and solves nothing. Childishness appears to be on the rise.
I hope in time we wash away, through some sort of organic cultural process, this notion of the superiority of whiteness. Aside from its obvious invalidity, it serves no constructive purpose. One of the beauties of a culturally diverse citizenry is the ability to enjoy one another without compro-
In the Main Barn, view “The Buzz About Pollinators,” an interactive exhibit all about bees and the many other insects and organisms like them that help make farming possible.
mising one’s basic cultural identity. We can be different, live apart and differently, but still, you know, e pluribus unum. We can share the same vision of America without compromising one another’s essential being. Kinda cool, actually.
Dick deRosa’s Hawthorn Hill essays
Harvest Festival gives visitors the opportunity to join in and assist museum interpreters with common activities from the 19th century, such as the harvesting of potatoes, and an abundance of foods from the season’s harvest awaits festivalgoers. These include roasted corn from Our Green Acres, sausage from Beckmann’s and Tickled Pink BBQ. To learn more, visit FarmersMuseum.org
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.
for this week’s news briefs.
The Oneonta Community Concert Band
Kerri L. Hogle , Conducting
Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 • 3:00
Labor Day Concert
Wilber Park, Large Pavilion Free concert open to the public Family Friendly Info: 607-376-7485
Photo courtesy of The
Dreams Summer
Fall Fair Set To Return
ONEONTA—The Catskill Choral Society’s popular annual fundraiser, the Grand and Glorious Fall Fair, will be held in Neahwa Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 8. It will feature live music, children’s entertainment including bounce houses, food trucks, and craft vendors. CCS has provided quality classical music in the rural Catskills for more than 50 years. To make a donation or inquire about sponsorships, contact Sheila at (607) 746-6922.
‘Metal at the Mill’ Planned
MEREDITH—
EAST
Hanford Mills Museum will hold a “Metal at the Mill” Exploration Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 7. It will feature the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree, with many regional collectors of historic engines and vehicles, and a display of the museum’s own collection. There will
also be a wide variety of local organizations offering exhibits and products for sale, as well as food trucks and tastings. Stoddard Hollow String Band will perform old-time Appalachian mountain music from noon to 3 p.m. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org.
Harvest Fest Is Next Month
SHARON
SPRINGS—The Sharon Springs Chamber of Commerce’s popular Harvest Festival will return on Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22. It will feature live music from a wide variety of local musicians, food trucks, tastings, activities, artisans and vendors. Local farms will also open for you-pick sunflowers, apples and pumpkins throughout the weekend. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 14 p.m. on Sunday. For more information or a vendor application, visit sharonspringsharvestfestival.com, visit the Facebook or Instagram
page, or contact sharonspringsharvestfest@ gmail.com.
GOHS Plans
Fundraiser
ONEONTA—Greater
Oneonta Historical Society’s fall beer and food tasting fundraiser, “Hops for History,” will return on Saturday, September 28. The day will begin at the History Center, 183 Main Street, with wristband pickup and a beer sampling preview from 2-4 p.m. From 2-6 p.m., ticket holders can stop in at Wise Guys Sammys, the Autumn Cafe, NAGS Bar and Kitchen, Roots Public Social Club, the Black Oak Tavern, B Side Ballroom and Supper Club, and the Copper Fox for tastings. There will be a live concert at Autumn Cafe to end the night at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35.00 for members, $40.00 for non-members and $45.00 at the door; non-alcoholic food and beverage tasting tickets are also available for $15.00. Tickets may be purchased at the History Center or online through Eventbrite.
Artists Speak at Gallery
MIDDLEFIELD—
Artists Zena Gurbo and Lewis Danielski, featured in The Art Garage’s new “CrazyCool!!!” exhibition, will present a talk on the creative process at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 29. The gallery will open at 3 p.m. for refreshments and a preview of the exhibit, which features work by George Hymas, Lucia Phillips and other local artists. The show is dedicated to the memory of self-taught woodwork artist Louis Sherry, whose joyous constructions enliven both The Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore Art Museum. Reservations are recommended but not required, and can be made by contacting leartgarage@ gmail.com. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays
through September 14, or any day by appointment, (315) 941-9607. Guests are reminded to park on the lawn rather than the road.
Golf Tourney Coming Up
ONEONTA—Helios
Care will hold its annual “Chip in Fore Hospice” fundraiser tournament at Oneonta Country Club on Wednesday, September 11. Registration and breakfast open at 9 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 10. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served afterward, and the day includes raffles and contests. The tournament is one of the most important annual fundraisers for Helios and will support care for local patients and families. To sign up as a player, visit www. helioscare.org/events. Sponsorship inquiries
can be made by calling (607) 432-6773.
Retreat Is for Women Vets
JEFFERSON—The Awen Retreat Center and Stamford Wellness Center will present a free wellness retreat for women veterans on Saturday, September 14. It will include a variety of workshops on self care through creative expression, forest therapy, music, journaling and other methods, a campfire, and several communal meals and snacks.
Registration includes all meals and materials, and an overnight stay option is available to veterans who wish to remain over the weekend. For more information or to sign up, contact info@theawencenter. org.
Continued from page 1
September 23 board meeting. Also slated to be on the agenda on September 23 is the second big topic discussed this past Monday: banners on utility poles in the village.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Joan Parillo, Tim Weir, Stewart Wayman and Doug Walker each addressed the trustees to support having “Hometown Heroes” banners adorn utility poles on certain streets in the village as a way to honor local veterans. As seen in various communities, “Hometown Heroes” banners honor servicemen and servicewomen, usually with a photo, name, service dates and other relevant biographical information.
Led by Parillo, the mechanism being pursued by supporters of the “Hometown Heroes” banners program is to change the village’s sign law, which currently prohibits signs to be placed on utility poles. Such a step by the village would not guarantee that signs would be placed on poles, since that is ultimately the decision of NYSEG, the owners of the poles. But current village law is written to prohibit such a practice at all.
If the village were to update its law, it could not be done in a way to make it exclusive to any one group or interest, a fact that seemed paramount in the thinking of the multiple trustees Monday night. And there would be many questions and decisions to be made, with public input, about
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
Denim & Diamonds, LLC
Article of Organization filed 7/15/2024 with the Secretary of State of NY. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 244 Pomeroy Rd., Franklin, NY 13775. Purpose: all lawful 6LegalAug.29
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF FLY CREEK EQUESTRIAN, LLC
Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/22/24. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 311 Ainslie Rd., Richfield Spring, NY 13439, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalAug.29
the construction of an updated sign law—e.g., guidelines, restrictions, timelines, and other stipulations for potential displays—before any law would take effect.
For example, one aspect of Parillo’s request that would generally need to be part of any amended law is where signs would be permitted to hang in the village. Parillo’s request is that the banners be displayed on four village streets: Chestnut Street, Lake Street, Pine Boulevard and the part of Glen Avenue that is in the village’s control.
The trustees, as a body, mostly remained at the macro level of the current law and what it would entail to amend it, and the board did not take a position on the subject matter of the proposed signs. But there was some counterpoint provided to the public support for this specific effort, most notably by Trustee Joe Membrino. Reading a prepared statement, Membrino addressed the many ways that the village already honors veterans year-round, in both one-off events at certain times of the year, and in permanent displays throughout the village. Membrino also questioned the use of village resources for the benefit of a private enterprise.
Additionally, one of Membrino’s practical concerns, both in terms of this particular effort and in allowing additional signage in general, is that the village sign law was developed with aesthetic and public safety considerations in mind, and even still residents and visitors are asked to pay attention to a great deal
of signage on village streets. Adding more opportunities for signage, and having peoples’ eyes drawn upward—especially in the summers busy with pedestrians and drivers— is not ideal for public safety, said Membrino, who encouraged his fellow trustees to reject the proposal.
In closing out this topic Monday, the trustees held two votes: one was on a motion made by Dr. Richard Sternberg to table the discussion in order to provide more time for exploration of the issue before holding a public hearing. That motion was defeated, 5-2, with Membrino and Sternberg casting the votes in favor of more time before a public hearing.
The second vote was whether to hold a public hearing on the subject at the next Board of Trustees meeting, on September 23. This motion included an amendment to the village’s sign law to allow for signage on utility poles; at the street locations outlined above; and with stipulations regarding matters such as duration, size, and maintenance, upkeep, and storage.
Following questions by Sternberg, Membrino, and Hanna Bergene about whether this matter should first be addressed by the Village Planning Board, the motion passed, 5-2, with Membrino and Sternberg voting against holding the public hearing on September 23.
Other brief items of note from Monday:
—New trustee Audrey Porsche was officially sworn in to her new role. Porsche
LEGALS
was appointed by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh to fill the vacancy created when former trustee Sydney Sheehan departed for a PhD program. Tillapaugh made the appointment in July, and it was subject to board approval.
—Jeanne Dewey opened the public comments portion of the meeting to update the status of a proposed new dog park in the area. The proposed location is at the end of the village parking lot at the south end of town (Blue Lot), on property owned by the school district but for which the village has an easement for use. According to Dewey, and later the trustees, two outstanding matters to be discussed are with regard to insurance questions for the location, which is technically outside of the village and in the Town of Otsego, and a school board request to have another survey done of the property. The village hopes to send its attorney, Martin Tillapaugh, to meet with the school board to discuss the survey the village already has in hand.
—Trustee George Fasanelli led the board in commending both the Cooperstown Fire Department and other area responders for their work at the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown parsonage in late July. According to the First Baptist Church website, the fire occurred on July 30. The church is currently working through the insurance process, while a GoFundMe account has been established by an outside party to assist pastor Mike Coles, who lost most of his belongings in the fire.
BFS Repeats Lake Testing
OTSEGO LAKE
Researchers from the SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station completed their next round of harmful algae bloom monitoring on Otsego Lake on Wednesday, August 21. No bloom conditions were visible, but toxins from Microcystis cyanobacteria were detected at all sampling locations. Lake users should continue to exercise extreme caution, as blooms can form and dissipate quickly. Children and pets are especially vulnerable to HAB toxins. Suspected bloom conditions should be reported immediately to the state Department of Environmental Conservation at https://www.health.ny.gov/ environmental/water/drinking/ bluegreenalgae/.
UTICA
aAA Northeast announced on Monday, August 26 that statewide average gas prices continued a five-week decline to $3.50 per gallon, a decrease of four cents from last week. AAA attributed the trend to stable supply and falling latesummer demand, although tensions in the Middle East or other factors could easily reverse it. Northeast gas prices have fallen steadily, likely assisted by a relatively quiet early hurricane season.
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF STAGECOACH PRESERVE, LLC
Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/15/24. Office location: Otsego County. Princ. office of LLC: 4 International Dr., #224, Rye Brook, NY 10573. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 6LegalAug.29
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
Name: ALFHEIM BOTANICAL LLC.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 23 July 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 405, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalSept.5
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
Name: TAOS MOUNTAIN SPIRIT LLC.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 22 July, 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 32, Fly Creek, NY 13337. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalSept.5
►Need to publish a Notice
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
Name:
93NY7 LLC.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 22 July, 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 133, Schenevus, NY 12155. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalSept.5
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY pROFEssIONAL LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
Name:
DR. JEFFREY BAILEY DNP NURSE PRACTIONER IN FAMILY HEALTH PLLC.
Articles of
Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 22 July, 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 389 Thurston Hill Rd., Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalSept.5
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
Name: HOLSCHER PROPERTIES LLC.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 24 July, 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 155 Peebles Hill
Road, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalSept.5
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Dream Mini Mart LLC.
Filed 7/10/24.
Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail 389 Chestnut St, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalSept.12
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Shelby Group Enterprises, LLC. Filed 4/26/24.
Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall mail POB 361, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalSept.12
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF COMMON HOUSE KITCHEN LLC
Arts. of Org. filed
SSNY 7/23/2024. Otsego Co. SSNY designated agent for process & shall mail to ZENBUSINESS INC. 41 STATE ST., #112, ALBANY, NY 12207 General Purpose. 6LegalSept.12
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 4CSUNS, LLC.
Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 08/06/2024. 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, PO Box 216, Westford, NY 13488. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act.
6LegalSept.26
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITEd LIAbILITY COMpANY
CRESTVIEW ESTATES, LLC
Arts. of Org. filed with Dept. of State of NY on August 8, 2024. Office location: Otsego County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Betty Lee, P.O. Box 63, West Oneonta, New York 13861, principal business address. LLC does not have a specific date of dissolution. Purpose: All legal purposes. Filer: Lavelle & Finn, LLP, 29 British American Bl., Latham, NY 12110.
6LegalSept.26
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF CENTER VALLEY GROUP LLC
Arts Of Org filed with SSNY on 6/19/24 Office location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Richard Cain, 715 Center Valley Rd., Worcester, NY 12197. Purpose: any lawful purpose. 6LegalOct.3
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF D & D CTOWN RENTALS, LLC.
Filed 2/16/24. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: c/o Dee Sales, 12 Susquehanna Ave., Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: General.
6LegalOct.3
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
Chaoui Supplier LLC
Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 08/19/2024. Office in 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 554, Otego, NY 13825. Purpose: To engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalOct.3
Margaret ‘Peg’ Kane Carney 1938-2024
ONEONTA—
Margaret “Peg” “Peggy” Kane Carney, 86, died Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at home, after living for a dozen years with Alzheimer’s disease.
She was predeceased by her parents, Donald and Helen (McLaughlin) Kane; her brothers, Charles and James Kane; her husband, John J. Carney Jr., and her granddaughter, Kaitlin Carney.
She is survived by her son, John (Debra), Guilford, Connecticut; daughter Caralee (Maureen), Cooperstown, New York; daughter Julie (Mike), Oneonta; daughter, Christy Hill (David), Wilmington, Delaware; granddaughters Kelly Carney (Liv), Connecticut and Rafferty Hill, Delaware; greatgrandson, Liam BraistedHorton, Connecticut; her brothers, Joseph (Lucille) and Donald Kane; and her sister, Kathleen Todd.
Peg was born and grew up in Herkimer, New York, where she attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic School and Herkimer High School. In high school, she babysat and was a receptionist for a local doctor and was employed at W.T. Grant’s Department Store in the accounts department. She was excited to go off to college at SUNY Geneseo, where she worked during the school year at the local Dairy Bar and summers at The Mohawk Resort on Fourth Lake in the Adirondacks. Her summers in the Adirondacks were one of the memories she kept long after Alzheimer’s stole so many other memories away. She especially loved sleeping in the employee quarters in the boat house and being lulled to sleep by the sound of the water.
At Geneseo, Peg met John and they married during the summer after graduation. Their next homes followed John’s continuing education and jobs for a time, eventually settling in Oneonta in the late 1960s. In addition to raising her kids and running Carney Books with John, Peg also worked for and was a volunteer and activist with several organizations. Peg was an election inspector for decades, mainly working the polls in the 3rd Ward for general, local and school board elections. She worked as an administrative assistant for more than 30 years with United University Professions and was an active member of her CWA union during that time as well.
Peg was pro-choice and volunteered at the Planned Parenthood booth at the Otsego County Fair every summer, was a patient escort at clinics throughout the area, and marched for reproductive freedom in Washington, D.C. She also supported the Greater Oneonta Historical Society, the Oneonta Business Women’s Club, and the local Democratic Party and League of Women Voters.
Peg enjoyed traveling with John or others. She loved visiting Las Vegas, Florida, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Like John, Peg enjoyed reading and collecting, and folks knew to keep an eye out for fun jewelry she might enjoy, including a necklace she could put over her head or her clip-on earrings.
Peg always enjoyed going for walks around the neighborhood, whether with her friends, her family, or her dog, Roadie. Even after she needed a walker to get around, she still managed a trip around the block on a nice day. Sitting on the porch was always a simple pleasure for her, too. In her later years, Peggy loved watching competitive figure skating on TV, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows, and listening to big band and swing music.
A service to celebrate Peg’s life will be held on 10 a.m., Monday, September 9, 2024 at the Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home at 51 Dietz Street in Oneonta.
Donations in Peg’s memory can be made to Family Planning of South Central New York or to the charity of the donor’s choosing.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Oneonta’s only familyowned funeral home’s website, www.lhpfuneralhome.com.
Christopher M. Harloff Sr. 1959-2024
COOPERSTOWN—
During the afternoon of Saturday, August 24, 2024, Chris Harloff Sr. passed from this life peacefully in his sleep at his home in Toddsville. He was 65.
Christopher Michael Harloff Sr. was born May 23, 1959 in Washington, D.C., a son of Hollis William Harloff and Sally (Graham) Harloff. He was raised in the Washington, D.C. area, where his father served as deputy director
OBITUARIES
of public affairs for NASA. The family spent many summers in Cooperstown, and upon his father’s passing in 1981, they decided to make Cooperstown their home. Chris loved the outdoors, and enjoyed spending time on Otsego Lake, especially fishing off the dock at the family camp. He was hardly ever seen out and about without wearing his trademark hat and aviator sunglasses.
For the past 37 years, Chris has been employed by Bassett Healthcare Network as an anesthesia technician at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. He enjoyed his work and those he worked with at Bassett.
Chris is survived by his wife of 30 years, Pam Harloff of Toddsville, and their three children, Lindsay Harloff Edmondson and her husband, Matthew Edmondson of Braintree, Massachusetts, Christopher M. Harloff Jr. and wife Alyssa Granato of Westland, Michigan, and William Harloff and Jamie Bruce of Glens Falls. He is further survived by his siblings, Kim C. Harloff of Oneonta, Hollys (“Holly”) Jane HarloffEnder and husband, David L. Ender of Atlanta, Georgia, and Karen Jane Graham Morosko of Cooperstown, and several nieces and nephews.
Chris was predeceased by his father, Hollis William Harloff, who died August 1, 1981, and his mother, Sally G. Harloff (Isabelle Sarah Jane Graham) who died February 14, 2007.
Friends and colleagues are welcome to pay their respects to the Harloff Family from 35 p.m. Saturday afternoon, August 31, 2024, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown.
With respect for his love for all animals, most especially dogs, please consider a donation in memory of Chris to the Susquehanna SPCA, 5082-5088 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
COOPERSTOWN—
Dr.Antoinette Kuzminski, long-time Bassett physician, passed away on August 22, 2024 after a long struggle with a rare
cancer, angiosarcoma.
Known by family and friends as T’nette, she was born as Antoinette Mendlow in New York City in 1946, where she was raised with her siblings on Central Park South. Her father, Leonard Mendlow, was a knitwear manufacturer, and her mother, Cecille Thurlow Mendlow, was a former Hollywood actress. T’nette attended Ecole Francaise, Friends Seminary, and Hunter College High School, before going to Smith College, where she graduated in 1967.
While at Smith she met an Amherst student, Adrian Kuzminski. They fell madly in love and were married in 1967. She and Adrian lived the next few years as graduate students between Rochester and Ithaca New York. T’nette got a master’s degree in American history at the University of Rochester, and studied architectural history at Cornell. She also worked in the City Planning Department of the City of Ithaca. The couple participated actively in the student movement to end the war in Vietnam, and first discovered the joys of country living in the rural Finger Lakes. Their first son, Stefan, was born in 1969.
On the night of the Kent State shootings, T’nette decided to become a doctor. She took her first pre-med courses at Trinity College, Dublin, when Adrian was in residence there in 1970-71 as a Fulbright scholar. In 1971, the family moved from Dublin to Honolulu, where Adrian became a professor at the University of Hawaii. T’nette completed her medical training at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and searched for an internship as a first year medical resident. The couple remembered visiting T’nette’s sister, Stephanie, many years earlier in Cooperstown, when she rotated through Bassett as a medical student. Recalling the charm of the village and the reputation of the
hospital, they resolved to return. T’nette won an internship at Bassett in 1977-78. The family then went back to Hawaii for the next two years, where T’nette continued her training at the University of Hawaii Integrated Medical Residency Program. They then returned permanently to Cooperstown in 1980, when T’nette became chief resident in medicine, and subsequently an attending physician in internal medicine. Their second son, Jan, was born in Hawaii in 1978.
T’nette spent the rest of her 37-year career at Bassett, until she retired in 2016. She was a role model to many, as one of the strong pioneering women of her generation to make her way into the then largely male-dominated medical world. Known for her diagnostic skills, forthright manner, and uncompromising attention to detail, she helped countless patients, and greatly enjoyed teaching medical students. She won the Golden Apple award for teaching in 2001. She also engaged in original research on treatment of patients with vitamin B-12 deficiency, helping change medical practice by establishing new guidelines replacing injection therapy with oral therapy.
She had classical tastes. She loved music, especially Bach, had a beautiful singing voice,
a talent for drawing, and often played the piano. She also cultivated extensive flower gardens around her home, and she and Adrian loved to buy local art and antiques, especially old paintings. She had a strong civic conscience, and in retirement became active in local planning and land-use issues. She founded Kid Garden, an ongoing project at the Cooperstown Elementary School, introducing children to the basics of plant cultivation. She also coauthored many of the articles in the “Sustainable Otsego” column in this newspaper, focused on innovations by local farmers such as regenerative agriculture.
She is survived by her husband, Adrian, her sons Stefan and Jan, her daughter-in-law Melissa Angier, her two grandchildren, Sonya Kuzminski and Rowan Kuzminski, as well as her siblings, Julie Conger, Stephanie Mendlow, and Philip Mendlow, along with numerous nieces and nephews, and her many, many friends.
The family’s deepest gratitude goes to Dr. Anush Patel, and to Maryanne Calkins and the Helios network of hospice care. The family is grateful as well for the assistance of many friends during her illness. Any donations in her memory should be directed to the Friends of Bassett or Helios Care.
DENTAL Insurance
Photo provided Margaret Carney
Photo provided antOI nette KUZMI n SKI
►Fri., Aug. 30
KNITTING CIRCLE
9:30 a.m. to noon. Bring a knit project and work with the group. Beginners welcome. Held every Friday. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.
SENIOR MEALS
11:30 a.m. Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal Monday-Friday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $10.60 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of ziti with meatballs, tossed salad, garlic bread and watermelon. Nader Towers Housing, 2 Mitchell Street, Oneonta. (607) 547-6454.
READING PROGRAM
1 p.m. “Summer Reading Program Sundae Party.” Richfield Springs Public Library, 102 Main Street, Richfield Springs. (607) 858-0230.
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.
DANCE 6-8 p.m.
“Ecstatic Dance” with Wildfires, sound healing with Kol Isha and more. Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
CONCERT 7:30 p.m.; doors 6:30 p.m. “Patsy Cline: A Tribute to An Icon.” Featuring all the hits from 1955 to 1963. Tickets, $20. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
►S At., Aug. 31
DEADLINE Last day to register. “Worcester Hose Company Golf Tournament.” Prizes, contests, food, 50/50 raffle. Fees apply; registration required. Held 9/7 at the Stamford Golf Club.
MARKET 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. “The Worcester Farmers’ & Flea Market.” Every Saturday. Second Chances Vintage Shop, 174 Main Street, Worcester.
MEMORIAL RUN
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Rothenberger Road to Recovery Run.” 10K, 5K and fun run in memory of Lucas Rothenberger. Fees apply; registration required. Neahwa Park, Oneonta. Visit rothenbergerrun. itsyourrace.com
GILBERTSVILLE FARMERS’ MARKET 9 a.m. to noon. Corner of State Route 51 and Commercial Street, Gilbertsville. (607) 783-2305.
FARMERS’ MARKET 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fresh vegetables, local meats and handmade crafts at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, 101 Main Street, Pioneer Alley, Cooperstown. (607) 5478881.
OUTDOORS 9:30
a.m. “Sleeping Lion Trail
Hike.” Meet at the trail head. Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Road 31, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8662.
FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. “Cooperstown Artisan Festival.” Find local vendors selling artwork, clothing, apparel, food, and more over the Labor Day weekend. Free admission. Held rain or shine. Lawn, Otsego County Campus, 197 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-9983.
FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Fine Arts on the Lawn.” Outdoor sale of works by member artists, artisans and others. Continues 9/1. Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.
THEATER Noon and 2 p.m. “Mr. Whittermat.”
A farce presented by The Templeton Players. Also held 9/1. Leatherstocking Stage on the Bump Tavern Green, The Farmers’ Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5471450.
WRITING 1-3 p.m.
“The Power of Observation: Generative Workshop with Julene Waffle.” The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 2854111.
CONCERT 4-7 p.m.
“The Bone Doctor Band.”
Playing on the beach at Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Road 31, Cooperstown. (607) 5478662.
CONCERT 6:30 p.m.
“Gold Dust Woman: The Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac Collection.” Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.
THEATER 7:30 p.m.
“ULYS” written & per-
formed by Sam Goodyear. Reception to follow. Admission fees. Windfall Dutch Barn, 2009 Clinton Road, Fort Plain. (518) 774-0134.
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “Anything Goes,” the musical. Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@oneonta. edu.
►Sun., Sept. 1
ARCHERY 10 a.m.
“Labor Day Weekend Chicken BBQ and Open House 3D Archery Shoot.” Gilbertsville Rod & Gun Club, 158 Gun Club Road, South New Berlin. (607) 859-2393.
FIBER 1-3 p.m. “Fiber Enthusiast and Knitting Meet Up.” New knitters welcome. Held each Sunday in the lounge. The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 2854111.
CELEBRATION 1-4 p.m. “Victor Carpenter Celebration of Life.” Oneonta Sportsmen’s Club, 251 Rod and Gun Club Road, Oneonta. (607) 433-0515.
MUSIC 7 p.m. “Sing with Oneonta Kirtan.” Held each first Sunday. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.
PERFORMANCE
7:30 p.m. Joe Gatto and Mark Jigarjian of the shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.” Open to the public; fees apply. Dewar Arena, Alumni Field House, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Visit connect. oneonta.edu/events
►Mon., Sept. 2
LABor DAY
MARKET Noon to 6 p.m. “Fast Eddie’s Flea at Muddy River Unadilla.” Muddy River Farm Brewery, 15544 County Highway 23, Unadilla. Visit facebook.com/GoUnadillaNY
►tueS., Sept. 3
COMMUNITY HIKE
9:45 a.m. Hike with the Adirondack Mountain Club. Bring appropriate equipment/water and be aware of your level of fitness. This week’s hike will be at Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park, 133 Davis Road, Schenevus. Contact hike leader Linda Pierce at (607) 432-8969.
FARMERS’ MARKET Noon to 4 p.m. Fresh vegetables, local meats and handmade crafts. Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, 101 Main Street, Pioneer Alley, Cooperstown. (607) 5478881.
MEET & GREET 5:307 p.m. “Welcome Home Cooperstown.” Gathering to welcome new residents to the Village of Cooperstown. Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 5478344.
MOVIE NIGHT 7:30 p.m. Outdoor Movie Night. “Beauty and the Beast.” Chairs provided. Public is welcome to bring their own chairs, snacks, beverages. Free. Film starts at dark. Decker Theater, Pavilion, Pathfinder Village, 3 Chenango Road, Edmeston. (607) 9658377.
►WeD., Sept. 4
CRAFT 3 p.m. Crochet Group. Bring a project to work on or come and learn. Held each Wednesday. WorcesterSchenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.
ART CLASS 6-9 p.m.
“Figure This! Open Studio Life Drawing.” Non-instructional workshop with nude models for sketching. Hosted by a Cooperstown Art Association member, who will be present to field questions and comments. Fees apply. Held each Wednesday. Cancellations will be communicated prior to session. Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-9777.
►thurS., Sept. 5
LIBRARY 9-10 a.m.
Exercise Class. Designed for seniors, but all welcome. Held each Thursday. Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 3977309.
STORYTIME 9:30
a.m. “Early Literacy Story Time.” Staff shares stories, songs and activities to promote school readiness. Held each Thursday. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-198. CRAFT 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “Open Sewing.” Bring a project, sewing machine, and other tools and work with fellow crafters. Message/call to reserve a spot. Held each Thursday. Leatherstocking Quilts, 155 Main Street, Suite B, Oneonta. LANGUAGE 12:30 p.m. Learn American Sign Language with Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail.com.
CONNECTIONS
1 p.m. PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) presents speaker Barbara LaCorte, retired elementary school principal, discussing her recent travels in Africa. Presented in the Community Room by Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail. LIBRARY 3:30 p.m. “Teen Writers Group.” Recommended ages 1318. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.
