The Freeman's Journal 09-21-23

Templeton Applies Again for Averill Rd. Special Use Permit

COOPERSTOWN

The Templeton Foundation announced last week that it has applied for the issuance of a Special Use Permit from the Village of Cooperstown for its multi-residential project on Averill Road in the village.

The proposed project will support the continued operations of Bassett Medical Center and Bassett Healthcare Network with the construction of one 24-unit apartment building and two clusters of townhomes consisting of six units each, for a total of 12 townhomes.

According to a press release, the development will be similar in design to the Templeton-owned community of 40 townhomes located on Fernleigh Drive, which houses Bassett Medical Center employees.

The Averill Road buildings will be constructed in accordance with an energy-efficient design and the site has been designed to be environmentally friendly.

Cooperstown Goes

Bananas Barnstorming Team Sells Out Doubleday

By WRILEY NELSON COOPERSTOWN

Doubleday Field witnessed one of Cooperstown’s biggest spectacles in recent memory on Saturday, September 16. The Savannah Bananas, a barnstorming team that plays by its own rules and has been called baseball’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters, descended on the village for the final stop of their 2023 world tour. The Bananas and their traveling rivals, the Party Animals, arrived in Cooperstown on Friday, September 15 with tied

38-38 season records after selling out the 10,000-seat NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse Thursday night. The teams spent Friday night at the Hall of Fame, unveiling a new exhibit on the meteoric rise of Banana Ball and meeting fans. Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, members Ted Simmons and Lee Smith, and outspoken Bananas owner and showman Jesse Cole were in attendance.

“We have a lot of emotions going on at the end of the tour,” said breakdancing first-base coach

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The development will also involve improvements to the village municipal water system with the construction of a new water tank at no cost to the village, together with improvements along Averill Road in front of the project site.

“Templeton Foundation and Bassett Medical Center are committed to maintaining the integrity of the Glimmerglass Historic District and developing this project in keeping with their long-standing commitment to the Cooperstown community,” the release reads.

Templeton Foundation said it is “looking forward to the successful completion of this much-needed multi-residential facility in support of Bassett Medical Center and Bassett Healthcare Network.”

This is the second time Templeton has applied for a Special Use Permit from the Village of Cooperstown for the Averill Road development. Following issuance of a Special Use Permit in January, the project had been stalled by two lawsuits filed on behalf of adjacent property owners Michael Swatling and Carolyn O’Brien.

TEDxOneonta Message: ‘Look Around, Look Ahead’

By MONICA CALzOLARI ONEONTA

The all-volunteer planning committee for 2023 TEDxOneonta attracted a diverse slate of speakers on Friday, September 15.

TEDxOneonta was founded in 2017 with a goal to bring big ideas worth sharing to our community and to connect community members. Delivering on its promise, it has hosted 30 speakers, held six events and its videos have received more than 500,000 views on YouTube.

The youngest speaker on September 15 was just 17 years old and a senior in high school from downstate New York.

Noemie Florant aspires to earn a degree in computer science

from Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Cornell University. She gave the audience two examples of how artificial intelligence produces discriminatory practices in the hiring process and in the prison system. To reduce bias, Florant proposed that more underrepresented youth like herself need to become developers. She wants to inspire “Young Minds to Erase Algorithmic Bias in AI,” the subject of her TEDx talk.

Juan Carlos Montenegro from Los Angeles, California spoke about “Unleashing Human Potential through Volunteerism.” He described his own struggles from dyslexia. He was not diagnosed until he was 40 years old. He failed all

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Photo by Wriley Nelson

Alex Payne, a 13-year-old from Boston, meets Bananas player Danny Hosley during a “VIB” event before the game.

Photo by Monica Calzolari

Juan Carlos Montenegro, Noemie Florant, Julianne Kirkland, Keneea Linton-George, Jean Tien and Josiah Brown are the six speakers featured at the September 15 TEDxOneonta event.

Local Leagues plan ‘Circle Conversations’

F

“Circle conversations are designed to bring people together to listen to one another,” says LWV member Tom pullyblank, a mediator, pastor and former instructor at SUNY Oneonta who is facilitating the conversations. “Circle

or the next year, up to and through the 2024 general election, the League of Women Voters of Cooperstown and the League of Women Voters of Oneonta are encouraging citizens to engage in a series of “circle conversations” specifically designed to bring the community together. polarization remains one of the most intractable problems in American political life, according to organizers. Whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or progressive, Americans seem to be more insulated than ever from people with whom we disagree.conversations are not debates and certainly not arguments, both of which are all too common in today’s political climate.”

Initially, in October and November this year, participants will gather for a structured series of discussions based on readings, lectures, and other media. The initiative to reduce polarization will resume in late winter/early spring of 2024, with film screenings and discussions, follow-up conversations after the presidential debates, and more targeted circle conversations addressing themes in national, state, and local politics.

“many people across the political spectrum are asking, ‘What can be done? How can we reduce polarization in the nation, in our communities and in our families?’ One answer,” pullyblank adds, “is to listen to each other, to hear and, possibly, accept the

beliefs and feelings of people who are different from us. At the very least, circle conversations give us a chance to practice living with those with whom we disagree.”

All members of the community are welcome to participate. The four fall sessions will be held on October 5 and 19 and November 2 and 16 from 6-8 p.m. at the Oneonta First presbyterian Church, 381 main Street, Oneonta.

The first session will focus on “media” and the second topic is “money”; the last two sessions will explore the interplay between Democrats and Republicans. participants will be given a list of readings and recordings to prepare for each session.

The LWV is actively seeking people from all spectrums of the community to join the conversation. To register, contact pullyblank at lwvcircle@gmail.com.

AllOTSeGO.

photo provided

Geertgens Returns to Competitive Track

by WRILeY NeLSON GReeNSbORO, NC

A

fter taking a few years off to play pickleball, Doug Geertgens, formerly of Hartwick and a member of Hurley’s Heroes Track ClubofOneonta,competed recently in the USA masters Track and FieldOutdoor Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. Geertgens, 80, competed in the triple jump, long jump, 80m hurdles, high jump and 100m dash, winning gold medals in the former three events and placing fourth in the latter two. These performances currently rank him first in the U.S. for the three gold-medal performances in his age group.

“I’m very fortunate and pleased to be able to be competitive,” Geertgens said.

He served as principal of the Cooperstown elementary School from 1980 to 1998. Shortly before his retirement, an acquaintance introduced him to competitive running.

SUSQUEHANNA

VALLEY GARLIC

“I had never been on a track team, but I had coached it,” he recalled.

20thFreeAnniversary! eventDonations welcome!

Biggest garlic contest

weigh-in at noon (rules on website) all l ocal growers Free eventDonations Welcome!

Route

ANTIQUES

Geertgens first competed in the 1998 empire State Games and then attended USA masters Track and Field tournaments for the next five years. He traveled to Australia for the 2001 World masters Athletic Championships and to puerto Rico for the 2003 championships. The 2023 USA masters was his first time back on the track in nearly 15 years. many of his competitors were old rivals from previous events. Geertgens started playing competitive pickleball five years ago and has competed in the North Carolina Senior Games for the last three years. He will return to the courts in the men’s singles and doubles events in October.

Celebrating Oktoberfest

September 22, 23, 29, & 30

Delicious German Dishes, Beers, and wines in a gemütlich setting

• Open for dinner Fridays and Saturdays

• Dry aged Rib Eye Steak, BBQ Ribs, Salmon and Chicken Specialties & Humphrey’s famous Burgers

• Kid’s Menu available

LpC meets Sept. 27th

COOpeRSTOWN

IN • TAKE OUT •

FREE DELIVERY Reservations suggested 607-441-3366 437 Main Street, Oneonta Restaurant &

The Local planning Committee for the Cooperstown New York Forward program will hold its fourth meeting on Wednesday, September 27 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Cooperstown Village Hall, 22 main Street. The meeting is open to observers from the public, with an opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting. The agenda for this

Doug Geergens displays ribbons and medals won during USA Masters Track and Field competition.

OTSeGO COUNTY

County Government Releases Survey for Strategic Plan

OTSEGO COUNTY—Otsego County government recently began its strategic planning process to develop an overall approach for serving the needs of county residents and businesses in the coming years.

According to County Administrator Steve Wilson, “The plan will serve as a guide to bring about a more consistent and coordinated approach to the work of the departments in county government. Public input about county government’s effectiveness and ‘userfriendliness’ is an essential part of this planning process. We hope to get as many responses to the survey as possible.”

The planning process is facilitated by Fairweather Consulting of New Paltz. Peter Fairweather will be leading the outreach process, guided by a steering committee representing the Otsego County Board of Representatives and the heads of county departments. The plan should be completed by mid-2024. The survey will be available in paper format at various locations throughout the county. It can also be found on-line at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/OtsegoCounty. For more information, contact pfairweather@fairweatherconsulting.com.

CGP Exhibit Opens Oct. 14th

NEW BERLIN—Students of the Cooperstown Graduate Program collaborated with Golden Artist Colors to present “Our Votes, Our Stories,” an art exhibition reflecting on voting rights that will open at the Sam and Adele Golden Gallery in New Berlin

on Saturday, October 14. A collection of young, contemporary artists will display a wide variety of multimedia works that examine the history of voting in the U.S. and engage the community in meaningful dialogue about threats to democratic rights.

“We are interested in starting up a conversation about voting,” said CGP Director and Distinguished Professor Gretchen Sorin. “Art can get people thinking, and we want to get people considering the meaning of voting rights.”

“When words are not enough, we lean on the propensity of art to engage people in critical conversations about issues that matter in their lives,” the artists said in their statement. “In the midst of two controversial, divisive elections and increasing legislative efforts around the country to disenfranchise people of color, we believe that the time to act is now. This exhibition reminds Americans of the relentless struggle for voting rights and the need, in a democracy, to be vigilant watchdogs of civil rights.”

“Voter suppression has a longstanding history in our country and the deliberate, yet insidious attempts to disenfranchise voters have only become more explicit and aggressive,” the release continued. “Since January 2021, 19 states have enacted over 30 laws that make it harder for Americans to vote. These laws disproportionately target voters of color and poor voters and not only restrict access to the polls, but leverage the threat of criminal charges to intimidate citizens from participating in the electoral process.”

The exhibit is the culmination of years of work by a number of current and former CGP students, including August Stromberger, Sophia Hall, Morgan Pigott and Project Director Jimmy Nunn,

Compiled by Wriley Nelson

in collaboration with Mark Golden. Nunn has worked on the project for years and will also be the exhibit curator.

“Our Votes, Our Stories” is supported by the League of Women Voters. There will be an official opening from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, October 14. The gallery is located at 188 Bell Road, New Berlin.

Chamber Director Resigns

COOPERSTOWN—After four years as executive director of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, Tara Burke has submitted her resignation and will be moving to the Capital District for personal reasons in October.

“I have very much enjoyed working with all of you the past four years, and hope that you have been happy with the strides the chamber has taken during this time to support and promote your businesses,” she said in a statement. “I will truly miss the friends and colleagues I’ve been fortunate to have in this role… I’m looking forward to new adventures, but this is also a great community that I’m sad to be leaving.”

The chamber will continue operating under the supervision of its Board of Directors and Operations and Marketing Coordinator Andrea House. For more information, contact the Chamber at (607) 547-9983 or office@cooperstownchamber.org.

Fall Waste Collection Begins

ONEONTA—The Town of Oneonta announced that it will collect autumn yard waste each Monday from September 25 to October 30.

AllOTSEGO.dining&entertainment

Perspectives

It’s a Smelly Mess

There are a lot of problems in this world, some big and some not so big. One of the big, really big, problems we as a country and as a world have is food waste. We can’t seem to be able either to make good use of the immeasurable amount of uneaten food we produce, or to dispose of it in an intelligent, green and helpful way.

While the world wastes about two and a half billion tons of food every year, we in the United States throw out more food than any other country, nearly 60 million tons—120 billion pounds—every year. Households are the largest contributor to our food waste problem, responsible for nearly half the total surplus, while produce farms account for 17 percent, manufacturing is responsible for almost 15 percent, foodservice 14 percent and retail 6 percent. Astonishingly, that amount is estimated to be almost 40 percent of the entire U.S. food supply. It’s also 325 pounds of waste per person. And the numbers are increasing. Sadly, most of this food waste goes straight into our landfills, making food, in all of its guises, the largest component taking up space in our ghastly overfull mountains of trash. It is also a major emissions culprit, generating about 8 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gases and needlessly wasting the water and energy it took to produce it in the first place. The amount of food wasted here in this country has an approximate value of $218 billion, the equivalent of 130 billion meals. That is pretty shocking, and the sooner we can do something about this travesty, the better.

Close to 35 million people in this country, 10 million of whom are children, suffer from food insecurity and are in serious need of basic amounts of nourishment. Why do we waste what all these people can use? It is a complex problem, bigger than big, that amounts in good part to socioeconomic disparities, confusion, ingrained beliefs and habits. More than 80 percent of Americans chuck good, consumable food because they misunderstand expiration labels—sell by; use by; best before; best by—and they are afraid of a food-borne illness. We also tend to buy more food than we can eat, store it imperfectly so it doesn’t keep well, and throw out the leftovers, which could easily make another meal or at the very least be contributed to a compost. The average family of four spends $1,500.00 each year on food that is uneaten.

On the bright side, a number of states are beginning to curb food waste and recover unwanted and unconsumed good food. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont have passed laws that restrict the amount of food waste headed for the landfills, and there is pending legislation in California, Colorado, and Massachusetts that would establish private-sector programs for composting and organic food collection. The Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency set a nation-wide goal, in 2015, of reducing food waste by half by 2030, although unfortunately the amount of food waste has since increased.

Here, in our village, we are fortunate to have Cooperstown Composting, which has provided a composting service at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market since 2022, wherein anyone can bring compostable food to the supplied compost containers. The vendors use these containers as well.

Cooperstown Composting diverted 2,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill in 2022. Thank you.

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.

Basile for Otsego County Clerk

I want to go on record as endorsing Jennifer Basile for the office of county clerk. Jennifer has worked effectively in the county clerk’s office for 14 years. She has the extensive experience and skills required to provide outstanding service to the citizens of Otsego County.

Jennifer’s dedication and commitment to give back to the local communities will be a great asset to Otsego County. Because Jennifer Basile has served as deputy county clerk for the last seven years, I believe she is well qualified and has the skills required to fill the position. Electing Jennifer to the position will allow for continuity in the office of the county clerk.

I believe Jennifer Basile is the most qualified candidate to serve as our next Otsego County Clerk.

Thomas M. Armao President Country Club Automotive Group, Oneonta

Help CFP Fight Food Insecurity

September is Hunger Action Month. Please join us at the Cooperstown Food Pantry in fighting food insecurity by making a donation to the food pantry of your choice. Good nutrition helps children to excel in school, helps parents be effective employees, and helps grandparents remain healthy.

Cooperstown Food Pantry provides weekly backpacks for our local students, and food for three meals a day for five days (15 meals per person) per household visit to keep our neighbors in good health. We help bridge the gap when tough decisions need to be made about paying the rent, repairing the car, paying a medical bill or putting food on the table. In 2023, we are seeing an increasing number of individuals in need of nutritional support.

Visit our website, cooperstownfoodpantry.org, for more about our services, to make a donation or to volunteer.

For more about pantries and feeding programs elsewhere in Otsego County, visit otsegohunger.org.

We thank you all for your years of ongoing support!!

Sharon Oberriter President Cooperstown Food Pantry

Benton for County Clerk

working to re-open the DMV in Oneonta and to finding solutions to reducing lines, making in-person help more available, establishing drop boxes, and making mobile DMV services a reality. Outreach is something MacGuire is well-known for and deserves the vote of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike because he will make a difference in our lives.

Nicole A. Dillingham Springfield Center

Experience Vital to Clerk Position

On AllOtsego.com two weeks ago, Mr. Benton discusses speeding up the process of filing and recording documents to improve customer service. His response was proof to me how little he knows about the county clerk’s office.

For many years now, the county clerk’s office has processed their land recordings and civil court filing via electronic means, known as e-recording and e-filing. Mr. Benton needs to explain how much faster he intends to speed the process up beyond that. If he had any knowledge of the office, he would know that he has absolutely no control over the civil court matters filed with the clerk’s office. Only the New York State Unified Court system can set the guidelines for him.

He failed to acknowledge that our records are also accessible online. He mentions that the clerk needs to be in office and available at all times. Then he states they need to be all over the county. How will he accomplish this while he is busy in Albany fighting for unfunded mandates as if he were an assemblyman? I would imagine that when he fails to get elected as county clerk that is the next office he will run for.

He has absolutely no knowledge of the operations of either the Department of Motor Vehicles or the clerk’s office. Mr. Benton is an individual who just wants to run for office, any office. And more power to him. Let’s not forget that two years ago he announced that he was going to run for county representative.

LWV Supports Land Trust Plans

The League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area and League of Women Voters of the Oneonta Area support the Otsego Land Trust’s effort to acquire Camp Henderson in Milford, New York. The camp, a 668-acre site that includes forests, wetlands, and Crumhorn Lake, is being offered for sale by the Leatherstocking Council of the Boy Scouts of America with no constraints on how the property can be sold, subdivided, or used.

The League of Women Voters believes that air, water and land resources should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems. Resources should be conserved and protected to ensure their present and future availability. Areas of critical concern include fragile or historical lands, where development could result in irreversible damage to shore lands, lakes, geological formations, wildlife habitats, and scenic or historic areas and wetlands. The League views land, such as Camp Henderson, as a finite resource, not a commodity and land ownership, whether public or private, carries responsibility for stewardship management.

The Otsego Land Trust has proven to be a superb steward of protected land, as evidenced by Brookwood Point on Otsego Lake on Route 80. This beautiful property, protected forever and carefully managed by the land trust under a conservation easement, is regularly enjoyed by members of the community. Compton Bridge, Deowongo Lake and other properties in Oaksville, Richfield, and Roseboom also serve as a testament to the work of the Otsego Land Trust.

The need for state funding is urgent and the time to act is now. The former scout camp is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land remaining in Otsego County. The property offers a major opportunity for a collaborative effort to protect and conserve significant natural resources in perpetuity. The entire property has high conservation value that can help build climate resiliency in the region, strengthen the tourism economy, and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors.

Columnists

Terry Berkson, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Elizabeth Cooper, Maureen Culbert, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Ian Kenyon, Marcia Kozubek, Joel J. Plue, Tom Shelby, Dan Sullivan, T. Stephen Wager, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin

Web Architect

Xander Moffat Historian Tom Heitz/Sharon Stuart Legal Counsel Jill Ann Poulson

Editorial Board

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

When was the last time you enjoyed your visit to the Otsego County DMV? Well, MacGuire Benton, running for county clerk, is determined to change all that. He has energy, ideas and loves people. He wants to revitalize our county clerk operations to make them more convenient, more transparent and more efficient. I have known MacGuire for almost 10 years and am impressed with his optimism, work ethic, and ability to make things happen.

The election for county clerk brings a real opportunity for improved services for the citizens of Otsego County. MacGuire has countless ideas to revitalize these moribund operations. He is committed to

The county clerk’s office does not need a politician. What the offices need is a person with complete knowledge and the experience. As your current county clerk, with 27 years of experience, 20 of those years as county clerk, I know personally that there is only one candidate with the knowledge, experience and tireless work ethic to be our county clerk. I will be voting for Jennifer Basile on November 7. Join me in making the best decision for the Otsego County clerk’s office and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Kathy Sinnott Gardner Otsego County Clerk

Apology to Mayor

Mark Drnek

I would like to formally apologize for calling the mayor of the City of Oneonta a “photo hog” in a statement that was published two weeks ago.

John Hamill Oneonta

Please contact Senator Peter Oberacker (518-455-3131), Commissioner Department of Environmental Conservation (518-402-8013), and Commissioner NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (518-474-0456).

The League encourages you to act quickly to secure funding from the Environmental Bond Act to support the purchase of the Crumhorn Lake property. The property is important to residents of Otsego County and their quality of life.

Christina Bourgeois Natural Resources Director LWV of the Cooperstown Area

Stephanie Bauer Team Leader LWV of the Oneonta Area

‘Yellow Dog Dem’ Chooses Basile

In Texas, where I vote, I am a Yellow Dog Democrat— meaning I would vote for the Democrat even if they were a

185 YEARS

What Are All These People Up To?

Ilike to call it “grassroots governance.”

It’s not a commonly-used phrase, but its pursuit has informed the first 20 months of my term, so there’s value in clarifying its meaning—or at least my view of it.

There are several interpretations of the term and its application—some of which I subscribe to—but as a practical matter, I would describe it this way:

For the fastest way to get to the best, most cost effective, informed, and supportable determination of strategies to address the City of Oneonta’s problems and promise, we need a new paradigm of community participation.

In this model, self-identifying members of the community with opinions, experience, expertise, and a commitment to respectful dialogue are brought together with a clear and focused charge.

If they haven’t previously been participants in local government, so much the better.

They are supported by and connective to city government, but they are independent thinkers whose mission is to determine proposals to be taken to boards, commissions and, ultimately, the Common Council for action.

85 YEARS AGO

September 17, 1838

Application for a WPA Project for the improvement of Doubleday Field was authorized at the regular meeting of the Village Board of Trustees. Mayor Theodore R. Lettis executed the necessary papers. The application provides both for the work incident to the enlargement of the field through the purchase of additional property made possible through the generosity of Mr. Stephen C. Clark, and the erection of a new grandstand according to plans recently approved by the Board. Work will be commenced upon the enlargement project by the village force at once, without awaiting the approval of the project by the WPA. The total cost of the project will be about $23,000 of which the village will pay about $6,000 to $8,000 with the state and federal governments paying the balance.

September 21, 1938

60 YEARS AGO

The village’s Board of Zoning Appeals Monday night unanimously disapproved an application submitted by the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital for permission to convert into a parking lot a vacant site east of Bassett Hall on Beaver Street. The action followed a public meeting earlier that evening. Dr. James Bordley III, Bassett Hospital Director, appealed for a favorable ruling on the application. A number of persons spoke briefly in opposition. Voting against the application were former Mayors Alva C. Welch and Ross J. Young, Planning Commission Chair Frederick L. Rath, Jr., and Harry N. Shepherd, four of the five members of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

September 18, 1963

20 YEARS AGO

A strong, healthy and vibrant red-tailed hawk was released into the wild on Wednesday, September 17, one month after being rescued by a concerned high school student. Tom Krietsch, a tenth-grader at Richfield Springs Central School noticed the bird on the afternoon of August 15th as he was driving by the Little Lake access point with his friend Alan Stokes. “When I saw it, it flew up into the air, and then collapsed to the ground. I knew something was wrong and that I should do something.” Krietsch was able to secure the hawk by covering its head with his shirt. “Once I put the shirt over its head, it seemed like it fell asleep.” Krietsch and Stokes drove the bird to Exeter Veterinary Clinic. The Clinic passed the female hawk onto Bonnie Folnsbee of Adirondack Foothills Wildlife Care at Poland, New York. As Folnsbee was preparing to x-ray the bird, it coughed up a chunk of animal bone that had lodged in its throat. The hawk was released by Folsbee where it was found. “It is very important to release rehabilitated hawks where they are found because they are very territorial,” explained Folnsbee, who, along with her husband Wesley, nursed the bird back to health.

Solution:

September 19, 2003

Bringing many people to the table has obvious benefit.

But…avoiding the cacophony of too many topics, simultaneous discussions and potential rabbit holes must be a central strategy.

Agendas have to drive the discussion, and every meeting should create identifiable movement and progress, leaving its participants energized and eager to continue.

So, creating smaller groups with laser focus on

By MERL REAGLE

specific goals is the key.

My strategy as mayor has been to create opportunities for a significant number and cross-section of our community to become engines for change.

To do that, I have listened. I have listened to you. I continue to listen to you.

When you’ve expressed an opinion or shared a concern, I’ve fit that piece into the larger picture. I’ve examined it and tried to determine how it might be connective to another priority.

Then, I’ve created “ad hoc” committees, workgroups or taskforces.

I’ve asked you to join—for a heartbeat or for the long-haul, and that those groups continue to seek new blood and new ideas.

The general perception is that cities (Oneonta included) have an outsized tendency to hire “experts” to do studies—(often considered an expensive way to kick the can down the road).

There is no denying that studies are generally useful to the municipalities that have them conducted. However, with rare exception, they do not engage the community in their production, except as generators of opinion or as demographics.

And that means that—again, generally speaking—results may be viewed with skepticism by the public, sometimes complicating their implementation.

By engaging our neighbors in the formulation of strategies, based on fact-based foundations, and determined through the concerted efforts of small groups, we “bake into the cake” a support network within the community for action by its

Continued on page 9

Sing Along with Napster… And bring a good lawyer

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

TIME OUT

Gallery To Exhibit Portraits

SHARON SPRINGS—The Village Hall Gallery, at 187 Main Street in Sharon Springs, announced that it will exhibit portraits by Lady Ostapeck from Monday, November 6 through Wednesday, December 6. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Alma “Lady” Ostapeck, formerly of Fly Creek, passed away in 2017, 20 days before her 99th birthday. She led a rich and fascinating life and became well known for her Victorian-style portrait photography. For more information on her life and work, visit http://www.ladyostapeck.com/.

BFS Offers Boating Course

SPRINGFIELD—The SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station will hold a free New York State Safe Boating Course on Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8 at the BFS Upland Interpretive Center near Sunken Island. The eight-hour class will run from 8 a.m. to noon each day. Participants who successfully complete the class will receive a safe boating certificate. Pre-registration is required and seats are limited; visit https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/203110.

Hamloaf Dinner Returns

CHERRY VALLEY—The First Presbyterian Church’s ever-popular fall hamloaf dinner will return on Monday, October 9 from 4-6 p.m. It is by takeout only. Each dinner includes hamloaf, creamed potatoes, squash, beets, a roll, and a choice of pie, and costs a donation of the diner’s choice. Pre-orders are appreciated; call (315) 858-1196 or (607) 264-3943.

New Holiday Event Planned

COOPERSTOWN—The Farmers’ Museum announced that it will hold a new holiday season event in November and December. According to a release, the new six-week light show extravaganza promises to attract thousands of visitors to Cooperstown each year. “Glimmer Nights” will take place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from Friday, November 24 through Sunday, December 31.

“At outdoor venues like parks and botanical gardens across the country, holiday light shows are enormously sought-after family entertainment,” said Dr. Paul S. D’Ambrosio, president and CEO of The Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore Art Museum. “The Farmers’ Museum’s charming 19th-century village and farmstead are ideally suited for just such an openair attraction with huge mass appeal. It only makes sense to learn from the existing models to create something entirely unique and unforgettable.”

Glimmer Nights will feature a self-guided walking tour of elaborate, multi-colored light displays. The path will wind through the museum’s Country Village and other areas, each with a unique theme. It is expected to considerably increase off-season visits to Cooperstown. Tickets will go on sale in mid-October. Visit farmersmuseum.org for updates.

CYNC Gears Up for Bike Race

GARRATTSVILLE—Central New York Cycling, Butternuts Brewery and the Butternut Valley Alliance have partnered to present the Butternut Valley Gravel Grinder bicycling challenge at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 7. Rides will range from 15 to 65 miles through fall foliage on dirt and gravel roads. It is a cycling challenge rather than a race and will provide ample opportunity to enjoy one of the most scenic rural areas in the state. However, riders will be placed and will probably be timed. All are free to ride at their own pace. Famed cyclist and Unbound Gravel winner Ted King will participate. Every entrant will be eligible to win a custom Rock Lobster bike frame. After the ride, there will be live music, food from the Empire House of Gilbertsville and beer from Butternuts Brewery; all are included with the entry fee, but participants must register by Monday, September 26 to be certain of receiving a meal ticket.

All participants must register by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 2. Proceeds from the event will support BVA, the Garrattsville Fire Department, CNYC and the Bassett Cancer Institute. For more information or to register, visit https://www.bikereg. com/butternut-valley-gravel-grinder. BVA is a community non-profit that protects and conserves the environmental, agricultural, economic and cultural heritage of the Butternut Creek watershed and its communities.

Beer Hike Is This Weekend

MIDDLEFIELD—Otsego Outdoors will offer a new fall event, the beer hike, at Brewery Ommegang on Saturday, September 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The trail is steep and will take most participants about an hour. Registration is free, but attendees must sign up for a specific start time in advance. After completing the trail, hikers will receive a beer token. The Otsego Outdoors Beer Hike is limited to 100 participants, so advance registration is recommended. Visit otsego2000.org for more information or to register.

The event is also the launch party for the Otsego Outdoors Fall Challenge, which showcases places to hike, paddle, cycle, and fish in and near Otsego County. People who complete eight of the featured activities (an octet) receive a free patch, sticker and listing on the Challenge Roster.

Holiday Spirit

SMYRNA—The Wolf Mountain Nature Center, a preserve for gray wolves, Eastern coyotes, arctic fox and gray fox, will hold its “Honoring the Spirit of the Wolf” fall festival on Sunday, October 8. For more information, visit www. TheWolfMountainNatureCenter.org.

Center Accepting Group Trips

ONEONTA—SUNY Oneonta’s AJ Read Science Discovery Center announced that it is accepting requests for group trips. According to a release, the center offers free field trips that include time in the Discovery Center and a planetarium show; the field trips are intended especially for grades 3-5. The trips will offer a variety of engaging, hands-on STEMrelated exhibits and demonstrations. Teachers or other trip organizers can visit https://suny.oneonta. edu/science-discovery-center to request a trip.

Fall Festival is October 1st

MIDDLEFIELD—The Town of Middlefield Historical Association will host a community fall festival at its headquarters in the Old School House building on County Highway 35 in the hamlet of Middlefield from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 1. The family-friendly event will feature fall vendors, live music, a church service, children’s activities, Middlefield Fire Department events to observe Fire Prevention Month and Jim Loudon with a presentation on the history of local trolley services. The festival is free and open to the public.

Unadilla Fall Festival Returns

UNADILLA—Covered Bridge Farm Market will host the Unadilla Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 24. The event will feature more than 50 local arts, crafts, farm and small business vendors, non-profits, children’s activities, a corn maze, pumpkins, and live music. It will be held rain or shine, with free admission and parking. There is a wait list for vendors, and prospective vendors are warned of extensive scammer activity claiming to sell vendor spaces.

Katz Will Lead Doubleday Tour

COOPERSTOWN—The Village Library of Cooperstown will host a series of programs throughout the fall relating to the “Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories, with David Rubenstein” PBS series. It will begin with a local history walking tour of Doubleday Field led by Jeff Katz, author, former Cooperstown mayor and president of the Friends of Doubleday. The tour will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 28. The group will meet at the Doubleday entrance.

Family Fun Day is Saturday

MILFORD—Otsego County Relay for Life will hold a Family Fun Day at Wilber Park in Milford from 11 a.m. to dusk on Saturday, September 23. The J.D. Car Show will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A tri-county cornhole tournament will begin at 1 p.m., and the Relay itself runs from 4-8 p.m. Roundhouse Rockers will perform beginning at 4 p.m., and a children’s color run starts at 5 p.m. There will also be vendors, food, bounce houses, games and activities, fireworks at dusk, and more family fun. For information, or to sign up, visit https://secure.acsevents. org/site/SPageServer?pagename=relay.

New CAA Exhibits Set To Open

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association will hold an opening reception for two new exhibits on Friday, September 29 from 5-7 p.m. The Central New York Watercolor Society will present their annual Members-Only Juried Exhibition in Gallery A.

It will feature selected works by signature and associate members of the society and the opening reception will provide opportunities to meet with the artists. This year’s juror is Ken Call, signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and other prestigious organizations.

Gallery B will host “Always Looking Up” by Judith Snedeker Jaquith of Worcester. She is an oil painter who is fascinated by skies and open spaces, and the selected art will examine the many variations of the sky. Both exhibits will be on display through Friday, October 27. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

UMC To Hold Rummage Sale

ONEONTA—The Oneonta First United Methodist Church, at 66 Chestnut Street, will host a rummage and book sale on Thursday and Friday, September 28 and 29. The sales run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and from 9-11 a.m. on Friday, with the rummage sale extending until 1 p.m. Friday will also feature a $2.00 bag sale. Visitors are warned to use street parking or the outer perimeter of the Dollar General/Smoker’s Choice lot; cars parked in the laundromat lot may be towed.

SUNY Art Exhibits Open Now

ONEONTA—The SUNY Oneonta art galleries kicked off the academic year with two exhibitions open through Saturday, October 7. “Between Wind and Water,” a solo exhibit of sculptures by Jeffersonbased artist Richard Friedberg, is located in the Martin-Mullen Gallery.

“Friedberg’s work pulls from photographs of largescale, natural occurrences but instead of focusing on the narrative, he distills the images into an evocation of transient beauty,” said SUNY Oneonta Gallery Director Sarah Simpson. “His choice of materials is an interesting, subtle contradiction; the scale and tone of the pieces suggest great weight, but they are surprisingly light and ethereal. Careful, active viewing of his sculptures may also allow you to identify the subjects—the tornadoes, plumes of smoke, tidal waves, and windstorms that he transformed into abstractions of shape, color, and movement.”

“Jean Parish Scholarship: 2022-2024” is a group exhibition featuring work by the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 student recipients of the Jean Parish Scholarship, on display in the Project Space Gallery. Displayed works include inkjet print photography, knitting, digital videos and animations, mixed media, and various canvases.

Faculty Emerita Jean Parish enjoyed a lengthy teaching career at SUNY Oneonta, and her love of working with students inspired her to leave behind a gift to provide financial assistance to students studying art. One of two endowed funds she set in place supports the Jean Parish Scholarship, distributed by the Art Department through a competitive process each fall. Art majors are eligible to apply during or after their first semester, and the department gives several nonrenewable awards for the academic year.

Admission to the galleries 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.

NAMI Classes Start October 5

ONEONTA—The New York organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will hold a free sixsession program for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with mental health conditions. NAMI Basics provides information about mental health, tools to support children and information on local resources. It will be taught by trained family members of mental health patients. For more information on the evidence and research base of the program, visit nami. org/research. Classes will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays from October 5 through November 8 at the Elm Park United Methodist Church in Oneonta, or on Zoom. Participants should register by Friday, September 29 by contacting (607) 604-4467, namidelawareco@gmail.com or smdu08@gmail.com. NAMI of Delaware and Otsego also offers Family Support Group meetings at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month at Elm Park Church and at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at United Ministry Church on the Square in Delhi.

Entries Sought for Car Show

HERKIMER—Herkimer College is seeking antique and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles to participate in the 15th annual car show during Fall Fest and Alumni Weekend, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 30. Vehicles will be registered upon arrival to campus and the show will be located in the Technology Center and Physical Education quad. Prizes are available to the winners of the event with a panel of judges on hand to award the best in show. Fall Fest is an annual Herkimer College tradition for students and alumni that is free and open to the public. For more information, visit Herkimer.edu/fallfest.

Museum Announces Metal Day

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum’s next Exploration Day program, Metal at the Mill, will be held on Saturday, September 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature the return of the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree, featuring regional collectors of historic engines, tractors, doodlebugs, outboard motors, and model boats and other machines. The 1948 GMC Bovina Fire Department engine and pump will make its first appearance at the mill, and the 1957 Nash Metropolitan hook and ladder fire truck will return. The Catskill Conquest Rally of classic cars will roll through Hanford Mills on an afternoon stop. Hanford Mills staff and volunteers will display and demonstrate gas engines from the historic collection and the steam plant will run. Blacksmith demonstrations will also take place at the museum’s forge. Intelligent Green Solutions will be on-site to talk about solar power for homes and businesses, and the Stoddard Hollow String Band will play traditional music from noon until 3 p.m.

Photo provided

New York State Energy Plan Needs More Balanced Approach

As dignitaries from around the world arrive in Manhattan for United Nations climate talks this month, they might wonder what New York is doing for the planet. Will they ponder state energy policy while renting an electric vehicle at the airport, watching CNN in an air-conditioned hotel, or enjoying ice cream on a late summer day in the city? Of course, they could ask one of the many climate activists who will be marching in the streets about it. But “big green” groups influencing New York energy policy have done a remarkable job of keeping their members in the dark, so that is unlikely to provide much insight.

For all of the proselytizing by state politicians and downstate activists, we are going backward. Since the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act became state law in 2019, New York’s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity has jumped by a third. To be sure, tremendous attention has been given to the Act’s 2030 mandate that 70 percent of electricity come from “renewables.” Indeed, to the chagrin of upstate communities threatened by sprawling solar and wind projects, hundreds of square miles of farmland and nature will likely be converted to glass, copper, and steel. Yet as ink was drying on the CLCPA, the state lost its single largest source of carbonfree electricity—Indian Point—shuttered prematurely following a lengthy assault by misguided activists and a disgraced governor.

As a result, fossil fuels are being burned in giant new fracked-gas power plants—Cricket Valley Energy in Dover and Competitive Power Ventures in Wawayanda—as well as

in old oil and gas plants within the greater metropolitan area that must run more. Accounting for lifecycle methane impacts, over 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions are being pumped into the atmosphere each year that could have been avoided if Indian Point had remained in service. But it would seem that celebrating the death of a carbonfree workhorse was not enough.

Fearmongers apparently believe that beating a now-dead horse over a decommissioning process they had previously demanded will distract from the real victims: environmental justice communities whose exposure to air pollution has been prolonged by climate action in reverse.

Manufacturing hysteria may help some groups fill their coffers, but it comes at a hefty price to the planet. Decarbonizing sectors of the economy like transportation, heating, and industry will require twice as much electricity as New York consumes today. Moreover, meeting the needs of people around the world who want and deserve the same quality of life we enjoy is feeding exponential growth in the global demand for energy. Here at home, failure to provide abundant, reliable electricity means that our economy will suffer while New Yorkers struggle to pay for an inefficient grid designed around underperforming energy products made in China. Elsewhere, it means that much of human society will continue to suffer from energy poverty—and, with it, poverty of all forms that contribute to social and political desperation. And it means that climate change will exact an ever-higher toll on

SQSPCA To Celebrate the Season with an Event at Iroquois Farm

COOPERSTOWN

The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is gearing up for a fantastic firsttime fall event to be held at the Iroquois Farm Showgrounds later this month.

On Saturday, September 30, the shelter will hold its “Barktoberfest and Dog Show,” starting with the “Steps for Pets” Community Dog Walk. Folks can bring their canine friends along for this 1.5-mile walk beginning at the Cooperstown Elementary School at 10 a.m. and arriving just in time for the Barktoberfest kick-off.

“Walkers can also help out the SQSPCA by forming a team and soliciting sponsors to raise funds on our behalf,” said SQSPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes. “The top three teams who raise the most money for animals in need will win a prize.”

Haynes added that a “team” can be an individual and their dog or groups of two or more people with their pups, and noted, “Even if you don’t have a dog, you can still join the walk and raise funds to help vulnerable animals.”

Funds raised should be turned in at the registration table before heading out in order to determine the winners, Haynes said. Walkers can register for the event at www.sqspca.org.

Barktoberfest itself begins at 11 a.m. Festival activities will include dog training demonstrations, canine sports, kids’ activities and crafts, live music

by the band Fast Friends, and food and beverage for purchase, as well as animal-associated exhibits. Admission is free and open to the public

The dog show begins at 2 p.m., with Kristen Copeland from News Channel 2 WKTV as emcee. The registration fee for dog show participants is $20.00 per dog, per class. Folks are advised to sign up early via the SQSPCA website, as there is a limit of 10 dogs per class. In the event that there are still spots remaining, sign-up will close at noon the day of the show. All dogs—whether taking part in the dog show or simply on hand for the event—must be on a leash. Participants should arrive at the dog show arena by 1:30 p.m. Admission is free for spectators.

“This show is for all dogs, regardless of breed or size,” said Haynes. “But please be sure your dog has a current license and is up to date on immunizations.”

Sponsorships for the shelter’s Barktoberfest and Dog Show are still available at various levels. All proceeds support the work of the SQSPCA. Those interested in sponsoring the show can contact Sarah Wilcox at swilcox@ sqspca.org or (607) 547-8111, extension 106.

Iroquois Farm Showgrounds, best known as the site of The Farmers’ Museum’s annual Junior Livestock Show, is located at 1527 County Highway 33 (River Road) in Middlefield.

our collective future. A world that pretends that renewables alone are the answer to climate change is a world that will continue burning fossil fuels until they are gone. Fortunately, awareness is growing that a more balanced approach is needed—one that does not discriminate against reliable carbonfree energy or bulldozes nature. Responding to bipartisan support for nuclear power in Congress, the Inflation Reduction Act extends benefits previously reserved for solar and wind to nuclear, and it provides support for existing reactors that are helping to limit the nation’s carbon footprint. While it may seem that our state is stuck in a dark age of fear and superstition, there is even a bit of hope for New York. The fact that our upstate grid is already lowcarbon due largely to nuclear power has not gone unnoticed. The state Energy Research and Development Authority includes the ongoing operation of existing reactors in its climate models and has even put the possibility of more on the table. With its compact footprint and lower demand on natural resources than “renewables,” advanced nuclear could save hundreds of thousands of acres—farmland, forest, and wildlife habitat—from energy sprawl.

Importantly, in response to dire warnings of system failure from New York’s grid operator (NYISO), energy experts have also become increasingly vocal about the need for “firm” carbon-free generation. As a result, the state Public Service Commission recently initiated a process to evaluate additional resources needed to achieve the

CLCPA’s ultimate goal of zeroemission electricity. If smart, the Commission will reconsider its current paradigm. Instead of viewing new firm carbon-free capacity as merely backup for when intermittent sources and storage are depleted, a more effective allocation of generation capacity and infrastructure can be achieved by integrating additional firm capacity—including advanced nuclear— into the backbone of New York’s energy system. Working in tandem with renewables, this would also help to facilitate a more successful deployment of solar and wind projects that is realistic, ecologically responsible, and welcomed by the communities hosting them.

Kool-Aid comes in all colors: red, blue and green. Climate change is real. However, effectively doing something about it requires solutions that work in the real world and can go the distance. Renewables like solar and wind certainly have a role to play, but they are not enough. For people and the planet, it is time to embrace nuclear power.

Keith Schue lives in Cherry Valley and has a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He is also an environmentalist, having worked for The Nature Conservancy in Florida for five years, where he gained an appreciation for finding solutions that are mutually beneficial to people and the natural world. Schue currently volunteers his time with New York Energy and Climate Advocates, a non-profit, volunteerbased organization comprised of scientists, engineers, environmentalists, and advocates for social justice.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board for the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 5:00 P.M. or as soon thereafter as can be heard:

• Meeting to be held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.

51 Pioneer Street - Applicant is seeking a transient rental permit

The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Public comments

• must be provided by email to the Zoning Officer at zoning@ cooperstownny. org, or • by regular mail to the address below no later than Tuesday, October 3, 2023, or

• may be offered in person at the 5:00 p.m. ZBA meeting on October 3, 2023.

Respectfully, Jenna Utter Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 Tele: (607)5472411

Email: jutter@ cooperstownny. org

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF OTSEGO

INDEX

#EF2023-244

FILED: 8/10/2023

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Plaintiff designates OTSEGO County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is: The location of real property being foreclosed. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiff, against ELVA SAMPSON A/K/A ELVA R. SAMP-

SON, if they be living and if they be dead, the respective heirsat-law, next-of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant(s) who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the Complaint; VELOCITY INVESTMENTS, LLC; NBT BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NORTH STAR CAPITAL ACQUISITION, LLC; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE and “JOHN DOE No. 1’’ through ‘’JOHN DOE No. 100’’ inclusive, the name of the last 100 defendants being fictitious, the true names of said defendants being unknown to plaintiff, it being intended to designate fee owners, tenants or occupants of the liened premises and/or persons or parties having or claiming an interest in or a lien upon the liened premises, if the aforesaid individual defendants are living, and if any or all of said individual defendants be dead, their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, committees, devisees, legatees, and assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest of them and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, through, or against the said defendants named as a class, of any right, title, or interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint herein, Defendant(s). To the above named Defendants:

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the plaintiff’s attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within

30 days after service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.

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

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Brian D Burns, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Otsego County, granted on the 4th day of August, 2023, and filed with the Complaint and other papers in the office of the County Clerk of Otsego County.

The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage upon the premises described below, executed by ROY SAMPSON

A/K/A ROY O. SAMPSON and ELVA SAMPSON A/K/A/ ELVA R. SAMPSON to FRANKLIN BANK, SSB, bearing date March 31, 2004 and recorded in Book 1305, Page 58 in the County of Otsego on April 26, 2004, which was modified by Loan Modification Agreement dated August 17, 2007 creating a new principal amount of $97,167.96, which was assigned to COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS,

by instrument executed January 3, 2023 and recorded January 6, 2023, in Instrument Number: 2023-067, which was further assigned to BANK OF AMERICA, N.A by instrument executed January 19, 2023 and recorded on January 20, 2023, in Instrument Number: 2023-279. Said premises being known as and by 1322 COUNTY HIGHWAY 7 OTEGO, NY 13825, bearing tax map designation Section: 272.00, Block: 1, Lot: 73.00, which is more fully described in the Schedule “A” attached to the Complaint.

To the above named Defendants: YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

There is due and owing to plaintiff the sum of $91,112.88 plus interest thereon from November 1, 2008, in addition to those accumulated late charges and those recoverable monies advanced by Plaintiff and/or Plaintiff’s predecessor-in-interest on behalf Roy Sampson a/k/a Roy O Sampson and Elva Sampson a/k/a Elva R Sampson together with all costs, including but not limited to, attorneys’ fees, disbursements, and further allowances provided pursuant to the underlying loan documents and applicable law in bringing any action to protect the Mortgagee’s interest in the Subject Property.The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt described above.

UNLESS YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER YOUR RECEIPT HEREOF THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, THE DEBTOR JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY THE

HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR. IF APPLICABLE, UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST, WITHIN SAID THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT, YOU ARE NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR THE UNDERLYING INDEBTEDNESS OWED TO PLAINTIFF/ CREDITOR AND THIS NOTICE/ DISCLOSURE IS FOR COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE New York State requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully.

SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the Summons and Complaint in this foreclosure action, you may lose your home. Please read the Summons and Complaint carefully. You should immediately contact an attorney or your local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid, there are government agencies, and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by New York State Department of Financial Services’ at 1-800269-0990 or visit the Department’s website at http:// www.dfs.ny.gov Rights and Obligations

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home

during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home,

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law.

FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS

Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services.

Aldridge Pite, LLP, Attorneys for the Plaintiff, 40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747 File 1213-414B 4LegalSept.28

LegaL nOtice SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF OTSEGO INDEX NO. EF2023-118

Plaintiff designates OTSEGO as the place of trial situs of the real property

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS

Mortgaged Premises: 8 ELM STREET, WORCESTER, NY 12197

Section: 199.18, Block: 2, Lot: 48.00

MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT, LLC Plaintiff, vs.

DAWN TOMEK, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM VAJDA; DIANNE VAJDA, AS HEIR AND

DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM VAJDA; JEFFREY C VAJDA SR, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM VAJDA; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM VAJDA, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.

To the above named Defendants

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons,

exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State.

The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service.

Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $135,000.00 and interest, recorded on July 25, 2013, in Instrument Number 20133991, of the Public Records of OTSEGO County, New York., covering premises known as 8 ELM STREET, WORCESTER, NY 12197.

The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.

OTSEGO County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.

Dated: August 11, 2023

ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675

4LegalSept.21

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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF JAMIE REEVES, CONDUCTOR LLC.

Filed 7/4/23.

Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 11 Westridge Rd, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Registered Agent: United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Bklyn, NY 11228.

Purpose: General.

6LegalOct.26

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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Lauren Glynn Law PLLC Art. of Org. filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 03/02/2023.

Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail a copy of process to 36 Elm Street, Cooperstown NY 13326, Any lawful purpose.

6LegalOct.19

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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF TEAMANDA HOLDINGS LLC

Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/5/23. Office in Otsego continued pg. 9

Continued from page 1

of his classes in high school and was considered “dumb” and “never felt like I fit in.” All that changed after a pivotal experience at age 19, when he spent one year volunteering in the Amazon jungle. He credits the priest who insisted that he become a teacher with learning new strategies to overcome his challenges. He recommends volunteerism as a way to reverse the depression, anxiety and isolation that many youth today experience after spending so much time on digital devices.

Jean Tien of Long Island moved to the

United States from Taiwan when she was a child. She grew up believing Thomas Edison’s advice that “there is no substitute for hard work.” She shared that “seven years ago I hit a wall.” Today, she insists, “Thomas Edison is wrong.” Her talk “Hard Work Doesn’t Have to be Hard” introduced the concept of “fractional success.” She said you do not have to try to be the best in all areas of your life at one time. Tien proposed slicing your life into five categories and making sure you prioritize what is most important to you at different phases of your life.

Josiah Brown of Delhi, New York posed

the question, “Could Tourists Save Your Town?” He spoke of a new travel industry fueled by millennials like himself who “want to travel the world.” Unlike his grandfather’s generation that waited until they retired to travel, Brown was strongly influenced by the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 when he was 16 years old and the stock market crash of 2008 to not wait until retirement. He cited the explosion of opportunities in Goshen, New York when Legoland opened. He suggested that rather than complain about “too many visitors” that locals recognize that “this is your moment, rural America.” Visitors are looking for smaller

schools and less crime and if they see what they like, they just might relocate to your town.

Julianne Kirkland of Georgia spoke of “Managing Multiple Identities.” She is a wife, a mother of six children, a daughter, a best-selling author, and a CEO. She went from being a mother of two to a mother of six when she had quadruplets. The experience of trying to be “everything to everyone” left her feeling “unworthy” and “fragmented.” She proposed that “identities were never meant to be managed, they are meant to be merged.” When her father died at age 63 of Alzheimer’s, she was able to tap into her authentic self and inte-

grate all of her roles for better decision making.

Keneea Linton-George is a Jamaican-born fashion designer and social entrepreneur who studied philosophy. She discussed “The Paradox of Ethical Fashion.” The message advertisers send is to shop more. She encouraged the audience to use their power as consumers to insist on more sustainable fashion options. She described humans as “creatures of excess” and reminded us that animals produce only and exactly what they need.

The committee who planned the event included Dan Butterman, Cassandra Harrington, AJ Hecox, Lisa Meschutt, Leslie Parmerter, Liz

Rickard, Lisa Samols and Pam Sparaco.

Drnek

Michael L. Burgess

1954-2023

HARTWICK—Mike

Burgess passed away on September 10 at the age of 69. If you didn’t know him, he was that guy with the easy smile and friendly demeanor. If you did know him, you knew he had abundant stories, looked you in the eye when speaking to you, and would lend a hand any time you needed it.

He had deep roots in this region, growing up in Hartwick, moving away only briefly for a little bit of military service, a little bit of college, and then to live with his wife Karen in her hometown on Long Island before they settled in Hartwick permanently in 1983. They made the red house by the creek a wonderful home for their family over the next 40 years. He was a man with a slew of practical skills and wide experiential knowledge.

Over the years, he lent his carpentry skills to many buildings and homes in the area as a freelance carpenter or as part of the union. After retirement, you could

often find him in his woodshop, and he would always welcome you in for a chat over a beer. He adored his labradoodles, Bert and Murphy, and loved nothing more than a glass of bourbon by a big bonfire, dogs by his side. Well, maybe bad sci-fi films and dime novels, which he voraciously consumed. He greeted everyone on the street with a hello or a wave, whether he knew them or not, whether driving down County Route 11 in Hartwick or riding the crosstown bus in Manhattan (much to the confusion and/or delight of New York City bus riders).

He is survived by his three daughters and their spouses, Heather and Justin, Rebecca and John, and Kari and Jeff; his grandchildren, Noah, Jasiah, and Amelia; his mother-in-law, Barbara, his sister-in-law, Debra, and his brother-in-law, Stephen; his nieces and nephews, Jennifer, Joshua, Stephen, Jackie, Erica, Gene, and Joey, and their children and their families who fondly remember “Uncle Muck.” He was predeceased by his wife, Karen, his mother, Sieglind, his father, Lynn, his brother, Frederic, and his fatherin-law, Eugene. His legacy of hard work, loyalty, and respect for others will continue with those he leaves behind.

Calling hours will be held Saturday, September 30 from 5–7 p.m. at Connell Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home at 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown. In

lieu of flowers, please donate to Susquehanna SPCA, the ASPCA or a local animal rescue organization of your choice.

Laura Jane

Seeley

1984-2023

HARTWICK—Laura

Jane Seeley, 39, of Hartwick, passed away unexpectedly at Albany Medical Center on August 23, 2023 as a result of a tragic car accident near Bennington, Vermont. As an organ donor, she gave five recipients “The Gift of Life.”

She was born to George and Mary Seeley on February 1, 1984 in Winchester, Virginia, and was brought home to join her excited 4-year old sister, Kate S. Seeley, bringing joy to the entire household.

Laura is survived by her two beautiful daughters, Ava Lee Brashear (age 11) and Frankie Bella Novak (age 2), as well as her loving partner,

Frank V. Novak III.

She is survived by both of her parents, George Seeley and Mary Klein, her sister, Kate S. Seeley, and her nephew, Jack Riley Wheeler Seeley. She is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family and friends, who all meant so much to her.

Laura attended Cooperstown Central School from kindergarten through the 12th grade. She thrived in the classroom and was an avid athlete, participating in cross-country running, track and field, swim team, soccer, and field hockey. One summer, she was a lifeguard at Three Mile Point on Otsego Lake.

Laura studied child development and family studies at Syracuse University, where she also participated on the Syracuse women’s crew team.

A motivated person, her administrative skills led her to such occupa-

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

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821 www.grummonsfuneralhome.com

tions as being a project administrator for William H. Lane, Inc., a community outreach specialist at Bassett Healthcare, a residential sociotherapist at Hillside Children’s Center, a clinical outreach coordinator at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a server at Alex’s World Bistro and a deli/food service clerk at Price Chopper.

Laura was a devoted mother and spent a great deal of time teaching her children the joys of life as well as answering the tough questions. She was an avid gardener, homemaker, blueberry-picker, applesauce maker, runner and downhill skier. She also played the piano and loved art, which she shared with her daughters. Laura felt at home in nature and was always ready to take a hike, go for a swim or build a snowman. Laura Jane was a beautiful person

Funeral Home

from pg. 8 Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 5001 Route 23, Ste. 3, #166, Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalOct.19

NOTICE OF

FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

NEW YORK NIGHTMARE PRODUCTION, LLC

filed Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on JUNE 6, 2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be

served. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served upon him or her to: 1967 Wehrle Drive, Suite 1086, Buffalo, NY 14221.

Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF

Filed 8/21/23. Office : Otsego County . SSNY designated as agent of L.L.C. upon whom to process against LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to LLC, 177 Cemetery Rd, Fly Creek , N.Y. 13337.

Purpose, general 6LegalOct.5

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE OF FORMATION

OF LLC.

Monticello Wind LLC (LLC)

Filed Arts. of Org. with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/22/2023. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC

government.

It’s what I call grassroots governance.

Seemingly, I have become infamous for the creation of ad hoc committees, workgroups and taskforces. Good. I’m proud of that.

That they are populated by so many of our neighbors means…it’s working.

Mark Drnek is the mayor of the City of Oneonta.

Continued from page 5 Subscribe to ALLOTSEgO.COM for additional news content each week.

inside and out and will be missed by many.

Calling hours will be from 4:30-7 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023 at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown. There will be a memorial service the following day, Saturday, September 30, at 2 p.m. at Christ Church in Cooperstown.

Laura’s ashes will be spread by the family in private on beloved acreage, known to the family as “The Property,” in Pierstown.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to a college fund for Laura’s daughters, Ava and Frankie. Please send ℅ Frank V. Novak III, 343 Goddard’s Road, Hartwick, NY 13348. Another suggestion is to support camperships for 4-H Camp Shankitunk, 2420 Arbor Hill Road, Delhi, NY 13753.

Dignity, Respect, Tradition

Dignified and Caring Service since 1925 Peaceful grounds. Home-like atmosphere. Suitable for large or small gatherings. Peter A. Deysenroth 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown | 607-547-8231 www.cooperstownfuneralhome.com

13th Ave , Ste 202, Bklyn, NY 11228.

Purpose: General. 6LegalSept.28

Photo provided MICHAEL L. BURGESS

SPORTS BRIEFS

Hotaling, Jensen Lead Win

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown girls soccer is 4-0 for the season after a Center State Conference home win against dolgeville on Wednesday, September 13. Senior Sophia Hotaling and junior annelise Jensen each scored twice in the 4-1 victory. Jensen scored in the first minute of the game on an assist from Senior Rory Nelen. Brenna Seamon made six saves in the win.

Oneonta Girls Beat Norwich

NORWICH—Oneonta girls soccer defeated rival Norwich in an exciting, back-and-forth Southern Tier athletic Conference game on Wednesday, September 13. Josey Ryan scored for Norwich four minutes into the match, but Oneonta’s Grace Slesinsky scored twice in succession. Veronika Madej scored for Oneonta, followed by Slesinsky’s third goal late in the first half. However, Norwich scored twice more in under a minute right before halftime. The Purple Tornadoes tied the game at 4-4 halfway through the second half, but Slesinsky rounded out the day’s scoring with her fourth goal of the match with 20 minutes left in regulation time. The yellowjackets held on for a 5-4 victory. In addition to Slesinsky’s and Madej’s performances, Carly Stamas and Josie Scanlon each contributed two assists.

Bierman, Francoeur Honored

ONEONTa—Following their first-place finishes at the home annual Oneonta airfield Invitational, SUNy Oneonta athletes Jonthomas Bierman and Megan Francoeur were named the SUNy athletic

Conference cross-country athletes of the week on Monday, September 11. Bierman led the 6K men’s race for most of the course on a sweltering, humid day and finished with a personal best time of 19:55, 14 seconds ahead of the second place runner. Francoeur also hit a personal best of 15:22 in the 4K race, 22 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Both Oneonta teams finished second in the team standings.

Two Teams Shut Out in TVL

OTSEGO COUNTy—The Tri-Valley League saw two shutouts in girls soccer on Thursday, September 14. Edmeston/Morris defeated Sharon Springs 5-0 at home, led by a three-goal performance by Hannah Wist. Jaidon Brodie scored three times and made an assist for Laurens as the Leopards beat Gilbertsville-Mount Upton 7-0 at home.

X-Country Has Top Finishers

WaTERVILLE—The Cooperstown cross-country teams raced against Canastota, Clinton and Waterville in their first Center State Conference meet on Wednesday, September 13. Margaret Raffo finished third in the girls varsity race with a 5K time of 23:14; Cate Bohler was ninth at 25:34 and Nora Craig finished 12th with a time of 26:33. The Hawkeyes did not field a full team in this race and were not scored.

The boys varsity team defeated Waterville, which had an incomplete team, and Canastota, and lost to Clinton. Carter Stevens led the Cooperstown team, finishing second overall in 18:32. Junior Jonah Hitchcock finished eighth with a time of 21:34. Brendan Heaver, Jack yorke and freshman

Compiled by Wriley Nelson

Owen Capozza Flannigan rounded out the scoring part of Cooperstown’s team in 12th, 15th and 17th places, respectively.

Milford Defeats Richfield

MILFORd—Milford girls soccer beat Richfield Springs 5-1 in a Tri-Valley League victory on Saturday, September 16. Kara Mertz made two goals and added an assist, while delaney Maison scored one goal and made one assist. Cam Marshall scored for Richfield.

Run/Walk Breaks Record

RICHFIELd SPRINGS—a record 118 participants took part in the Richfield Springs Community Center’s annual Sundae Run/Walk Fundraiser on Sunday, July 16. The event featured five-kilometer (3.1 miles) and 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) races and a two-mile untimed walk. all races started and finished near the intersection of Bronner and Lake streets in the Village of Richfield Springs. Jordan Hoffman of Rome won the men’s 5K with a time of 15:31. Erin Ludwig of Frankfort won the women’s 5K at 21:29. amanda Conklin of Edmeston finished first in the women’s 10K with a time of 52:02. Charles Hollister of Oneonta won the won the men’s 10K at 40:05. The Richfield Springs Volunteer Fire department provided assistance on the race course. american Legion Post 616 donated the use of its facility to host registration and the awards ceremony. Stewart’s Shops was the exclusive corporate sponsor and the Richfield Springs location donated ice cream sundae kits for participants to enjoy after the event.

See AllOtsego.com for more local sports updates.

SUNy Biology Faculty Receive $240K Grant for Invasive Species Research

ONEONTa

Agrant of nearly a quarter of a million dollars will let SUNy Oneonta biology faculty and students conduct research on an invasive species that has become a widespread problem in the Lake Champlain Basin, an area covering 8,234 square miles in New york, Vermont, and Quebec.

assistant Professor alex Sotola and associate Professor dan Stich will use the $240,000.00 grant, provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, to study the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil, an aquatic plant with long, feathery leaves that grows in lakes and streams.

While some watermilfoil are native and beneficial to the ecosystem, invasive species such as Eurasian watermilfoil can cause major problems by crowding out native plants and

disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.

Recognizing the pressing need for deeper scientific understanding of the issue and effective management strategies, Sotola and Stich submitted their grant proposal, which was approved this spring.

The project will start in 2024.

Sotola and Stich will work with two graduate students in SUNy Oneonta’s Master’s biology program and several undergraduate students to collect samples from as many waterbodies within the Lake Champlain Basin as possible. These samples will help them assess the genetic and phenotypic variation within and between members of the Myriophyllum genus and their impacts on native plant communities to aid in management and conservation practices.

“This research is very

important for a few different reasons,” Sotola said. “It will allow us to assess hybridization, which has conservation and management implications, and it will help us learn how effective treatments are and if they are impacting native species in any way. Getting students involved will be an amazing educational experience for them, as well, and will hopefully propel them into their next stop after graduating from SUNy Oneonta.”

Stich added that “the skills students learn in the field, in the laboratory, and through data analysis in this project —such as invasive species identification, genome-wide sequencing, and occupancy modeling—are in high demand and likely will be into the foreseeable future.”

First discovered in the United States in the 1940s, Eurasian watermilfoil has spread across the country and has been

shown to degrade water quality, negatively influence native plant communities, and drastically influence recreational and economic values of the invaded waterbodies.

The Lake Champlain Watershed drains the area between the adirondack Mountains in northeastern New york and the Green Mountains in

northwestern Vermont. according to the Lake Champlain Sea Grant program, the Vermont and New york portions of the Lake Champlain Basin are home to nearly 500,000 people, with another 100,000 people in the Canadian portions.

“Many people who live in the Lake

Champlain Basin are dependent on the lake for jobs, recreation, and quality of life,” the program’s website reads. “People from around the world visit the lake and basin to enjoy its cultural and military history, abundant biological resources, and opportunities for recreation.”

Caring for a seriously ill loved one at home is filled with rewards and challenges. Get expert training and support from Helios Care. Our experienced team can bring more comfort to your loved one and more confidence to you – so you’ll both feel better. Contact us to learn more.

The Violence Intervention Program at Opportunities for Otsego offers support to victims, survivors and families impacted by violent crime such as domestic violence, sexual assault, physical assault, elder abuse, stalking, hate crimes, motor vehicle assault and homicide.

Continued from page 4

golden retriever. The impeachment of the state attorney general by other Republicans is a case of the reprehensible castigating the irredeemable. Any governmental body controlled by one party is on a glide-path to rampant corruption.

Texas is a case in point.

Texas has “The best 3rd World Utility Grid the Lobbyists Could buy” from the Republican politicians.

If I could actually vote in New York, I’d probably not be a Yellow Dog Democrat. In fact, I’d support Jennifer basile for Otsego County clerk for two reasons:She’s demonstrably good at the job, and the job is not intrinsically political—in that the clerk cannot make laws. While her opponent may have a bright career ahead of him in politics, taking the job away from this hard working public servant is probably not the wisest career move.

Chip Northrup Cooperstown

Re: School Situation

Thank you for your fairly easy to understand struggling with low state, county and local test scores in reading and math article on August 24. I predict scores will continue to drop, especially here in Upstate New York. Actually, the solutions are simple… but not likely to change.

First, a bit of my background as a retired, permanently certified elementary, reading, all classes of special education, including learning disabilities. Teacher of 18 years on earnings of $5,200 to $17,000. I could not support my family on that pay. my bS degree and 38 graduate hours cost me more than my total gross earnings; and that does not include my time, travel, etc.

A War Veterans’ Scholarship did help with $500.00. The numbers of students assigned to me were two to three times reasonable or legal limits; and we teachers were required to do many extra duties beyond teaching without added pay. I was told I would do Saturday tutoring for $5.00. No prep time, no paid mileage for 34 miles each Saturday as I showed up in a suit jacket and tie in flea-infested homes for a gross $5.00. That consumed half of my Saturdays. $5.00!!!

Upstate school boards are dominated by a political party which I have witnessed since 1966 holding teachers down. I never used it, but my family qualified for food stamps, etc. With no contract for more than five years, we went on strike. The GOp instituted The Taylor Law, which costs every teacher four days’ pay…three for penalty and one for the day lost.

We each lost eight days’ pay, over a week’s pay for striking two days. education laws require 180 days of school per year. The superintendent scheduled us for 186 days, so we lost no education time…but my

$5,200.00 gross pay was diminished by $221.00. It is hard to consider school boards care for teachers in Upstate New York. I paid into the NYSTRS every paycheck.

Lied to, I waited until age 70 to start my retirement there. Susan, in Albany, told me on the phone I would have to pay $4,000.00 in arrears before they would deposit $88.00 a month into my checking account! She refused to explain “arrears.”

I also paid into that retirement system for my USAF, for my work at SUCO, for my year-plus at the NYS Division for Youth, and for 11 years as a sub at the USpS. Those would bring it up to the $88.00 per month.

I loved teaching, and I loved the students, parents and communities. I was well-received…but as one comedian said, “You can’t eat that prestige!”

After the swat in the face from the strike, many of us left. I would venture a guess the most popular teachers left…sadly.

Our area has four colleges. Students who marry “hang around” while a spouse finishes his or her college. They take any job, regardless of low pay. Area schools are having more troubles now getting teachers. A worker can make more waitressing, or working for Corning or Amphenol. And get more respect! Have you ever heard the term “brain drain?”

my supervisor blamed me for reporting negatively to the state education department. I absolutely did not, but thank you for whoever did! So many things are wrong in too many school systems. It hurts everyone, especially those students counting on us to prepare them for a confusing, complicated life. Like in the south, I expect it to not get better. It is easier to control those who are less educated.

Charlie Pierce Otego

bananas

Continued from page 1

maceo Harrison. “I can’t believe that it’s over. I’m loving Cooperstown. It’s a tiny place, but sometimes smaller is better. everything is in walking distance, and I almost cried my eyes out in the Hall of Fame. It was so special. I’ve been on the team since 2018 and it’s been great to see so many of Jesse’s dreams and plans come true.” by any measure, the bananas are an industrychanging phenomenon.

The team boasts over 7.6 million followers on TikTok, more than any major League team—to say nothing of every NFL, NbA and NHL team. The 2023 World Tour drew over half a million fans to 33 cities nationwide and sold out every game. At a time when many mLb organizations are severing ties with minor league teams, the bananas are demonstrating the continued viability of independent baseball. For generations, owners have turned to spectacle to boost ticket sales, and the league is in the midst

of a years-long campaign to shorten games and increase action on the field. The bananas take these trends to absurd lengths, and fans can’t get enough.

banana ball, as announcers, players and performers reminded the Cooperstown crowd, is not baseball: Games are won by points, with the team scoring the most runs in an inning receiving a point; batters can attempt to steal first base at any point during an at-bat; instead of a walk, four balls become a “sprint,” in which the batter advances as far as they can while the defense passes the ball around to every player; and bunts are grounds for immediate ejection. many of the special rules are intended to cut down game time, such as the two-hour time limit, the bans on mound visits and stepping out of the batter’s box, and the “showdown tiebreaker” abbreviated extra-innings format. Others bring fans into the game, like the rule that a foul ball caught in the stands is an out. Hardened baseball fans might scoff at one or two of these innovations, much like they have at recent mLb rule changes, but banana ball is different enough on the whole that it’s hard to see as a challenge to the hallowed rules of baseball. The combination of speed and showmanship is calculated to attract baseball outsiders as well as long-term fans, and is summarized in the team’s motto: “Fans first. entertain always.”

The sold-out crowd of 6,339 was full of bright yellow clothing to match the team’s uniforms and Cole’s ubiquitous tuxedo and matching hat. Fans began lining up outside the field before 9 a.m. for a 1 p.m. game, with the line reaching from the Doubleday lot to the intersection of main and pioneer streets for much of the late morning. The full-day event was a welcome extension to the regular baseball tourism season for many local businesses. Doubleday’s gates opened more than an hour and a half before the first pitch, with every spare minute devoted to spectacle. Among many other moments, fans witnessed an inside-thepark home run by an 8-year-old, the 10-foot tall player/performer Dakota “Stilts” Albritton striding around the field, a twerking umpire, and a ritual inspired by “The Lion King” that elevated a “banana baby” for good luck. In yet another pre-game ritual with a small child, the bananas’ mascot, flanked by a security team, carried a banana to the mound for a taste-test to determine if the game would be good or rotten. The game itself featured pie races, a kissing contest, cartwheels and backflips, and plenty of dancing, fan interaction, and muscle flexing. Hall of Famer Smith faced one batter as a relief pitcher for the bananas in the ninth inning.

The party Animals scored four times each in the second and third innings, taking a 2-0 lead in the game. The bananas

scored once to win the seventh inning but were unable to continue the rally, leaving the Animals to win the game 2-1 and the World Tour 39-38.

“It’s been overwhelming and emotional to see the amazing exhibit in the Hall and to think on how far we’ve come,” said Cole, who walks and speaks with the energy of a startup owner or promoter. “We started with a handful of tickets and a small college summer team, and now we’ve had a professional tour of the country ending in Cooperstown. It means a lot to the group. We’re proud and we know it’s just the start.”

LpC

Continued from page 2

meeting includes a summary of public engagement results to date and discussion of proposed projects. The LpC is co-chaired by mayor ellen Tillapaugh and mohawk Valley Regional economic Development Council member Ken meifert and consists of 12 other members representing a diverse cross section of the Cooperstown community.

The Village of Cooperstown was selected by the mVReDC to receive a $4.5 million award from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul through the NY Forward program. Investment from this program will allow Cooperstown to develop a Strategic Investment plan and implement key catalytic projects to advance a community vision for downtown improvements. projects selected for funding will transform the community and support a vibrant local economy. more information can be found at https:// www.cooperstownny. org/new-york-forward/ NY Forward was launched in 2022 to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller communities.. For more information, visit https:// www.ny.gov/programs/ ny-forward.

photo provided

Janine Sabella and her daughter, Gabby Woeppel, enjoy the Savannah Bananas pregame music and entertainment. “My daughter and I had a great time at the Savannah Bananas game this weekend,” Sabella said. “My husband and I drove to Vermont to pick her up from school [The University of Vermont] for the event. She’s a big fan of these folks.”

►Fri., Sept. 22

DEADLINE Last chance to register for fun day trip to Philadelphia on 10/2 with the Greater Oneonta Historical Society. Includes tour of the Museum of the American Revolution, more. (607) 432-1385.

OHS ALUMNI

7:45 a.m. Tony Drago Alumni Golf Classic. Presented by the Oneonta High School Alumni Association. 2nd flight held at 12:45. Oneonta Country Club, 9 Country Club Drive, Oneonta. (607) 287-4406.

HANDCRAFT 9:30

a.m. to noon. “The Leaf and Loom: Knitting and Handcrafts Group.” Beginners welcome to learn. Held every Friday. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.

SENIOR MEALS

11:30 a.m. Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal each Monday through Friday. Suggested donation is $3.50 for seniors, $10 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of ham and scalloped potatoes, peas, carrots, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Nader Towers Housing, 2 Mitchell Street, Oneonta. (607) 547-6454.

TRUE BLUE WEEKEND 4-10:30 p.m.

Hartwick College welcomes back alumni, friends, family and members of the Hartwick College community for this annual event fea-

turing celebrations of first-generation students, open houses, a hiking challenge on the Table Rock Trails, a salute to retiring faculty, more. Kick off at 7 p.m. with events continuing 9/23 and 9/24. Hartwick College, Oneonta. Visit hartwick. edu/alumni-and-friends/ true-blue-weekend/

PISTOL PERMIT 5-9 p.m. “18-hr NYS Pistol Permit Course.” Three days of classroom and range instruction.

Heritage Engraving and Smithing, 389 County Highway 6, Otego. (607) 433-0515.

ART & MUSIC 5-10:30 p.m. Fringe Art & Music Festival. Community is invited to a welcome ceremony for all ages followed by an evening of music, theater, farce, a rave, peepshow burlesque, and much more. Check website for full schedule, recommended ages. Continues 9/23.

Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.

CONCERT 6-8 p.m.

“Alex Torres Live Orchestra.” Celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month with Torres and his Latin Orchestra. Free, open to all. Campus Quad, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Aolat.Salami@ oneonta.edu

CONCERT 7 p.m.

Leanna Crawford performs her signature Christian music. Free. Otsego Christian Academy, 353

BUY • SELL • RENT

Also

Rob Lee Licensed Real Estate Salesperson 607-434-5177 roblee1943@gmail.com

Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-0141.

RAVE 8:30-10:30 p.m. “Musical Theatre Rave—An Unforgettable Night of Broadway Bliss!” Musical theatre enthusiasts, drama geeks, and lovers of the state are invited to sing, dance, and celebrate the magic of musicals. $10. Part of the Foothills Fringe Festival. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.

►Sat., Sept. 23

First Day of Fall. National Hunting & Fishing Day—Visit nhfday.org

RAFFLE All day. Quarter Inch Quilt Club raffles off a gorgeous quilt to support this local library. Cost, $2/ticket or 7 for $10. Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.

FREE FISHING DAY

All day. NYS residents aged 16+ are invited to head out to the waterways and catch some fish. No license required. Visit otsegooutdoors. org/event/free-fishingday-new-york-state-3/

AUTUMN MARKET

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 8th annual autumn open air market. Door prizes, gift baskets, activities, 75+ local merchants, artisans, food vendors, more. General Clinton Park, 2518 State Highway 7, Bainbridge. www.607connection.com

OHS ALUMNI 9-11 a.m. OHS Alumni Military Veterans breakfast. Oneonta Vets Club, 279 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 287-4406. CAT CAFÉ 9 a.m. to noon. Grab a drink, have a snack, and play with some adorable and

adoptable kitties! Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 4321980.

AUTHORS EXPO

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “First Annual Authors & Illustrators Expo.” Richfield Springs Public Library, 102 Main Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-0230.

GARLIC FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 22nd annual Susquehanna Valley Garlic Festival. Local growers present a wide array of garlic. Includes music, food, black garlic, demonstrations, growing tips, products, more. Free admission. Merchandise available for purchase to support the festival. Wood Bull Antiques, 3920 State Highway 28, Milford. farmers@svgarlicfestival. com.

TRUCK SHOW

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Big Rig Shindig” highlights trucks, tractors, heavy equipment and other working vehicles and their importance to our communities in this fun/educational event. Weather/call dependent. The LifeNet helicopter will make a special appearance. Admission, $5/person, $10/car. Pathfinder Village, 3 Chenango Road, Edmeston. (607) 965-8377 ext. 116.

STORYTIME & CRAFTING 11 a.m. to noon. Story and crafting activities based around the exhibition, “Frog and Toad & Other Friends: The World of Arnold Lobel.” This week only, the leads of the stage production of “A Year with Frog and Toad” will make a special appearance. Scriven Gallery, Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400. OHS ALUMNI Noon. OHS Alumni Association

Induction Ceremony for Alumni of the Year, Wall of Distinction and Athletic Hall of Fame. Followed by a luncheon in the cafeteria. Belden Auditorium, Oneonta High school, 130 East Street, Oneonta. (607) 287-4406.

OPEN HOUSE

1-3 p.m. Visit a house built by Habitat for Humanity and get information about partnering with the organization.

Completed Habitat home located at 108 McFarland Road, Oneonta. (607) 432-7874.

TEXTILE WORKSHOP

1 p.m. “Textile Care and Identification Day.” The public is invited to bring family heirloom bedspreads and spend the day with Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers to discuss and identify them.

$10/item. Hyde Hall, 267 Glimmerglass State Park Road, Cooperstown. (607) 547-5098.

THEATRE 1 p.m. “A Year with Frog and Toad.” Glimmer Globe Theatre, Lucy B. Hamilton Amphitheater, Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400.

WRITERS GROUP

1:30–3:30 p.m. Join online group to work on writing prompts, share current work, and get some feedback. Presented by the Huntington Memorial Library, Oneonta. Register at hmlwriters@ gmail.com

OPEN MIC 2-4 p.m. “Light-Hearted Storytelling.” Share stories, humor and poetry (family friendly). Emceed by Swami Tirtha. Green Earth Natural Foods Market & Café, 4 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-6600.

TEXTILE HISTORY

2 p.m. “Barn Quilts of Otsego County.” Learn what a barn quilt is, why they are becoming more prevalent around Hartwick/Otsego County and more with James

Matson, assistant curator at Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum. Kinney Memorial Library, 3140 County Highway 11, Hartwick. (607) 293-6600.

THEATER 3:30 p.m.

“Love Letters” by A. R. Gurney. Presented by Bigger Dreams Productions as part of the Fringe Art & Music Festival. Tickets, $15. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. Visit biggerdreamsproductions.org. Also on 9/24.

ARTIST DISCUSSION

5-6 p.m. “A Conversation with Adrianne Lobel.” A discussion of her work in the exhibit, “Nature Composed: Painting and Tapestries by Adrianne Lobel,” and the work of her father, Arnold Lobel, in the exhibit, “Frog and Toad & Other Friends: The World of Arnold Lobel.” Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5471400. Also on 9/24.

►Sun., Sept. 24

FALL FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Pine Lake Fall Festival.” Includes music, hiking, boating, horse-drawn wagon ride, the honey harvest with the Pine Lake bees, apple cider pressing, and much more. Pine Lake Environmental Campus, 1894 Charlotte Creek Road, Oneonta. Visit hartwick.edu/alumni-and-friends/true-blueweekend/

FARMERS’ MARKET 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find local produce, arts, & crafts for sale, and get to know the local makers & farmers. Curry Park, 3898 State Highway 28, Milford.

THEATRE 1 p.m. “A

Year with Frog and Toad.” Glimmer Globe Theatre, Lucy B. Hamilton Amphitheater, Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400.

HISTORICAL SOCI-

ETY 2 p.m. “History of our Local Granges.” Town of Maryland Historical Society presentation on the four Town of Maryland Granges; the current Schenevus Valley Grange, and more. Presented by long-time Grange member Roger Halbert. All welcome. Am Vets Building, 16 Main Street, Schenevus. (607) 434-2177.

HISTORY TOUR

3 p.m. “Walnut Street

Historic District Walking Tour.” Bob Brzozowski and Loraine Tyler lead a tour of the grand homes and buildings in and near the historic district. By donation. Reservations not required. Meet at Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. (607) 432-0960.

FUNDRAISER 6-8 p.m. “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Bingo!” Includes raffles and prizes. $10 minimum food/drink