Shop Name May Be Unusual, But the Faces are Familiar
By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA
We ran out of pizza dough
our first day in business,” laughed Kelly Tolley of Fatboyz Pizza and Badazz Bitez. They opened with a soft launch a month ago, on August 2. Word of mouth spread so fast that Jordan Tolley, his mom Kelly, and Dave Baldo, whom Jordan calls dad, could not keep up with the demand.
Laughter seems to be the secret
ingredient in this family-owned business. Family members crack jokes and share their enthusiasm from the minute you meet them.
Fatboyz Pizza is named for Kelly’s brother, Dave Wright, who died prematurely 12 years ago in his early 40s. Dave’s nickname was Fatboy. He had a beer belly.
Jordan came up with the idea of naming the business after his uncle. When they went to register that name with New York State, Fatboys Pizza
Continued on page 11
Five Districts Named ‘Schools of Distinction’
By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY
OTSEGO COUNTY
Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central, Otsego Area Occupational Center, Owen D. Young Central, Richfield Springs Central and Worcester Central were all recently recognized as “2023-24 Schools of Distinction” by the nonprofit organization CFES Brilliant Pathways, which helps students from underserved districts achieve academic and career success.
According to a CFES Brilliant Pathways news release, the five local schools were among 34 in the U.S. and Ireland that achieved the 2023-24 honor “for exemplary work in preparing their students for college and rewarding careers.”
Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, OAOC, Richfield Springs and Worcester were named CFES Brilliant
Continued on page 11
Caretaker’s Forecast: Lovely Overall, but Stress Likely
By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY COOPERSTOWN
One person is an aspiring meteorologist, a recent Cooperstown Central School graduate who loves her hometown lake and is now a third-year college student at SUNY Oneonta. The other person, also a selfprofessed lake lover, is a bohemian musician and artist who has spent nearly the last eight years traveling around the world before now preparing to settle into his self-described “golden years” in a recently purchased home in central France.
You might wonder what these two people could possibly have in common.
The answer: Each was a live-in caretaker of a beloved, and popular, village park on the lake this past summer.
But Emma Panzarella, 21, the caretaker at Three Mile Point, and Jamie Panzer, 65, the caretaker at Fairy Spring Park, came to their lakeside responsibilities in very different ways.
For Panzarella, the connection was born out of service as a lifeguard for the village for a number of summers, and having the suggestion made to her when the Three Mile Point caretaker position became available in the summer of 2023. With her family—her parents and two younger brothers—already nearby, living on the lake during the summers was an ideal way to continue the transition out of her parents’ house and into living on her own. The stipend for the summer, the free housing, and having her own place for being able to spend time with friends after hours made the decision to pursue the caretaker job pretty easy.
Panzer, who grew up in Maryland, had a connection to Cooperstown via
a friendship he’d made a number of years ago while living and working in Austin, Texas. Panzer was in France this spring when it was suggested to him by village Zoning Enforcement Officer Chris Deville that he consider caretaking for the summer. For Panzer, with a house-buying process not going to be completed until later in the summer, the idea of a few quiet months on Otsego Lake, with a paycheck and no-cost housing, sounded like a pretty good gig and a way to manage the transition into the major life change he was about to undertake.
Panzarella and Panzer sat down recently, outside of their respective caretaker cottages, to talk about their experience. Among the common themes to arise as the Labor Day holiday and the end of the season approached? The challenges and stress from being “on” seven days a week, and more or less around the clock; appreciation for the lakeside-park setting as a “home” for the summer; animals in the parks; and baseball teams.
Also shared between the two: Each person highly valued the social aspect of managing a local lakeside park.
“I definitely like having the interaction with people every day,” said Panzarella on a busy Sunday afternoon during a busy summer. “I definitely like that the most, talking to people, telling them about the area. I’ve lived here most of my life, I know a lot. So it’s nice to be able to share that with people.”
On a cool, rainy Friday before the holiday weekend, Panzer, who’d never been to Cooperstown before this summer, said, “You quickly learn that the locals know what’s going on, and
September 13, 5-10pm at
cityofthehillsfest.org for the
Photo by Monica Calzolari
Chef Jordan Tolley, Dave Baldo and Kelly Tolley of Fatboyz Pizza and Badazz Bitez and a frequent customer, Brandon Johnson (standing).
Continued on page 9
Photo by Kristian Connolly
Caretaker Jamie Panzer relaxes at Cooperstown’s Fairy Spring Park.
Excitement Soars as Kite Festival Nears
CHERRY VALLEY
The 10th Cherry Valley Kite Festival, a funfilled, family-oriented event, will take to the air once again on Friday and Saturday, September 27 and 28.
The biennial festival has become a highly anticipated event on the Otsego County Fall Tourism schedule, drawing more than 1,500 attendees to the beautiful and historic Village of Cherry Valley.
Kite flyers, kite makers, and members of kite clubs from all over the Northeast and Canada will be coming for the entire weekend, filling the skies over Cherry Valley with kites of every size and description. The opening event will be an Indoor Kite Fly on Friday evening, organizers said. According to a press release, “Some of the world’s best indoor flyers, including former world champions, will
St.
Opening Reception for Homecoming (5-8 p.m.)
Bob Buck, Mairi Meehan and Janet Marie Yeates
Red Shed Ale House, 10 Main St. Joann Sifo (6-8 pm) The Telegraph School, 83 Alden St. Open Mic (starting at 6 pm) Cherry Valley Firehouse, 11 Railroad Ave. Auxiliary’s Lasagna Dinner Take Out Only (5-7 p.m.)
for dinner See more details listings at: www.cherryvalley.com
enchant the audience with their skill. This gravity-defying display of grace, athleticism and science will be preceded by a kite-building workshop for people of all ages. Both events will be held in the Cherry Valley Community Center. Because we want more people to enjoy this event, we are making the kite-building workshop free, as well as offering free admission for kids under 5.”
Saturday morning will begin with a 9 a.m. Children’s Kite-building Workshop in the Old School Community Center. There will be two workshops with varying
degrees of difficulty based on age. Children will make kites that they can then bring up to the kite field, where kite-flying lessons will be available. An admission fee of $5.00 for Saturday’s workshops includes all materials.
The main event, an all-day outdoor fly on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., takes place on a hillside belonging to 200-year-old Glensfoot Farm, and provides “an amazing setting with glorious views.”
Events on the main field include precision team kite flying by Riders on the Wind, who
Continued on page 9
Plaide Palette: Little Shop of Curiosities
BUSINESS PROFILE
CHERRY VALLEY
Welcome to the world of Plaide Palette, a little shop of Celtic wonders, unusual finds and metaphysical delights.
“We have a wonderful selection of Irish and Scottish wool sweaters, capes and scarves, as well as a vast assortment of tea from around the world,” said owner Susan Murray-Miller. “Plus items for health, wellness, and spirituality, spirit balls, friendship hearts, lots of incense and jewelry, crystal and smudge kits, peace flags, and many more unusual finds.”
Plaide Palette stocks local honey and maple syrup as well, along with hand-thrown pottery.
“Pendulums—we’ve got them and we’ll show you how to use them. Also dowsing rods and supplies,” Murray-Miller added.
Questions about rocks, crystals or minerals? Ask Sue, who is also known as the “rock maven.”
“If I don’t know the answer, my quirky rock maven friends do. One way or another, we’ll find the answer for you,” Murray-Miller said.
Susan Murray-Miller, historian for the Town of Cherry Valley, is a local author, historian, dowser, spirit communicator and photographer. She has owned Plaide Palette for more than 40 years and has been in the spirit and dowsing business for over five decades. Friday, December 6 through Sunday, December 8, Plaide Palette will be among the many shops and venues to take part in the annual Cherry Valley Open House. Murray-Miller describes this pre-holiday experience as “no rush, no frills—just enjoyable browsing and grazing.”
Plaide Palette will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week December 1-24. Regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, contact Murray-Miller at ghostlady607@gmail.com.
Plaide Palette is located at 45 Main Street in Cherry Valley. Kids are always welcome, and the tea pot is always on.
Photo provided
Kites will be flying high over Cherry Valley once again later this month, during the 10th Cherry Valley Kite Festival.
Photo provided
Known for its Celtic goods, the Plaide Palette also carries a variety of metaphysical supplies.
NY State Assembly Recognizes Local Historian for Her Work
By TERESA WINCHESTER GILBERTSVILLE
Leigh Eckmair, long-time historian for the Town of Butternuts and the Village of Gilbertsville, as well as archivist for the Gilbertsville Free Library, received a legislative citation from the New York State Assembly on August 17. The recognition was made as a surprise to Eckmair by Assemblyman Joseph Angelino at Gilbertsville’s Centennial Park, immediately following the fire department’s sesquicentennial parade.
The citation stated that it is “a custom of this Legislative Body to take note of and publicly acknowledge individuals who have distinguished themselves through their exemplary careers, accomplishments, and purposeful lives of service to their community.”
Eckmair was specifically acknowledged for her involvement in a research project which ultimately quashed an Army Corps of Engineers plan to install a series of dams in the Butternut Valley. According to the citation, these dams would have created a 7-mile-long lake, thus “flooding the entire village and most of the Butternut Valley and over 4,000 years of Native American civilization.” Congress deauthorized the monies appropriated for the plan in 1979.
“It’s fabulous the Assembly has recognized what was done by a lot of people—people who really cared and stuck with it to get that funding deauthorized,” said Eckmair.
“I was the one who was the closest to the documents. I got certification and had my hands on materials that were needed. I signed the final document for the request to Congress to cancel appropriations,” she said.
Eckmair passed on credit for the deauthorization to the “Committee for the Historic Preservation of Gilbertsville,” some of whom did not live to learn of their success. Eckmair mentioned several names of committee members that would resonate in Gilbertsville today: Douglas McKee, Charles Brewer, Myrtie and Eric Light, and Richard Keene.
“People died one after another. Somebody had to stick with it,” she said.
The citation also recognized Eckmair for her lead role in the listing of the entire Village of Gilbertsville on the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Mayor Nate Talbot of Gilbertsville had high praise for Eckmair.
“It was an honor to see Assemblyman Angelino recognize Leigh for her service to our community, both as the long-standing historian for Gilbertsville and for her role in the effort to solidify and preserve our status as a historic and unique place,” he said.
Talbot then alluded to the importance of Eckmair’s work to future generations.
“Leigh sets an example that has, and I hope will continue to, inspire the next generation of our community to use their interests and natural talents to help others. She has shown us that an enthusiasm—in her case, for local history—a willingness to learn, and a sustained effort will add up to make a difference in the lives of generations of neighbors,” he said.
Town of Butternuts Supervisor Bruce Giuda also acknowledged Eckmair’s exceptional dedication.
“The whole town owes her a debt of gratitude for her decades of work. It will be very difficult to find someone of her caliber and with her interest, as well,” Giuda said of Eckmair, who is the only New York State-registered historian in Otsego County.
When Dr. Cindy Falk, assistant dean of graduate studies at SUNY Oneonta and professor of material culture at the university’s Cooperstown Graduate Program, led a walking tour of Gilbertsville in August of this year, she also expressed appreciation for Eckmair and her contributions.
“Leigh Eckmair is one of those historians who has done such amazing work to bring local history to the forefront. She is one of those forces every community wishes it had,” Falk said.
A Grim Reminder
ONEONTA—On Tuesday, September 3, Tweedie Construction Company of Walton began removing the rubble at 18 Richards Avenue in Oneonta. The property is owned by CJMDF Enterprises at 14 Chester Street, Oneonta. The resident of the house, Desmond Moan, died when a gas explosion blew his home to smithereens on December 9, 2023, seriously damaging a number of other homes on the street and in the neighborhood. A New York Jets bag in the debris (below) is a reminder of the human loss of that evening.
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In Defense of the Paywall
hey want us to pay for that information.” “The article is behind a pay wall.” “I would love to [assist], but I can’t read the article.” “Subscribe? No thank you. We get more information in the free papers.”
Iron String Press Inc., which owns and publishes “The Freeman’s Journal,” “Hometown Oneonta,” and the website, AllOtsego.com, also has a Facebook page where we share links to our own published content as well as news and announcements from community and municipal organizations.
Invariably, someone will take the time out of their busy day to post a complaint on Facebook when something they want to read is behind our paywall, similar to the comments above. It is not unusual for another reader to then copy and paste that protected content into the comment section, defeating the purpose of the paywall.
It always perplexes us when people are surprised by, dismayed with or downright ornery about the prospect of paying to read local news.
Iron String Press is a business, just like all the other for-profit and non-profit entities throughout Otsego County. We have rent and utilities to pay, a professional staff to support, printing and mailing costs, and a host of other expenses. We are providing a viable community service and, in the current economic climate—just like all these other businesses—our bottom line is ever top-of-mind.
Recently, we adopted a new business model for “Hometown Oneonta” which, until only about a month ago, was one of those “free papers” mentioned in the lead. In fact, from its launch in 2008 until August of this year, Iron String Press produced and circulated 8 MILLION free issues of “Hometown Oneonta.” Just think about that for a moment. Eight million free papers.
It’s no secret that newspapers in general, and weekly newspapers in particular, are struggling.
According to Statista, during the period from 2004–2023, 2,627 weekly publications closed or merged with other papers, and the number of non-daily papers fell from more than 7,400 to less than 4,800. From late 2019 to May 2022, an average of two newspapers closed per week.
“The loss of local newspapers accelerated in 2023 to an average of 2.5 per week, leaving more than 200 counties as ‘news deserts’ and meaning that more than half of all U.S. counties now have limited access to reliable local news and information,” researchers at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University have found.
Northwestern Medill, which publishes an annual “State of Local News Project” report, points out that there are 203 counties in the United States with no news outlets and that, in addition to losing almost a third of its newspapers, the country has lost almost two-thirds of its newspaper journalists—43,000—since 2005. [We can attest to that, having been advertising since February for a staff writer, though Kristian Connolly was worth the wait.]
Also since 2005, the country has lost almost 2,900 newspapers, including more than 130 confirmed closings or mergers over the past year. “All but about 100 were weeklies, which are often the sole provider of local news in small and mid-sized communities. There are currently only 6,000 newspapers in the country, approximately 1,200 dailies and 4,790 weeklies,” Northwestern Medill reports.
This past week, Iron String Press staff writers and contributing writers reported on planned uses for and conservation of the former Boy Scout Camp in Milford, an Oneonta resident coaching rowers in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, safe handling of bats in the wake of an uptick in Otsego County residents being treated for possible rabies exposure, and the recent meeting of the Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees.
Letters to the editor included your neighbors’ thoughts on the current presidential election, a drainage project in the Town of Otsego, books being removed from the Cooperstown Central School libraries and the unfortunate death of a homeless woman in the City of Oneonta, among other topics.
This week’s content is much the same, in that it is news of, by and for the people of Otsego County, reported on and written about by more of your neighbors.
If you are not interested in this local news then, by all means, keep kvetching about the paywall and don’t support our efforts. But if you value local news—and fair, honest, and impartial reporting—please consider subscribing to “The Freeman’s Journal” or “Hometown Oneonta,” or to the AllOtsego.com website.
Sadly, newspaper readers are a dying breed, largely because people can get real-time information on their mobile devices and computers and they find this to be more convenient. In recognition of this indisputable fact, all Iron String Press content can be accessed on AllOtsego.com. The annual online subscription costs just 10 cents a day.
So yes, our content is behind a paywall and, yes, we do want you to pay for access. In return, we will continue to do our best to cover Otsego County news, Otsego County people, Otsego County events and, well, Otsego County.
Only you can decide if local news—written, edited and disseminated by an independent, locallyowned publishing company—is worth paying for. We hope you feel that it is. In the meantime, we shall carry on.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
“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.
Publisher / Advertising Director Tara Barnwell General Manager / Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs
Staff Writer: Kristian Connolly Office Manager: Larissa Ryan
Terry
Oh, for Art’s Sake!
Ars gratia artis, the Latin motto over the MGM lion, proclaims, “Art exists for its own sake.” It is its own justification. It has no specific purpose, be it cultural, social or political. Be that as it may, for eons people have turned to art for a number of reasons: pleasure, enlightenment, reflection, solace. In Cooperstown, we are well served in matters of art.
In a village famous for its museums, the grande dame is Fenimore Art Museum, with its permanent collection, its visiting exhibitions, and its native-American splendors. The staircase leading to the lower galleries is a work of art in itself. Not to be overlooked, is the Community Gallery tucked away in a corner on the second floor. As its name implies, it displays works from local sources and is not to be missed.
Alongside the eminence of the Fenimore Art Museum powers the venerable Cooperstown Art Association, with its headquarters in the Village Hall and its branches at The Smithy and the Clay Studio.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Baseball Hall of Fame has a small gallery devoted to baseball arts, including the famous Norman Rockwell three umpires. Within the precincts of the museum there’s also an Andy Warhol. Pretty darn impressive, if you ask me.
Nor do we lack for statuary, viz. James Fenimore Cooper in Cooper Park, the Sandlot Kid at Doubleday Field, the Indian Hunter in Lakefront Park, the War Memorial on Pine Boulevard, and the intriguing Storm Cloud by Akira Niitsu in front of Village Hall on Main Street. And let’s not overlook the joyous multi-colored animals of the merry-go-round at The Farmers’ Museum.
If you are looking for art of a spiritual nature, visit the five churches of Cooperstown with their stained-glass windows. The Samye Hermitage, a Buddhist Center on Glimmerglen Road, contains a tri-partite golden altar, which dazzles and at the same time inspires serenity and reverence. If the saying that great things come in small packages is true, no better proof can be found than at the remarkable Art Garage, a two-bay gem on Beaver Meadow Road. You’ll thank your lucky stars you checked it out.
Be careful where you walk. Occasionally you will encounter youthful chalk drawings on the sidewalk. Step aside as you pass by. We wouldn’t want to trample on the creation of a budding Picasso, now would we?
Vivat ars!
Correction
The Third Annual Wellness Fair at Spring Park in Richfield Springs will take place from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, September 7. This free event will feature tables from a wide variety of local organizations, face painting, music, healthy food tastings and food from the Richfield Springs Co-Op. The local fire department will offer blood pressure checks and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office will run fingerprinting. Sponsors are the Richfield Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Richfield Springs Community Food Co-op, Suzette Parsons, Bee Blossom and Connie Jastresmski. The wrong date was inadvertently published in an earlier edition. We apologize for the error.
Banners Would Honor Veterans
My first instinct when I started working on a proposal to install “Hometown Heroes” banners in the Village of Cooperstown was to write a letter to the editor.
Columnists and Contributing Writers
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Sales Consultant: Randy Christian Interm: Arya Patel Editorial Board Tara Barnwell, Faith Gay, Michael Moffat, Elinor Vincent, Darla M. Youngs
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR
Otsego County • Village of Cooperstown • Village of Milford Cooperstown Central School District
MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, NY Press Association
Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of William Cooper is in the Fenimore Art Museum
Instead, I e-mailed Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh and asked why we couldn’t honor our veterans with banners like all the other towns. She felt it was a good idea and so this is how the story of the unwanted banners begins.
I asked for permission of the use of the poles on Main Street for the banners for honoring the Cooperstown hometown veterans. Right away, one board member said to me that we have people who come here every year and feel like this is their home and I said, no, it’s for people that have lived or presently live in Cooperstown. Also anyone that went to school here and Legion members—that’s what “hometown” means.
The village trustee meeting on Monday, July 22 begins. I read my request and the questions start. I had the representa-
tive from the banner company come to town to answer any questions the trustees had. I used the words “Hometown Heroes,” so they wanted to know why just veterans. My reply was that I was only working with veterans—that anyone else who wanted to take on others could. (I did not say what I should have, that every Memorial Day there is something to do with the Hall of Fame that takes the Memorial Day weekend away from the veterans. All those people that come are thinking about is baseball, let’s face it.)
Yes, we have a memorial parade for our veterans. When I was kid, there was a school band, other schools would come, the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts would march and, after the parade, we would go back to the Vets’ Club and get an ice cream sandwich, then head home.
Back to the meeting, where one of the trustees said he didn’t want to advertise for the banner company. Nowhere on the banner does it have the company name. As for advertising, Main Street is one giant advertisement. The stores that sell baseball cards are adver-
tising for Topps, Upper Deck and so on. The stores that are selling T-shirts are advertising Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and Spaulding. The liquor stores advertise for Absolute, Bacardi, etc. I could go on, but won’t. I thought the banners would look nice on the Main Street poles, but as we talked it became clear that wasn’t going to happen. The banners would have to come down for Hall of Fame Weekend, I was told. It was pretty obvious the trustees weren’t in favor of that.
So I asked for other streets to use—had to go to a second meeting for that.
On Monday, August 5 it was on to meeting number two, the Streets Committee, where one of the board members give me and Tim—a veteran helping with this project—a sign law stating that signs are not permitted in the median between the sidewalk and the curb, nor attached to the trees, bushes, support wires, street municipal signs or utility poles located within the median. Where did that leave us but to ask for an amendment to the sign law, which would require a public meeting.
Continued on page 7
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
by Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART
135 YEARS AGO
Local Summary News: The Rock Band Concert Co. of London will give a concert in Village Hall on Monday evening September 16 under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A.
Tuesday evening was very favorable for observing the occultation or eclipse of Jupiter by the moon, which occurred about 10 o’clock, and which is a rare event. In some places it was complete, while in others there was a very close approach of the planet to the moon; at this point it was complete. This sight was witnessed in England for the first time in 30 years.
The Fire Department has long been the pride of our village, and the handsome appearance it made at the Annual Inspection and Parade on Friday last deepened this feeling. And it was a new and pleasant feature to see the Department on this occasion headed by the Military Band of Cooperstown in its new and tasty uniform. Although only about a year old the playing was such as would have done credit to old musicians—as indeed a few of the members are.
110 YEARS AGO
September 6, 1889
A Tuberculosis Census of thousands of churches in various parts of the country will be taken in September under the direction of The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. The ministers of several thousand churches will be asked to report on the number of deaths from tuberculosis in the last year, the number of living cases in their parishes on September 1st, the number of deaths from all causes, and the number of members or communicants. These figures will be made the basis of an educational campaign, which will culminate in the Tuberculosis Day movement, for which occasional sermon and lecture outlines will be distributed free to ministers. Last year, nearly 75,000 churches, schools, and other bodies took part in the Tuberculosis Day observance.
September 2, 1914
85 YEARS AGO
The season-long celebration in Cooperstown of the first one hundred years of baseball came to a fitting close Monday, Labor Day, with two amateur games at Doubleday Field in the presence of John T. McGovern, President of the New York City Amateur Baseball Federation, in whose honor the final celebration was given. Lowell Thomas, distinguished radio commentator, who had planned to come to Cooperstown to witness the game between the Lowell Thomas Athletics of Pawling and the Cooperstown High School, was unable to be present as an outcome of the war in Europe. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were en route to this village when they were called back to New York City by the National Broadcasting Company. Lowell Thomas, Jr. is Captain of the Pawling team.
September 6, 1939
35 YEARS AGO
A state grant will help the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital cut energy costs by $33,000 according to Mary Ann Bez, Bassett spokeswoman. The cost of the Energy Conservation Measures Program will total about $133,000. The hospital will contribute half with the grant comprising the other portion. The hospital will replace all incandescent lighting with fluorescent fixtures which use 25 percent less energy.
September 6, 1989
20 YEARS AGO
The Otsego County Conservation Association’s latest contribution to the implementation of the Otsego Lake watershed management plan is the donation of $5,200 to the Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee for the purchase of 24 spar buoys, eight replacement lights, 1,000 feet of chain, and several sub-surface floats. Remaining funds will go toward maintenance and replacement of any damaged equipment.
September 3, 2004
Solution: “Rated Triple-A” (August 29)
Direct Support Staff Plays an Important Role
The people we often look to for leadership are CEOs of some of the top companies worldwide, or celebrities like our favorite baseball player or pop singer. We are captivated by their charisma and resilience under the limelight. I look to them, too.
The people we should be looking to, and whom I find myself turning to more and more, are those who work tirelessly behind the scenes: the public service and service industry employees and frontline workers. These individuals embody a form of leadership grounded in dedication, humility, and a profound commitment to their community. They are the people who ensure that the world around us remains efficient and pleasant to live in.
The numbers for these employees continue to decline, especially for frontline workers. Wages are still falling behind inflation, causing employees to live precariously while managing families and facing eventual burnout. Imagine a day without the contributions of a dedicated barista, a conscientious bartender, a meticulous housekeeper, a compassionate nurse, or an empathetic direct support professional.
These roles are often undervalued in the broader discourse about leadership; unlike the traditional corporate leader, whose influence is measured by financial metrics and strategic decisions, these frontline workers lead through their everyday actions. Their work may focus on completing tasks, but they ensure that every interaction counts. They foster a sense of connection to others and support their community by engaging with people on a personal level and
By MERL REAGLE
demonstrating empathy. Frontline staff, like direct support professionals, teachers, and assistants at Springbrook, demonstrate this same leadership by offering the people they support every chance to integrate with their local community through vocational training and employment, residency, and attending events.
As we strive to create the best possible community for all to live in, we must reframe our understanding of who a leader is and what a leader does, and recognize that the true measure of leadership lies in the ability to connect, support, and enhance the lives of others.
A more inclusive community hinges on recognizing and valuing the contributions of the essential members of our community who do this every day. This is more than a vision; it is a call to action. We must prioritize the very tangible goal of better wages, working conditions, and future opportunities for the leaders in the community based on the shared values of community-based, reciprocal support.
September 8-14 is Direct Support Professional Recognition Week. We want to take this opportunity to express gratitude to direct support professionals for their outstanding leadership and unshakable dedication to creating inclusive and supportive communities. Direct support professionals are the lifeblood of Springbrook and the community, and their contributions are deeply appreciated.
Patricia Kennedy is the chief executive officer of Springbrook.
Katharine the Great…
New COVID-19 Vaccines Available at Kinney
RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The U.S. FDA approved a new 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, August 22. Pharmacies such as Kinney Drugs are authorized to vaccinate individuals 3 or older beginning the week of August 26. For more information or to schedule a vaccination appointment, visit www.kinneydrugs.com. Walk-ins are also available.
Algae Bloom Conditions on Lake Continue
OTSEGO COUNTY—Researchers at SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station completed water quality testing on Otsego Lake on Tuesday, August 27. Isolated shoreline harmful algae blooms were reported several days during the week. Toxins from the cyanobacteria Microcystis were detected throughout the lake, generally in higher concentrations than the previous week. Weather conditions remain favorable to HAB growth. Lake users are advised to exercise caution, avoid cloudy or discolored water, and report suspected blooms at https://dec. ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms.
Church Schedules Art Workshops
ONEONTA—The First United Methodist Church of Oneonta, 66 Chestnut Street, will offer three art workshops during the fall. Gary Mayer will offer a portrait drawing class from 9-11 a.m. on each Saturday in September (7, 14, 21 and 28). He will then lead an “Invention in Drawing” class from 9-11 a.m. on the first four Saturdays in November (2, 9, 16 and 23). The cost for each of these classes is $40.00. Nancy Rose Gossett will offer woodcut-style printing lessons from 6-8 p.m. on the first four Tuesdays in October (1, 8, 15 and 22). It costs $60.00, including materials. Fees may be paid on the first day of class. Checks should be made out to First United Methodist Church. To register, contact the church office at (607) 432-4102 or secretary@firstumc-Oneonta.org.
Grand and Glorious Fall Fair 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, register as a vendor or inquire about sponsorships, contact Sheila at (607) 746-6922.
Children’s Choir Releases Call for Singers
COOPERSTOWN—Enrollment for the Cooperstown Children’s Choir fall session has begun. The program runs every Friday at 3 p.m. from September 13 through November 8. It is open to children aged 7-12 and will end with two or three live shows, including an opening act for Cooperstown Concerts at the Otesaga. Participants will learn classic pop and rock songs and basic choreography. The fee for participation is $110, with scholarships available. For more information or to register, contact CooperstownChildrensChoir@gmail.com or (607) 304-1359, or visit www.CooperstownChildrensChoir.com.
Crafters Sought for Annual Fall Fair
RICHFIELD—The Cullen Pumpkin Farm, 587 Cullen Road, will host its fourth annual Fall Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4. It will feature handmade goods from a wide variety of local and regional artisans. The Richfield Youth Sports organization will run the food booth. All proceeds will benefit the Women’s Guild of the Church of Christ Uniting, Richfield Springs. Vendors must register by October 1 by contacting fallcraftfair@yahoo.com or calling (315) 858-2103.
Dems to Meet with City, State Officials
ONEONTA—The Oneonta Democratic Club will hold its next meeting at Get Fresh on the Main Cafe, 254 Main Street, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 7. The guest speakers will be city councilmember Elayne Mosher Campoli and Rory McClenahan, New York State Democratic Committee field organizer for Otsego County. They will discuss Mosher Campoli’s candidacy in Ward 1, the new campaign office in Oneonta and other matters related to the fall’s races. The meeting is open to the public; RSVP to Garymaffei@gmail. com or the Oneonta Democratic Club Facebook page.
Blacksmithing Talk Scheduled at Museum
COOPERSTOWN—Farmers’ Museum’s master blacksmith interpreters Lucas Novko and John Davidson will present a live Zoom discussion on their craft at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 19. The program will also offer Continued on page 7
By MAUREEN MURRAY COOPERSTOWN
Beep, beep, beep,” one of the delivery trucks sounds as it slowly backs down the narrow driveway at the Cooperstown Food Pantry Inc., on the Cooperstown Presbyterian Church property.
Earlier that morning, a large tractor trailer truck left the Regional Food Bank of North East New York, located in Latham, laden with the needed food and supplies for Cooperstown and other smaller food pantries in Hartwick and Richfield Springs.
Bruce Hall Corp. provides a 10,000-pound capacity truck and driver every month to meet a team of CFP volunteers at the Regional Food Bank’s local delivery drop site in the Grand Union parking lot in Hyde Park. Often, the load exceeds 9,000 pounds and helping hands move any additional weight onto another pickup truck provided by The Clark Foundation. Then the Regional Food Bank driver heads to his next drop, and back to Latham.
Back at the CFP driveway, 20 or
Yes, There Is a DEI Candidate in this Election...JD Vance
His Admission to Yale Law and Book Deal were Classic DEI
Decisions
You don’t have to like JD Vance to know he has been described as very bright. But even knowing he graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State and assuming he scored very well on his LSAT, there’s little doubt he was accepted to Yale Law school, which has a class of only 250 students, because he was one of the top 250 students in America. Why do I say that? Because every year more than 50,000 people apply to law school, over 3000 of them to Yale law. Was JD objectively no less than the 250th smartest person out of the 50,000 that applied the year he did? Unlikely, but even more importantly, unnecessary. Why? Because as Yale Law School says on its own website, “our goal is to enroll a talented, diverse, and engaged entering class.” Hmm, there’s that word “diverse.” While JD Vance may have done well in school, what he definitely added to his Yale Law School class was the diversity of being former military, not from an Ivy League school (the largest source of Yale Law School entrants) and, as he wrote, distinctly not from the middle class. He was, as he put it so eloquently in his book, a “hillbilly.”
And that book deal further burnishes JD’s DEI credentials. Over 150,000 titles are published every year in the U.S., of which several thousand are biographies. Why was “Hillbilly Elegy,” a book written by 32-year-old Vance only three years out of Yale Law School, published? Undoubtedly because the publisher was struck by the diversity of his background (just like Yale Law School) and they wanted to INCLUDE in their biographical offerings to the American public what they saw as a unique, seldom heard perspective and voice.
By describing Vance’s law school admission and publishing deal as DEI one might think I’m saying they are undeserved. But I’m not. Because DEI is as American as apple pie. One might even say that America invented DEI. A few examples in our history make the point. Counting three-fifths of the slave population in slave-holding states so those states could have more Congressional representation and Electoral votes was such an extreme act of Equity and Inclusion on the part of non-slaveholding states that we had to fight the Civil War to reverse it.
The Electoral College is another example, an act of equity, inclusion
more volunteers who call themselves
“The Mules” stand ready to unload.
“The Mules” have been summoned by e-mail for their monthly workout. They are young and old, often retired, many taking time out from work or school, and are people you’d like to know. They have set up two long tables—one at the back of the truck, another on the porch—and several roller conveyors on sawhorses.
When the beeping stops and the truck is secured, several nimble “Mules” hop up into the truck bed. The boxes are handed down to those on the ground, who lift them onto a table on the porch. From there, each box is placed on a roller conveyor, and is hand pushed to the pantry door.
Delivery coordinators sort the inventory. Some products head down the stairs to basement storage rooms via a “bucket brigade” of person-toperson hand off. In the basement, three large rooms organize the BackPack Program and any overflow goods the upstairs space can’t accommodate.
Boxes bound for the main storage area are loaded onto the roller and take a right turn into the front room of
AND diversity on the part of larger, more urban states to make presidential elections fairer for smaller, more rural ones.
The same for the number of senators per state. To give equal representative power to three million Arkansans as we give to more than 38 million Californians is a DEI gift that should make their Senator Tom Cotton, recipient of fewer than 800,000 votes in his last election, blush. Especially when he talks to his colleague from California, Alex Padilla, who received over 6.5 million votes.
There are so many DEI examples that enumerating them would literally fill thousands of pages. And they do this in our tax code alone. How else to describe why, if you own a house you can deduct the interest on your mortgage, but you can’t deduct your rent if that’s what you have to do because you can’t afford to own? Almost every tax provision is written to ensure one interest group is enumerated separately to ensure Diversity, treated more Equitably or Included advantageously.
And that’s ok. It’s really just what e pluribus unum democracy looks like. The necessary glue for a country as geographically large and ethnically and religiously diverse as we are. Without it, it’s doubtful America would ever have gotten off the ground, let alone become the world power we are. It’s what a pluralistic society needs to do to balance all its competing interests if it wants to live together and prosper. Our Founding Fathers understood this even if some of their DEI choices were less than ideal. No one group can get everything. There has to be a constant effort to create diversity, equity and inclusion so that everyone feels that the playing field is reasonably, if not perfectly, even.
So, JD Vance, be proud. You are the DEI candidate in this race. I just wish you’d explain to your fellow citizens why that’s such a totally American and fair thing to be. Maybe after you do that you can explain why being woke just means telling the whole truth about our great and complicated history, not just the flattering bits.
Don Feinberg founded Brewery Ommegang, thanks in part to receiving a DEI benefit from the Town of Middlefield, which generously rezoned the property where Ommegang sits from agricultural to light industrial.
the pantry. The item is called out by name—“canned tomatoes,” “pasta,” “ketchup.” Those who have placed the order with the Regional Food Bank a week prior now check the boxes against the order sheet. The boxes are hand pushed forward and lifted onto a left turn roller. The chant is repeated—“canned tomatoes,” “pasta,” “ketchup”—as the boxes roll into the pantry storage area.
More “Mules” are stationed in each of the three short aisles where the boxes will be stored to be distributed. When “canned tomatoes” is called out, the volunteer stationed in the aisle where the canned tomatoes reside lifts the box off the conveyor and stores it on wooden pallets, keeping boxes off the floor.
The dance goes on: “pasta,” “ketchup,” “garbanzo beans,” “chicken soup.” Lift, turn, drop in place on a pallet, or stack to be sorted into one of five large freezers or three commercial refrigerators. There is even a dedicated dairy cooler, donated by The American Dairy Association. In less than an hour the truck is
Photo by National Baseball Hall of Fame
When the work is done, Jim Hill, Mark Rathbun, and Jan Gibson remove and store conveyors.
Ascend Critical Care Review Chosen for First Responders
OTSEGO COUNTY
Otsego County announced on August 1 that the Ascend Critical Care Review online program from Air Methods, a leading medical service provider, has been selected to provide continuing education to its first responders.
Otsego County coordinates emergency medical services for over 58,000 residents across more than 1,000 square miles in Central New York. Since launching its ambulance service in November 2021, Otsego County EMS now provides 24/7 advanced life support services with a dedicated team of 16 full-time and 10 part-time paramedics.
“Ascend’s online programs will provide Otsego County first responders with the necessary education to meet our goal of providing the highest level of care and quality service to our residents,” said EMS Supervisor Dana Weygand. “We are grateful to have access to cutting-edge continuing education to ensure our paramedics have the knowledge they need to provide patients with the life-saving care they need and deserve.”
According to a press release, Otsego County first responders will receive access to Ascend’s online Critical Care Review courses, which enable clinicians to learn at their own pace while
maintaining focus on the subject matter. The courses cover a wide range of topics, including airway management, cardiovascular care, trauma, high-risk transports, and in-depth discussions on neurological, obstetric, neonatal, and pediatric care.
“This is an addition to our training budget that we have implemented,” Weygand said. “It is the ongoing training that is required for each provider so that they can keep their certifications.”
The cost for the Ascend Critical Care Review online program is covered by the current budget, Weygand said.
“We are excited to partner with Otsego County and offer our online training programs to their first responders,” said Dr. Stephanie Queen, Air Methods senior vice president of clinical services. “Our online programs are designed to equip first responders with the latest skills and knowledge to help provide the best patient care during emergencies.”
Ascend’s in-person and online education programs provide pre-hospital and critical care clinicians with access to world-class educators, state-of-the-art tools, and cutting-edge technologies to help build their knowledge, enabling them to operate at the top of their licensure and fulfill continuing education requirements.
Parking Changes Coming to Main Street
COOPERSTOWN—Following Labor Day weekend, the Village of Cooperstown will be making a few changes to the parking regulations on the south side of Main Street to promote increased safety as well as local business. Striping will take place after repaving, which is scheduled in September, for Main Street and Nelson Avenue. There will be two new 15-minute spaces in front of Rudy’s Wine and Liquor at 143 Main Street to serve stores and restaurants in that block. These will facilitate picking up take-out food and getting heavy and large purchases to patron’s vehicles. There is no parking fee for 15-minute spaces throughout the year. The trolley stop in front of Baseballism at 131 Main Street will be eliminated. That space will become 15-minute parking spaces and a fire lane in front of the fire hydrant. The 15-minute spaces will allow quick access to the ATM, bank, pizzeria and other stores. The 15-minute spaces in front of KeyBank will become standard parking spaces during the off-season. Next summer, during the trolley season, that area will become a new, safer trolley stop with better sight lines for pedestrians, riders and drivers. These changes were initiated by local business owners, and village officials are pleased to have been able to work with them. A public hearing on these changes was held on July 22.
Schools Adopt Free Meal Policy
MILFORD—The school districts associated with Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES announced an amendment to their meal policy for students under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, offering free meals to all children at all schools and sites. The new policy will cover the Andes, Charlotte Valley, Cherry Valley-Springfield, Edmeston, Gilboa-Conesville, Hunter-Tannersville, Jefferson, Laurens, Margaretville, Milford, Morris, Oneonta, Roxbury, Schenevus, South Kortright, Stamford and Worcester school districts. For full details, visit https://www.dcmoboces.com/page/on-campus-food-service.
Pantry Ballet
Continued from page 6
empty, the boxes in place, stacked, but not too high for safety and the comfort of the “Mules” and other volunteers.
Then it’s the pickup truck’s turn. More beeps, more boxes and all is repeated.
When the trucks are empty and boxes and bags have found their rightful place in the rows of food and baby and toiletry items, like the athletic, nimble dancers they appear to be, the volunteers remove the rollers and sawhorses,
fold and store the tables, and the “Mules” exit stage left.
Being a “Mule” and assisting with delivery is only one of many kinds of work that support the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Contact Dee Varney at subcfp@gmail.com or (607) 547-8902 to discuss a volunteer job that suits your interests and schedule.
To donate to the Cooperstown Food Pantry, visit the website, cooperstownfoodpantry.org.
Maureen Murray is a member of the Cooperstown Food Pantry Board of Directors.
Continued from page 4
On Monday, August 26, the third board meeting I attended, several veterans also showed up and spoke about how they felt about having to ask for different streets. I had suggested Chestnut Street, Lake Street, and Pine Boulevard, seeing as how the veterans’ monuments are located there, and also Glen Avenue.
Meanwhile, before the meeting I drove through town and took photos of all the signs that were illegally posted and presented them to the Board of Trustees. They admitted that I was right and the signs were not supposed to be there. But yet the next day they were still there. I said to the board, if you’re going to have rules and laws, they have to apply to everyone, not just us.
We all left after our part of the discussion. I went home and watched the rest of the meeting online. The two trustees who oppose hanging of the “Hometown Heroes” banners wanted the Planning Board to review things.
I’m not sure where we are at this point— Planning Board or public board meeting to vote “yes” or “no.” I truly believe Mayor Tillapaugh is on our side. Some trustees did not voice their opinion, so we have no idea what they are thinking.
We have submitted an application for the use of the utility poles on which
to hang the “Hometown Heroes” banners, but have been told that the village won’t be putting them up or taking them down for us because it’s not their property. So now, if approved, we have to pay someone to do that.
No other towns have gone through this.
Officials have told me how welcoming and easy it was to get approval. Personally, I think the Cooperstown trustees thought we would just give up.
Just remember— every time you see the American flag waving, every breath of every man and woman who fought for this country and who gave their last breath is what makes our flag continue to wave.
Joan Parrillo Toddsville
Support for Hero Banners
I am reaching out in support of “Hometown Heroes” banners for the Village of Cooperstown.
As I understand it, there has been a local woman who has undertaken the role of trying to get this implemented in Cooperstown.
Being a born and raised “Cooperstownian,” along with my parents and grandparents, there is nothing that I would love to see more than my grandfather’s face and information celebrated on a banner for his efforts during World War II. I fully support this and I hope that the sacrifices of our loved ones can be displayed in honor along
the streets of my beloved hometown. Katie Murphy Cooperstown
Banners Can
Inspire Others
As a proud Air Force dad, I’m wholeheartedly in support of the placement of photo banners in the Village of Cooperstown honoring those who served. With a well-organized fundraising effort led by local veterans groups, the village can honor its local heroes as well as it does its sports heroes. I look forward to submitting our daughter’s service info and photo in the hope that she inspires other local girls to “aim high.”
Eric Pierce Middlefield
Briefs
Continued from page 6
a preview of the Museum’s Blacksmithing Weekend on September 28 and 29. The talk is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation to support future programming; registration is required at FarmersMuseum.org.
WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU
Promotions, births, meetings, new hires, events, milestones, grand openings, sports results, anniversaries and more. Photos welcome, too! info@allotsego.com
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SUNY Oneonta Art Gallery Announces First Fall ’24 exhibitions
ONeONTA
As SUNY Oneonta welcomes new and rising students to campus for the 2024-25 academic year, the university’s Art Gallery begins its fall exhibition season with “Undoings,” the annual Jean parish Scholarship show, and “earth-Written.”
“Undoings” is an interactive exhibition featuring fabric sculptures, artist books and drawings completed by b inghamtonarea artist Anna Warfield. Their work is on display in the m artin- m ullen Gallery from August 20 to October 4 and can be viewed while classes are in session or by appointment. A reception with remarks from Warfield will take place on Thursday, September 12 from 5-7 p.m.
“earth-Written” is a solo show of largescale illustrations by SUNY Oneonta senior Helena “H” Williams selected from the gallery’s semesterly project Open Call. Williams created these works during her 12week summer residency at the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb, New York.
Her work is on display in the Open Space Gallery from August 27 to September 21 with a reception and artist remarks being held from 4-6 p.m. on September 12.
The Jean parish Scholarship: 2024-2025 is a group exhibition featuring work by the 2024-2025 student recipients of the Jean parish Scholarship: Sean eaves, Ryan eno, Kento Igarashi, Amy Kosina, Noël Lyman, Jessie Reed, Lexi Rockefeller and Alaina Rullo. Their work is on display in the project Space Gallery from August 27 to September 21, with a reception being held on September 5 from 4-6 p.m.
Admission to the gallery and reception is free and open to the public, and visitors can receive parking passes through the University police Department. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, contact Sarah Simpson at Sarah. Simpson@oneonta.edu or 607-436-2445.
At right is an illustration titled “porcupine” by Helena Williams, an art and design senior, from her “earth-Written exhibition.” (photo provided)
SQSpCA To Hold September 7 Study buddy Weekend event
On
September
new school year, the Susquehanna Society for the prevention of Cruelty
to Animals will hold
another of its popular Study buddy adoption events. That day, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., both dog and cat adoption fees will be waived; other fees may apply.
“This event is aimed at creating a connection between young people and pets, from grade school to college-aged students,” explained SQSpCA executive Director Stacie Haynes. “Studies by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent psychiatry show there are many benefits for children raised with pets, including contributing to a child’s self-esteem and self-confidence, developing trusting relationships with others, and developing non-verbal communication, compassion, and empathy while providing physical
activity, comfort contact, love, loyalty, and affection.”
many families in the region struggle with financial insecurity, Haynes said, adding that more than 60 percent of Otsego County students enrolled in public schools are eligible for free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch program, according to the “2023 Community Needs Assessment for Otsego County” released by Opportunities for Otsego.
“Our free event will make it easier for families to adopt a pet by waiving adoption fees and making pet food available at no cost through our pet pantry,” Haynes added.
SQSpCA’s Study buddy program will also reach out to area college
students and encourage them to participate in the shelter’s foster program.
“We currently work with SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students who foster dogs and cats awaiting adoption throughout the school year,” Haynes continued. “by fostering or adopting a pet, college students benefit from the emotional support that pets provide, a reduction in stress and anxiety, time management skills related to pet care, increased social interaction, and greater exercise and physical activity.
“Our shelter animals benefit from the great companionship, comfy home life, and amazing enrichment that living with college students brings,” Haynes said.
The SQSpCA will further contribute to
the well-being of area students by supporting access to additional resources. This will include offering back-toschool supplies, compliments of Leatherstocking Region Federal Credit Union, sending home Chobani yogurt products that can be used in kids’ lunches, after school, or during study breaks, and providing water bottles supplied by NYCm Insurance.
In addition, SQSpCA is partnering with HeadCount, the mission of which is to “use the power of music and popular culture to register voters and promote participation in democracy.” According to Haynes, HeadCount and their local volunteers will provide a nonpartisan voter registration opportunity for attendees aged 18 and over as part of its collaboration with The Daily Show’s 2024 InDogCision to support dog adoptions.
“Their stated goal is to increase visibility for dog adoption events and encourage voter registration and engagement in a positive way. As we are at the start of the school year and in the midst of campaign season, this seemed like a perfect pairing for our Study buddy adoption event,” Haynes said.
HeadCount will have free giveaways for people and pets in addition to a chance to win a trip to New York City to see The Daily Show. by having multiple resources in the same place at the same time, we can make a greater impact in the community and support human welfare and animal welfare, both of which are interdependent,” Haynes said. The first 80 students to participate on September 7 will receive free donorsponsored SQSpCA book bags. Stewart’s Shops is also donating ice cream for the Study buddy event. Organizations or individuals interested in sponsoring adoptions, contributing donations of food or treats for pets, snacks for students or other items that would be helpful for students in elementary school through college are asked to contact Sarah Wilcox at (607) 547-8111 or swilcox@sqspca.org.
Continued from page 1
that you’re pretty much working for, and with, them…There were some compadres, I enjoyed it when they showed up and we’d chat. You get a nice cross-section.”
This summer, Panzarella returned for a second go-round as caretaker, but for the first time taking on the “head caretaker” role.
“I missed it over the winter, and over that time I thought that I really loved being here,” said Panzarella about her decision to return. “And as I am now packing up and moving out for the fall, I definitely feel like I’m missing it already. It’s a lovely place to be over the summer, even though it can be a very, very stressful job.”
Serving as the head caretaker adds more administrative tasks, like managing both parks’ lifeguard staff. And it comes with greater authority and responsibility, which Panzarella was more than happy to be charged with. Plus, as a self-described “chronically clean person,” Panzarella highly values having more control over aspects of the park like its cleanliness.
“Which is probably why I’d come back, too,” said Panzarella with a laugh. “Because [I’d wonder about] who is going to take it over, and that they’re going to ruin everything I did!”
Panzer’s expectations for the summer were decidedly different from Panzarella’s, in that they were not based on past experience but mostly only by what he’d heard from his friend, in addition to going through the village’s application process.
“It’s not exactly what I understood, but you know, I understood that [Fairy Spring] was much more calm, mostly locals, not that many people, and you get the hang of it real easy,” said Panzer, before later adding: “[The application process] establishes a very casual approach to the whole thing, which works perfectly with the regulars who come here, because it’s mostly their park.
“The maintenance and running of the thing has settled into a certain gear, and I guess it functions, you know?” said Panzer. “And [the village is] probably like, ‘Well, it’ll run itself. We’ll just put [the caretaker] in charge and it’ll be fine, we don’t have to really concern ourselves much with it.’”
After referencing the occasional influx of local baseball teams and their families, and then an alleged incident involving a dog at Fairy Spring on July 4, Panzer said things could get decidedly hectic and a little more intense than he’d bargained for, but that it was all good.
“This was supposed to be my ‘Walden’ for the summer, then it started being a little bit like ‘The Shining,’” said a chuckling Panzer, before qualifying his statement with, “But in a good way.”
In considering the question of whether
she’ll return for a third summer next year, Panzarella said, “I don’t really know yet. I love it here. I’m definitely really going to miss it again. But I mean, it’s a lot for a job, it’s a lot for one person.”
Panzarella noted that a previous caretaker, Jacob Zaengle, had made the point to the village that the expected hours, and lack of time off, was a great concern for caretakers.
In a job description provided by the village, it’s made clear that caretakers are supposed to be available at all times when the park is open. But they are also responsible for keeping people from using the park when it is closed. Both caretakers noted that having off-hours visitors, both early and late, does take place. Caretaking, then, sounds a lot like a 24-hour, seven-day-aweek job. As it is now, caretaking is treated as a 70-hour-per-week (10 hours a day, every day) job on the timecards, and without overtime.
“They’re not very good about [time off for the caretaker], to be honest,” said Panzarella. “This year they did have a seasonal laborer who was able to do one day a week, but they left for college early in August. I assume next year they’ll just continue to improve on that seasonal laborer position, because it didn’t exist the year before, and the [prior head caretaker] kind of called them out and said, ‘Hey, this seems unfair that I have to work seven days a week, seems a little possibly illegal.’”
Panzer reflected: “I thought about the hours [being illegal]…I guess if anybody agrees to the conditions, it’s okay.”
But then he added, “One shouldn’t have to orchestrate [getting time off] oneself. [I was told] that there was a backup person, but he could only work eight hours, so I couldn’t even take a whole 10-hour day off. But again, there were ways around all that stuff. Rainier days or something, [you could
get out for a couple of hours]…They should definitely have a six-day week. Even if it’s a cush job, you need a ‘I’m not on today.’ But I got used to it. I did take one day off.”
Village Public Works Superintendent Mitch Hotaling addressed this subject by saying, “The expectations are that the park is open seven days a week. If the caretaker does need days/times off, the village works with them on getting coverage.”
With regard to animals in the parks, Panzarella explained that part of the confusion this summer was that the village had updated its rules in 2023 to allow dogs at Three Mile Point and Fairy Spring, which was a change of long-standing policy. And so the village website said that dogs were allowed, while the signage at both parks continued to say what the signs had said for decades, which was that dogs were not allowed.
Following the July 4 incident, the village went back to the “no dogs” rule at Three Mile Point and Fairy Spring.
“It’s unfortunate, it would be nice to have dogs here, but it does add another layer of complication,” said Panzarella. “Of course, service animals are always allowed anywhere. But I have had some people not happy with [the rule change] this year…There was one [patron] who was straight-up yelling at me about it, and specifically saying ‘this town gets worse and worse every year.’ [I told her that I was sorry], but that I have a job to do.”
Panzer described the dog incident as a lack of communication, literally. Aside from websites and signs not saying the same thing, there were actual communication tools not being utilized, unbeknownst to the caretaker.
“The incident with the dog [down on the beach], I wasn’t aware of it, and then somebody said, ‘Oh, we have walkie-talkies.’ Oh, that’s good, because nobody alerted me. There are walkie-talkies, but
the [lifeguards] didn’t use them to get in touch, and a lady had to run up [to tell me what was happening].”
Reached via e-mail on Labor Day, Village of Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh said that to try to accommodate citizens’ requests, the village had changed the long-standing policy so that “dogs could be in either park, with the requirements that the owner had them on a leash and cleaned up after them. Unfortunately, individuals violated those two requirements, and even allowed their dogs to swim off leash in the public swimming area. That (i.e., having dogs swim in a public swimming area) is a clear violation of New York State [Department] of Health regulations, under which the two municipal swim parks are regulated.
“So unfortunately, we had to re-establish (as noted per the village website) that dogs are not allowed in the two swim parks at all.”
Animals aside, Panzarella said the biggest challenges of caretaking were things like you’d expect in a public park—“when you have to deal with people who are drinking and smoking and who don’t want to stop. Those are probably the worst pitfalls of the job.”
But then baseball teams were also something she’s planning to note in her end-ofsummer recap for the village.
“Baseball teams, that is always one of the worst parts,” said Panzarella. “When the baseball teams come here, first of all they’re coming with their individual families, so the parking lot is filling up, and it’s like 20 tween-age boys running around the dock and the beach. That’s actually how the dock broke last year, was that there was a baseball team, and they all jumped off at the same time, and the dock collapsed under them.”
When asked to address the subject of baseball teams and their families
descending on village parks, Hotaling said, “All are welcome to use the village parks.”
As the season wound to a close, each caretaker was asked to sum up their experience in three words. For Panzarella, “busy, cozy, and friendly” came to mind, while Panzer summed up his summer with “rustic, refuge, and community,” before sneaking in a fourth word: restorative.
And as the two caretakers move off into the next chapters of their lives, it seems like their shared experience as caretakers is where their common story will end.
“No regrets,” said Panzer, whose art and music can be checked out at jamiepanzer.com and jamiepanzerrockandrollcompendium.bandcamp.com, respectively.
“I think it actually was exactly what I needed. It’s not something I’d like to do again, just because there’d be little to no novelty [a second time], and I’ll be otherwise engaged anyway. But it worked for when I needed it.”
For Panzarella, there’s more of an openness to the possibility of returning to the familiarity, the people, and the call of lakeside living.
“Now that I’ve been here for two years, I feel like I’ve really established a life here,” said Panzarella.
Kites
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will be presenting an aerial ballet performance set to music. The Running of the Boys is a fun racing event for both kids and adults. In addition, there will be a candy drop, a giant kite tunnel and, new this year,
The Bubble Storm. “The kite clubs, located on the right side of the field, will decorate the area with colorful flags, banners, tents and kites. The left side of the field is for attendees to fly their own kites, organizers said, including those made in the kitebuilding workshops, and kite-flying lessons will be available,” the press release continues. “Weather conditions will dictate the type and size of kites to be flown. Admission is $5.00 per person, with parking included. Children under 10 are admitted free.” There will also be vendors selling food, crafts, kites and locally made and grown products. There is no charge for participation by community and civic organizations, including churches
The festival will conclude on Sunday morning with a pancake breakfast open to all from 7-11 a.m. at the Cherry Valley Firehouse.
To learn more about the Cherry Valley Kite Festival and ways in which to participate, visit https://www.cvartworks. org/kite-fest-copy.
United Way
Joins TikTok
UTICA—United Way of the Mohawk Valley announced that it has joined the popular social media platform TikTok in order to reach a broader audience, showcase their mission and spread the word about upcoming events. It may be found at the account @unitedwayofthemv.
Call 607-547-6103 TO SUBSCRIBE! The Freeman’s Journal Hometown Oneonta AllOtsego.com
call
Remembering A Rainy Day Ride in Dad’s Old Buick
For several years, when I was a kid, my father kept this big old black Buick up on blocks in the back yard. He had driven it for a time but it had a big engine and used too much gas to be a cab. There was a spare tire set into the front fender and a partition separating forward and back compartments. You could slide the glass open horizontally if you wanted to talk to the driver. There were two round folding seats next to the partition wall. The seats and all the upholstery were made of a maroon-dyed leather. The car had actually been a limousine, but Dad used it as a taxi for a while and the hand-wound trip meter was still mounted up front. My gang and I logged many miles in that car. The guys would pile into the back seat as I’d flip the flag on the meter down. The initial charge then was a quarter. We made a trip to Canarsie, Brooklyn on a rainy day when there was nothing else to do. The rain beat on the roof as the meter ticked away. Bugsy and Roger were behind me, rubbing the fog off the back window.
He looked over at me with his hands gripping the wheel tightly as the car surged ahead.
“Feel the power! Can you?”
“Yeah, Daddy! Let’s go faster!”
“Step on it!” Bugsy yelled, his eyes bulging. “The cops are coming!”
“Yeah!” the others echoed. I whipped the wheel around and yanked on the shift stick. We all made screeching noises as the rain drummed on the huge engine hood and the wide whitewall tires stood motionless just a half a foot off the ground. Then Roger got locked out—no, thrown out—and the rest of us were inside laughing as he pressed against the window like a drowned rat, his glasses tilted on his nose, begging for shelter.
‘art in the Park’ is Sunday, Sept. 8
WEST WINFIELD—
An opportunity for early Christmas shopping and art collecting will take place from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, September 8, when the Upper Unadilla Valley Association hosts “Art in the Park.”
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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:
►Need to
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
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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
Once a year, Dad would let the Buick down and get it started, not without a lot of trouble. It was always a group effort. Roger’s father and a couple of other guys on the block would help push it out onto the driveway. They’d inflate the tires and trickle gas into the carburetor. There was always some expense during the revival and, one time, Pie Face Freddie at the gas station told my father, “Get rid of that load. It’s a sinking ship!”
I felt bad for Dad and the car.
“Just do a temporary repair on the gas tank,” my father told Freddie, “so I can take it for a run.”
Then the Buick was finally rolling and I was on the front seat next to Dad as he went through the gears. Seeing him happy like this made me feel older, like I knew something that he didn’t.
The annual start-ups lasted for several years, each time my father vowing to restore and maintain the big, powerful car. Then he skipped a year and when he finally tried to start it there were too many things wrong and, one rainy day in late winter, a tow truck dragged the old Buick and all my future trips to Canarsie out of the yard—but not before the bumper caught the thick hedges on the driveway as though the car knew it was going to the glue factory. I stood watching from a rain-splattered window and thought of being angry with my father after the junk man paid him and he came inside the house all wet and muddy, but he was sad, too, to see the car go and instead we sipped hot tea together and ate pieces of hard rye smeared with orange marmalade.
Years later I found the Buick’s trip meter hidden in a corner of the cellar and dug it out and wound it up and put the flag down to hear the old, familiar ticking and for a moment the rainy days, the start-ups, the make-believe trips to Canarsie—and Dad—were all with me.
Terry Berkson’s articles have appeared in “New York” magazine, “Automobile” magazine and many others. His memoir, “Corvette Odyssey,” has received many good reviews: “highly recommended with broad appeal,” says “Library Journal.”
There is no cost to participate and no artist commissions required.
Art in the Park is not intended as a craft show, organizers said, but will focus on showcasing two-dimensional pieces that include drawings, paintings, collage, printmaking, and photography.
The event is free and open to the public, and features works by artists from West Winfield, Bridgewater, Unadilla Forks, Leonardsville, and West Edmeston, as well as localities and rural areas surrounding those communities. It will be held in the enclosed pavilion at the Town of Winfield Park, just off State Route 20 in the village, in order to protect the artists’ work and the public from the possibility of inclement weather.
LEGALS
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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
Founded in 1969, the nonprofit Upper Unadilla Valley Association works to preserve, protect, and highlight the Upper Unadilla Valley’s natural and historic resources.
UUVA activities include a perennial plant sale, a Mount
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.
Markham Central School District senior scholarship, summer event showcasing the region’s positive attributes, and a banquet featuring a presentation tied to its summer event or a subject related to the group’s overall mission.
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
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Notice of formatioN of Brewed & Baked, LLC
N.Y. Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on August 15, 2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY is designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and SSNY shall mail process to Brewed & Baked, LLC located at 135 Chestnut Ridge Road, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Any lawful purpose. 6LegalOct.10
Photo provided
A big old buick that looks very much like the beloved car driven by berkson’s dad.
Pizza
Continued from page 1
was already taken and the state said they were not allowed to use “Badass” in the name.
So they decided to spell their name with several z’s in order to get their DBA registered.
Although they had just opened, Chef Jordan closed the pizza shop from August 31 through September 1 for the 12th Annual Biker Bash, a charity they launched in honor of Uncle Dave Wright.
Each year, the Tolley family raises money for a local family in need. This year, 56 bikers participated. Turnout was smaller than usual, according to Kelly, due to rain.
Jordan said, “One year, we raised money for Trinity O’Connor of Sidney, who was the same age as my kid, just 10 years old. She had neuroblastoma. My parents knew her parents.”
O’Connor later passed away from this form of cancer, which affects the nerve tissues.
Another year, the bikers raised money for a family who lost their house in a fire. Their insurance had lapsed and they had to rebuild on their own.
This year, the bikers
E. HOWARD J R
Donald E.
Howard Jr.
1941-2024
COOPERSTOWN—
A service for Donald E. Howard Jr., who died June 9, 2024, will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2024 in the Nicholas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Cooperstown JuniorSenior High School. Immediately following the service there will be a time of refreshment and fellowship in the cafeteria.
Arrangements are with the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Henry J. Phillips III 1934-2024
COOPERSTOWN—
Henry “Hank” Phillips of Cooperstown died peacefully Saturday, August 31, 2024.
The only child of Henry J. and Laura M. Phillips (née Tierney), Hank was born December 12, 1934 in Pittston, Pennsylvania and raised in Amsterdam, New York. Upon graduating high school, Hank attended the Albany College of Pharmacy, receiving his degree
rode in honor of Caitlyn Hilton for a second time. Cait is the youngest of six children. She has interstitial lung disease and needs to wear an oxygen tank at all times.
Traveling to her doctors, who are mostly in Boston and Syracuse, is expensive. Cait has been in and out of the intensive care unit quite a bit. Her mom, Elizabeth, works at Fatboyz Pizza.
She said, “Caitlyn wants to be a dancer for Taylor Swift and dreams about seeing her in concert one day.”
Kelly Tolley said, “Two tickets cost $10,000.00. We are looking for a way to make Cait’s dream come true.”
Taylor Swift has a concert in Florida this year. The family is considering improvising. They might sit in the parking lot to hear her perform.
Ever since Jordan Tolley graduated from Milford High School, he has been cooking. At age 19, he was a sous chef at the Cooperstown Country Club. He was a kitchen manager at Sloan’s NY Grill. He worked at The Depot and learned to make pizza at Roma in Sidney.
The Tolleys used to get compliments about the food they served at their football parties.
“Your parties are over
the top,” guests would say. So they did some catering and party planning before they met Mike, the landlord of 6730 State Highway 23, Oneonta.
Fatboyz Pizza and Badazz Bitez occupies the space that Azul Restaurant rented before expanding to Southside Mall. The chef’s mom said, “Jordon is a ‘comfort food’ foodie.”
In the future, Kelly Tolley plans to offer lowcarb items for people with diabetes.
“I call these items shamelezz. Shamelezz Pizza has no crust and is served in a 7-inch tin with a fork,” she said. It is a gluten-free option.
Kelly plans to introduce a low-carb macaroni and cheese dish made with cauliflower as well, that she calls “Mockaphony & Cheese.” She is also cooking up zucchini lasagna without the noodles.
Schools
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Pathways Schools of Distinction last year as well.
CFES Brilliant Pathways was formed in 1991, and is based in Essex, New York, on the western edge of Lake
Champlain. According to the organization’s website, “President and CEO Rick Dalton has been devoted to increasing access to higher education for decades. That mission began as a boy, when he saw how barriers to college stopped dreams in their tracks.”
Of additional local interest, a 2023 news release from CFES Brilliant Pathways says that “The Clark Foundation in Cooperstown underwrote Rick’s initial efforts with upstate New York rural schools and remains a regular donor to CFES, [which] now works with 200 underresourced rural and urban schools in 17 states.”
The Otsego Area Occupational Center, one of the 2023-24 award recipients, notes on its website that “OAOC is involved with the Leatherstocking Chapter of CFES. This chapter is sponsored by The Clark Foundation.”
Also of local note regarding CFES Brilliant Pathways, which now reports that it works in 20 states and Ireland: The organization’s current chair of the Board of Directors is J. Bart Morrison, the former director of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown and a former assistant execu-
OBITUARIES
tive director at The Clark Foundation. Morrison, who led the Clark Sports Center from 1990-99, including during the transition in name from the ACC Gymnasium to its current moniker, is now an associate professor of management at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In making its recent awards announcement, CFES Brilliant Pathways noted that the competitive award given to the five local schools “acknowledges the development and execution of a highly effective, year-long plan available to the entire student body. Ninety percent of students who enter the program from these rural and urban schools go on to college, according to CFES.
“These Schools of Distinction have committed to helping students who might otherwise have lost out on the lifetime of opportunities that college affords,” said Dalton in the release. “Their success, and their students’ success, continue to prove the value of the CFES 10Point College and Career Readiness Plan, which is built around mentoring, career-building skills and on-site involvement with schools and businesses.”
Schools interested in participating in the CFES
college and career readiness program can learn more at brilliantpathways.org. According to the CFES Brilliant Pathways announcement, Dalton said the organization’s “mission has become more critical as educators emerged from the pandemic facing new challenges, from students whose focus had been interrupted by virtual learning and shifting attitudes about the value of college to rising interest in entrepreneurialism and the coming revolution of Artificial Intelligence.”
Dalton added that the Schools of Distinction have excelled, and created “a culture of college and career readiness that is a foundation for economic development in their regions.”
CFES Brilliant Pathways advises that to become a School of Distinction, a school must fulfill a meticulous and varied set of criteria. These include implementing cutting-edge, school wide programs that advance college and career readiness.
ADDITIONAL
in 1957. Shortly after passing his board exams and receiving his pharmacy license in New York, Hank was employed at Albany Med as a staff pharmacist. Hank and his fellow Albany College of Pharmacy classmates maintained a very close relationship. They have met every year since graduation, and their children are still friends today.
In Albany, Hank met his love, Dottie, who had also moved there after high school in Ilion to pursue a business degree. The two fell in love, and Hank decided to go to Florida to get his Florida Pharmacist License and secure a job. In 1958, Mercy Hospital hired him, and he ran back to propose to Dottie. The two were wed in Ilion on April 15, 1961. The young couple moved to Coral Gables, Florida, and, on February 10, 1962, gave birth to their daughter, Susan.
That same year, Hank received a call from his college buddy, Ed Badgley. Ed explained that there was an opportunity to purchase a pharmacy in Cooperstown. He asked if Hank would partner with him to buy the business and the building above it. Hank and Dottie jumped at the chance and moved to Cooperstown, where they have remained for more than 60 years.
Hank adored Cooperstown for the people and fellowship he found. He loved the customers and his neighbors, becoming very active in local events. In 1965, Hank served as the president of the PTA. In
1966, Hank organized Cooperstown’s first Summer Festival. In September of the same year, his son Stephen was born. In February of 1967, Hank and his good friend Joe Canzeri served as co-chairmen of the first annual Winter Carnival. Hank personally organized the first gymkhana on Otsego Lake, and for many years, Hank and his little VW Bug slid across the ice, taking first place.
In 1970, Hank served as the president of the Lions Club. In 1973, he was president of the Chamber of Commerce.
From 1978 to 1980, he was assistant scout master of Troop 1254 and enjoyed many camping and hiking trips with his son and all the kids.
Nineteen-eighty was a busy year, as Hank received his pilot’s license and was elected to the Otsego County Board of Representatives. From 1981 to 1989, he served as an Otsego town councilman. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Cooperstown Community Foundation and, from 1983 to 1985, was a member of the board of the Glimmerglass Opera. Hank also served five years as a board member of the Oneonta Savings and Loan and Astoria Federal Savings and Loan.
From 1962 to 1991, Hank and Ed ran Withey’s Pharmacy at 92 Main Street in the Ironclad Building. Across the street was another classmate from Albany College of Pharmacy, Bob Smullens. Bob and the Adsits ran Church & Scott pharmacy. The two businesses supported each other and the community in a spirit
of friendly competition until a major chain pharmacy opened next door. In 1992, they sold Withey’s and their half of the building. Hank went to work for Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich as director of pharmacy. In 1993, he was hired by Vyners Pharmacy Services to manage the pharmacy needs of 1,350 patients in several nursing homes across upstate New York.
After retirement, Hank spent the summers on his boat on Otsego Lake. Both on the lake and around town, Hank could be seen in the company of his dog, Arturo, and volunteering for the Cooperstown Food Pantry.
Hank is survived by his wife, Dottie, his daughter, Susan Tanahey (Sunset Beach, North Carolina), his son Stephen (Cooperstown/Madrid, Spain), and his grandsons Stephen Tanahey (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Michael Tanahey (Greensboro,
North Carolina). Friends are welcome to pay their respects to the Phillips family from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 6, 2024 at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, with Fr. Michael Cambi, pastor, presiding. Immediately following Mass, all attending are welcome to a reception in the Parish Hall located behind the church. Private interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Cooperstown Food Pantry, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Photo provided DONALD
Photo provided
HENRY J. PHILLIPS III
►Fri., Sept. 6
DEADLINE Last day to RSVP for “Land Frolic Guided Walks.” Free and open to the public; registration required. Featuring “Water Conservation Spotlight Walk,” “Invasive Identification and Eradication Walk” and much more. Presented by the Otsego Land Trust. Held 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, September 14. Cherry Valley. Visit otsegolandtrust.org/events
GOLF 8:30 a.m.; shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. “38th Annual Golf Tournament.” Fees apply; includes cart fees, light breakfast, lunch, prizes, more. Presented by the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce at the Oneonta Country Club, 9 Country Club Drive, Oneonta. (607) 4324500.
LIBRARY 10 a.m.
“Coffee & Puzzles.” Each Friday. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.
GARDEN Noon to 12:30 p.m. “What’s Bugging You” series presents “Back To School: Bed Bugs” and “Head Lice.” Integrated Pest Management webinars given by Cornell on the first Friday of each month. Visit cals. cornell.edu/back-schoolbed-bugs-and-head-lice
BLOOD DRIVE
1-5:30 p.m. Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. Visit redcrossblood.org
YARN CLUB
2-3:30 p.m. First Friday each month. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.
CRAFT CIRCLE
3:30 p.m. Learn a simple craft with art teacher Sonja Eklund. Small children might need a caregiver’s help. Held each Friday. WorcesterSchenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.
SCOUTS
4:30-6:30 p.m. “Popcorn Fundraiser.” Support Laurens Troop & Pack 10 scouts for their camping trip to Herkimer. Laurens Public Library, 69 Main Street, Laurens. Also held 9/7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Laurens Central School, 55 Main Street, Laurens.
SUMMER’S END
4:30-6:30 p.m. “End of Summer Cocktails” with Peter and Shannon Oberacker. 801 Smokey Avenue, Schenevus. PeterForSenate51@gmail. com.
FUNDRAISER
5-7 p.m. Lasagna Dinner. Homemade lasagna, bread, salad and freshbaked brownies. Support the Cherry Valley Fire Department. Take-out only. Cherry Valley Firehouse, 11 Railroad Avenue, Cherry Valley. Order at (607) 242-4547.
EXHIBIT OPENING
5-8 p.m. “Homecoming.” First Friday event. Show runs through 9/29. 25 Main Collective, 21 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-5340.
OPEN MIC 6 p.m. Share poetry, music, stories, comedy, dance or whatever stirs the spirit. Admission by donation. A Cherry Valley First Friday event. The Telegraph School, 83 Alden Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 2643785.
CONCERT 6 p.m.
“Summer Concert Series Under the Tent: The Stoddard Hollow String Band.” Fees apply; open to the public. Includes local crafters and vendors. Light refreshments available. Oneonta Gathering Place, 5506 State Route 7, Oneonta. (607) 2674732.
PLANETARIUM 7 p.m.
Tour the Summer Night Sky with SUNY Oneonta faculty. Fees apply; registration required. SUNY Oneonta Planetarium, Room 018A Perna Science Building, SUNY
7:30-10:30 p.m. Fun, social dance with the Otsego Dance Society, featuring music by Contrasonics, with Garry Aney calling. Suggested donation, $10/adult.
First Presbyterian Church, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown. Visit otsegodancesociety.weebly. com
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “Six Characters in Search of an Author.” Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@ oneonta.edu.
►Sat., Sept. 7
FUN RUN 8:30 a.m.
check-in; 9 a.m. start. “Kids Fun Run at Fortin Park.” Presented by Oneonta World of Learning and Oneonta High School cross-country team. Fees apply; registration required. Fortin Park, Oneonta. (607) 4318543.
ART MINISTRY
9-11 a.m. “Portrait Drawing.” Led by Gary Mayer. Fees apply; registration required. Held Saturdays through 9/28. First United Methodist Church of Oneonta, 66 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-4102.
MEET & GREET
9 a.m. “Oneonta Dems to Meet with City and State Officials.” Featuring guest speakers Elayne Mosher Campoli (city councilperson, Ward 1) and Rory McClenahan (field organizer, Otsego County, New York State Democratic
Committee). Free, open to the public. Get Fresh on Main Café, 254 Main Street, Oneonta. RSVP to Garymaffei@gmail.com.
ONEONTA FARMERS’ MARKET 9 a.m. to noon. Produce, arts, crafts and more from area producers. Dietz Street, between Main and Wall streets, Oneonta.
FARMERS MARKET
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local vendors, food trucks, music, more. Continues Saturdays through 10/19. Eastern Otsego Farmers’ Market, Borst Field, 130 Borst Way, Schenevus. culinaryanthropology@ gmail.com.
MUSEUM 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Exploration Day: Metal at the Mill.” Featuring Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree. Hanford Mills Museum, 51 County Road 12, East Meredith. (607) 2785744.
CONSERVATION
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “ISPY Invasive Species.” Easy paddle down Susquehanna River while learning how to ID common aquatic and riparian invasive plants with the Otsego County Conservation Association. Start at the Crumhorn Fishing Access Site, Maryland. (607) 547-4488.
TEEN SCENE Noon to 3 p.m. “Dragon Dates: Fall Mini Golf” with the Family Resource Network. Oneonta Sports Park, 122 County Route 47, Oneonta. (607) 4320001.
WELLNESS Noon to 3 p.m. “Third Annual Wellness Fair.” Spring Park, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-7023.
MOTOR SHOW Noon to 5 p.m. “Annual Gasoline Powered Motor Show.” Free admission. Windfall Dutch Barn,
2009 Clinton Road, Fort Plain. (518) 774-0134, THEATER—2 p.m.
“Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Presents: Estuary Tales.” Puppet extravaganza chronicling the life and times of the Hudson River. Free for all ages. West Kortright Center, 49 West Kortright Church Road, East Meredith. (607) 278-5454.
DINNER 5 p.m.
“2024 Annual Sportsman Dinner.” Pig roast with sides, raffle, cocktail hour and more. Fees apply. Mount Vision Fire Department, 114 Fields Cross Road, Mount Vision. (607) 433-0997.
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “BRKLYN: The Musical.” Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@oneonta.edu.
TRIBUTE 8 p.m.
“Halfway to Hell: A Rock & Roll Tribute to AC/DC.” Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
►Sun., Sept. 8
FUNDRAISER
8-11 a.m. “Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser.” Support the Unadilla Gorilla Grapplers Wrestling Club. Fees apply. Unadilla Rod & Gun Club, 566 Butternut Road, Unadilla. (607) 369-2205.
FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “2024 Grand & Glorious Fall Fair.” Music, games, food, local artisans and more to support the Catskill Choral Society. Neahwa Park, 15 James Georgeson Avenue. Oneonta. (607) 746-6922.
12:30-5 p.m. Live music and sangria to benefit the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Pail Shop Vineyards, 124 Goose Street, Fly Creek. (607) 547-8902.
LOCAL ART 1-4 p.m. “Art in the Park.” Sale featuring 2-D works by local artists. Presented by the Upper Unadilla Valley Association. Free, open to the public. In the enclosed pavilion at the Town of Winfield Park. (315) 855-4368.
►Mon., Sept. 9
DEADLINE Last day to register for the “Paint Your Dog” art class. Held 9/17 at 5:30 p.m. Fees apply. Main View Gallery, 73-77 Main Street, Oneonta. (607) 4328590.
CONNECTIONS
10 a.m. “Monday Mindfulness” in the community room. Held each Monday. Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown.
PLAY & LEARN
10 a.m. Guided sensory learning for children aged 5 and under. Held each Monday. Cooperstown Village Library, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8344.
HISTORY 10 a.m. “Medicine & Surgery in the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.” Presented by Von Barron, historian and reenactment surgeon from Virginia. Free and open to the public. Community Room, Clark Sports Center, 124 County Road 52, Cooperstown.
SENIOR MEALS Noon. Seniors are invited to enjoy a meal each Monday and Wednesday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $10.60 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of ziti with meatballs, tossed salad, garlic knots and brownies. Cherry Valley Facilities Corporation Café, 2 Genesee Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 547-6454.
CONNECTIONS
12:45 p.m. Bluegrass Circle Jam Session. Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail. com.
POTTERY
1:30-4:30 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.
GARDEN CLUB 6:30 p.m. “Herbs for Cooking, Cocktails and Cordials.” Presented by Otsego County Master Gardener Gert Coleman. All welcome. Oneonta Garden Club at St. James Episcopal Church, 305 Main Street, Oneonta.
