Coop Board of Trustees: ‘No’ to Proposed Sign Law Amendment
By DARLA M. YOUNGS COOPERSTOWN
Following numerous meet-
ings and a public hearing, the Cooperstown Board of Trustees voted 6-1 on the evening of Monday, October 28 against a proposed amendment to the village’s existing sign law. If approved, the sign law would have been changed to allow banners to be placed on New York State Electric and Gas utility poles on portions of four streets in the Village of Cooperstown— Lake Street, Pine Boulevard, Chestnut Street and Glen Avenue.
The impetus for the proposed change—Local Law 11 of 2024, Sign Law Amendment—was a request from Toddsville resident and Cooperstown Central School graduate Joanie Parrillo to hang “Hometown Heroes” banners, honoring local veterans, in the village. The banners can be seen in communities throughout Otsego County and New York State, and have become a popular way of honoring service of individual veterans, but the village’s current sign law would prohibit hanging of such banners on public property.
Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh was the lone vote in favor of amending the law. Tillapaugh was the first village representative to speak when discussion of the sign law amendment officially opened, following a public comment period during which no members of the dozen or so audience members took the floor.
Though attendance was sparse, interest was not. It was announced that Helmut Michelitsch, owner of Metro Cleaners, had hand-delivered more than 60 letters in support of the sign law
amendment and the Hometown Heroes banner program prior to the meeting, in conjunction with Cooperstown VFW Post 7128. Three other letters and one e-mail—evenly split between support for and opposition to the law change—were submitted to the record for consideration by village trustees.
In her statement, Tillapaugh dispelled what she deemed to be misconceptions regarding the implications of the sign law change, including concerns about distracted driving and other safety issues, as well as possible loss of control over the program by the village. She also pointed out that, while there are veteran monuments located in the village, village officials cannot take credit for those. Tillapaugh’s full statement can be found on page 12.
Recalling Cooperstown area military personnel who lost their lives in service of the nation—Private First Class Robert Atwell, Sergeant John Winslow and Marine Sergeant Kevin Coulman— Tillapaugh said, “A face is so important… I realize that I am most likely the lone vote for this change to our sign law. I am also the only one sitting here who knew those individuals and will remember their faces. Would I have donated money for banners for Bobbie, Michael and Kevin, so they could be remembered in their hometown? Absolutely. It would be the least I could do.”
Deputy Mayor Cindy Falk had the floor next, thanking everyone who had spoken on the topic in the spirit of participatory government and thanking the veterans in attendance for their service.
“I’ve thought a lot about what makes
Continued on page 13
County Ballots Repleat With Unexpired Terms, Empty Seats
By DARLA M. YOUNGS OTSEGO COUNTY
The Otsego County ballot for the November 5 General Election, in addition to deciding who the next U.S. president and vice president will be, includes seven races in which a candidate is running unopposed, eight positions with no candidates, and 12 unexpired terms to be filled. Voters will also be asked to vote for or against “Proposal Number One: Amendment to Protect Against Unequal Treatment.” Turn to page 9 for the full proposal text. As of press time on Tuesday, October 29, the presidential race between current Vice President Kamala Harris/ Tim Walz (DEM, WOR) and former President Donald Trump/JD Vance (REP/CON) is too close to call.
Continued on page 13
OLT Project Underway
COOPERSTOWN
ite work is progressing at the Brookwood Point Conservation Area on Otsego Lake (at left), where Otsego Land Trust is installing a new walking trail and paddling launch on the north side of the property. According to OLT officials, the improvements will enhance public access and enjoyment of the 22-acre property and provide safer and easier access for people of all ages and abilities to canoe, kayak or row on the lake. The project is supported by private donations and by a matching grant from the Department of Environmental Conservation through the New York State Conservation Partnership Program with the Land Trust Alliance. Delta Engineers and Architects of Endicott designed the improvements with a raised boardwalk to protect the wetlands along the lake. Williams Excavating and Electric of Schenevus is the primary contractor. The work will be completed this fall with a formal dedication in the spring of 2025, according to OLT Executive Director Gregory Farmer.
Photo by WilliamJayMiller.com
Photo provided
A Happy Hartwick Hallowe’en
HARTWICK—More than 250 families visited the Hartwick Halloween Husky Trail on Saturday, October 26. Pictured above, from left, are Jacob Mathewson, Amanda Mathewson, Jennifer Keator, Andrea Vazquez and Michael Zupo. Halloween, on Thursday this year, is expected to be one of the warmest on record.
Hurricane Relief Planned
RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Richfield Springs Veterans’ Club will send a truck of clothing donations for hurricane relief on Friday, November 1. Donations may be left at Green Lakes Home and Garden, 7882 State Highway 28, or at the Vets Club at 13 Lake Street.
Wasting Disease Detected
NEW YoRK STATE—The New York State departments of Agriculture and Markets and Environmental Conservation announced that an isolated case of chronic wasting disease was detected in DEC Area 6, which includes oneida, Herkimer, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties. Although there is no strong evidence that this ghastly disease can spread to humans, people should not consume meat from infected animals. Hunters and members of the public are urged to report sick or dying deer, including roadkill, in the Region 6 area by contacting (315) 785-2263 or Information.R6@dec.ny.gov. Hunters should also be sure to use only synthetic lures and scents, and to dispose of carcass waste properly.
FoVL Hosts Sunday Speakers
CooPERSToWN—Friends of the Village Library and the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown will host a two-part, nonpartisan pre-election special edition of the Sunday Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 3. Dr. Richard Pious will speak on the paradox of presidential power, followed by an intermission with pizza and soft drinks at 5:30 p.m. The First Baptist Church will present a film screening of “A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy” at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held in the third floor ballroom of the Village Hall, 22 Main Street.
CAA Show Delivery Dates Set
CooPERSToWN—Cooperstown Art Association members, as well as artists and crafters who wish to become members, are invited to submit pieces for the Members’ Holiday Show and Sale. Delivery dates for artworks are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9. Large twodimensional pieces are limited to one or two per person due to space constraints, and three-dimensional artists should keep the total size of their work at a reasonable limit. The sale will be open to the public from November 16 to December 21. For more information, contact (607) 547-9777 or visit the Facebook page or www.cooperstownart.org.
Hurricane Rescues Available
CooPERSToWN—The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received 13 pets from hurricane-impacted shelters in North Carolina on Friday, october 25. Area residents
considering a pet are strongly urged to adopt one of the new arrivals, or another shelter animal to make room for them. To browse available pets or make a donation, visit www.sqspca.org.
Kids’ Books Licensed by Hall
CooPERSToWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has officially licensed two new children’s books by sportswriter James Buckley Jr. “A Kids’ Guide to the National Baseball Hall of Fame” highlights more than 200 Hall of Fame members and includes a complete list of the 346 inductees. “out of the Park!” examines the careers and lives of outstanding ballplayers in greater detail, focusing on different aspects of the game.
Waller Teacher of the Year
WASHINGToN, D.C.—Scott Waller, Cooperstown High School class of 1993, was named Veteran Teacher of the Year by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. He has served Gonzaga College High School in many capacities since 1998, including as math department chair, Middle States Accreditation Self-Study leadership, and Academic Council member.
Waller currently serves as a full-time math teacher, director of summer learning programs and head varsity soccer coach. The soccer team has battled its way to multiple championships during his tenure, earning him several Coach of the Year accolades. Waller lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Suzy, and three children.
Adorn-a-Door To Return
CooPERSToWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s 23rd annual Adorn-a-Door Wreath Festival will be held in the Village Hall, 22 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CAA will provide a plain balsam wreath to anyone who registers by Friday, November 15. Participants then decorate their wreaths as they choose before they are sold by silent auction. All proceeds support CAA’s Art Scholarship Program. The popular “Dinner’s on Us” raffle item, featuring a week’s worth of gift certificates to local restaurants, will also be raffled off at 4 p.m. during the festival. For more information, contact (607) 547-9777 or visit the Facebook page or www.cooperstownart.org.
Tague Shares Funding News
ALBANY—New York State Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C-Schoharie) announced new funding for local libraries across the 102nd District, which includes Greene and Schoharie counties, and parts of Albany, Delaware, otsego and Ulster counties. Stamford Library received more than $242,000.00 to assist with the construction of a new library building; Worcester Free Library got over $6,000.00
for parking lot improvements; and the Sharon Springs Free Library will get about $7,100.00 for sewer line reconstruction. D.R. Evarts Library District, located in Athens, received $132,754.00 for new water services, waterproofing and fire suppression. The state allocated $36,827.00 to the Rensselaerville Library to construct an accessible exterior community space. The Town of Westerlo Public Library will get $13,605.00 to assist with ceiling repairs, insulation and electrical work.
FAM Slates Kids’ Programs
CooPERSToWN—Fenimore Art Museum will offer a two-day storybook and illustration workshop for children from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10. Manager of Arts Education Kevin Gray will lead a tour through the museum’s “Young at Art: The Caldecott Collection of Children’s Book Illustrations” exhibition, on display through Sunday, December 29. After the tour, participants will write story drafts, pair them with their drawings and learn to make a hand-bound book. The program is intended for children ages 9-14 and costs $100.00 for museum members, or $115.00 for nonmembers. For details, visit FenimoreArt.org.
CANO Seeks Artists, Artisans
oNEoNTA—Community Arts Network of oneonta invites artists and artisans from across the region to participate in its Holiday Artist and Maker Market, which will run from Tuesday, November 26 to Wednesday, December 18. Vendors must register by Friday, November 15. The third annual Postcard Exhibition Benefit will run from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, November 2. Artists must submit their original 5x7 postcard-sized artwork by Tuesday, october 29. Email admin@canoneonta.org to arrange delivery, or mail to 11 Ford Avenue in oneonta. only one submission per artist will be accepted.
CCE Announces Classes
NEW YoRK STATE—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and otsego Counties, along with other CCE chapters across the state, announced programming for the upcoming months. CCE Columbia-Greene Counties will host a free program on energy efficiency and its applications in agricultural productivity and profitability from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6. It will be accessible by webinar, but registration is required at https://agenergyny.org/upcoming-events/. Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development’s flagship online course, Transition to Supervisor, will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays from November 6 to December 17. The course costs $275.00 and registration is required. A NY Farm to School Summit for farmers will be held in Syracuse from Wednesday to Friday, November 20-22. For more information, visit NYDLFC@cornell.edu .
Milford businessman Plans Free Autism Park for Area Residents
by TARA bARNWeLL
MILFORD
Paul Singh has a vision for Milford. “I want to bring people to the four corners of Milford. I want to add beauty to the Village of Milford,” he said.
Part of Singh’s vision is a park that will be geared toward kids with autism.
“The four corners of Milford will soon be home to an autism park. This green space will be an attractive addition to the area, where it’s only been a rundown lot for the last 20 years,” Singh said. “It will be a full autism awareness park with features for autistic kids. This will be the first one in the country that will be free. And the entire public is invited, not just those families with an autistic member.”
Singh’s motivation to build this park is his autistic child.
“We really struggled at first, after my son was diagnosed. This is such a small community, and we had no resources. This is what inspires me. I wanted to have a place where young parents with an autistic child can come together in a safe space to share ideas, act as a support group, and to not feel alone,” he said. “We need to look after each other.”
Autism can carry a stigma, and Singh wants to bring awareness.
“I want people to embrace neurodiversity [the natural differences in how people’s brains work and the ways in which people perceive and respond to the world]. Some autistic people are fully functional, some are low functioning, just as it is with people that are not autistic,” he said.
building a park doesn’t mean simply installing some sod and a swing set.
“We’ll be working with engineers and other specialized industries. The Village of Milford’s Zoning Office has already been very helpful,” Singh
explained. “I will be responsible for all expenses, from property taxes to maintenance and everything in between; it will all be funded by me, but it’s a winwin for the entire community.”
According to Singh, this project has mostly been
met with exuberance, but there have been some naysayers.
“Ninety-eight percent of the people are in favor of this project. They are the silent majority,” Singh said. but it’s that 2 percent that are against it that I don’t feel truly understand what I am doing. I believe they are really against the signage on the property, but I went through the proper channels to get the signs approved. I could build retail space and fit three new businesses in the space, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s not about the money. It’s about making a difference in the lives of those with autism.”
A number of popular parks and resorts have instituted autism-friendly features, including LeGOLAND, Sesame Place and Six Flags Theme Parks. Inclusive playgrounds are considered good places to practice social skills and balancing, to learn how the body reacts to height and speed, and for autistic children to experience how the body relates to the space around it.
Playworld, a company that specializes in building playgrounds, says, “Inclusive design is the way forward for tomorrow’s communities. Design that lifts the experience of play for all, equitably offering the value of play and normalizing diversity and varying abilities.”
A typical playground in which autistic children can thrive includes a safe, sturdy fence, a wide range of balancing activities with different heights, widths and motion that allow children to experiment, a variety of sensory activities, and a quiet zone where children can calm down if they become overstimulated.
“I am so thankful to this community for embracing us as a family—a family that not only comes from other states but from other countries,” Singh said. “This park is a good way to give back to the community that gave everything to us.”
Phase one of Singh’s playground project is anticipated to begin in fall 2025.
Mayor Drnek clarifies Voting Access to Foothills Polling Location
City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek released directions earlier today for those seeking to vote at the Foothills Performing Arts and civic center, given concerns regarding ongoing construction in the immedidate vicinity.
“There is no construction activity that will prevent vehicle and pedestrian access to the polling site at Foothills,” Drnek said in a media release.
The following directions for voters were provided:
• For people who are entering the city from the east via Lettis Highway or Route 7/Main Street, they
should drive east along Main Street until they reach the chestnut Street intersection, where they should turn left down chestnut Street extension to Market Street, where they will see Foothills directly in front of them.
• For people who are entering the city from the west via Route 23/chestnut Street, they should drive west until they reach the Main St intersection, where they should travel straight through down chestnut Street extension to Market Street, where they will see Foothills directly in front of them.
• For people who are entering the city from the
south via Route 28 to Main Street, they should drive north past the police/fire station until they reach the chestnut Street intersection, where they should turn right down chestnut Street extension to Market Street, where they will see Foothills directly in front of them.
“The city has installed directional wayfinding signs to guide drivers to the aforementioned routes to the polling place at Foothills. Please be aware that the street is currently uneven and partially paved, and that sidewalks and curbs are unfinished,” Drnek wrote. “Drive and walk with care.”
See the full article on AllOtsego.com.
Photo by Tara barnwell
Paul Singh’s autism park project is set to begin in fall 2025.
ONeONTA
Perspectives
Early voting for the November 5, 2024 General Election continues through November 3 at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta and The Meadows Office Complex, 140 County Highway 33W, Cooperstown. Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Thursday, polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Otsego County voters may use either location.
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 should 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.
Columnists and Contributing Writers
Terry
Win or Lose, Are We Ready To Reconcile?
In these deeply polarized times, choosing how to respond to the results of the election can have just as significant an impact as choosing who to vote for on Election Day.
If your candidate wins...
Will you accept the reality that tens of millions of your fellow Americans disagree with your choice?
Will you understand that a good portion of the losing side feels that the victor is a threat to their personal, familial and civic well-being?
Will you show grace in victory? Will you refrain from gloating or rubbing it in?
Will you make space in society for the losing side?
If your candidate loses...
Will you be prepared for the anguish that the defeat might cause? Will you process your emotions in a healthy way?
Will you affirm the results of the election and recognize the victor as your legitimate leader?
Trump Is Poised To Be a Dictator
So the American psycho Donald Trump may again be elected president of the United States of America.
His incurable sicknesses rule his every word and action. He is a frightening demagogue, a malignant narcissist, a sexual predator, a sociopath, if not a full blown psychopath, who lives only for money, power, control, recognition, adoration, revenge, and ultimately destruction.
It is very frightening and sad to see all of the Republicans who are willing to degrade themselves, and sacrifice their own country, to continuously apologize for Donald Trump, and do his insane bidding, either out of fear, or to be close to his dark, possible power, or just to keep their jobs so they can pay their mortgages.
Donald Trump will use the National Guard, the Army, and local police, if he can, to move against the American people who protest against him, under the pretense of restoring law and order. Law and order to Donald Trump means only complete subservience to him in his dark, sick world of complete power.
Donald Trump admires and speaks highly and openly of the past and present dictators around the world, including Adolph Hitler.
Adolph Hitler was laughed at as a buffoon when he first emerged in Germany in the 1920s.
After achieving total power in Germany in 1933, and being hailed as a national savior, he used legal and violent means to destroy the democratic institutions in Germany and turned it into a war state. He invaded Poland in 1939 as the beginning of conquering Europe for the benefit of the Aryan race, and started the European phase of World War II.
Millions of people died in Europe during World War II. More than 11 million innocent people, including over one million children, were purposely executed by the Nazis throughout the war, under the orders of Adolph Hitler. During Operation Harvest Festival, on November 3 and 4 in 1943, 43,000 Jewish prisoners were murdered in two days. It was the largest Germanperpetrated massacre of the Holocaust.
Will you be open to accepting the winning side’s hopes and dreams as valid?
Will you maintain relationships with family members and friends who support the winning side?
Our nation is frayed at the seams. Whoever wins, millions of Americans will be ecstatic, while millions of others will be disappointed, angry, grieving.
Whether the fabric of American society is ripped apart or patched up depends upon how both winners and losers respond to the election’s results.
To preserve our nation, one of the most important actions we can take before the election is to make ourselves ready and willing to reconcile after it.
Tom Pullyblank, a mediator, has led classes on reducing political polarization with several local organizations.
The Nazi massacre at the ravines in Babi Yar, Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 29 and 30 in 1941, killed 33,000 Jewish men, women and children in two days. The Nazis murdered an additional 70,000 people at the same site before it was liberated by the Soviet Army in November 1943.
It was only the massive military might of the United States of America, along with the Allied forces around the world, including the Soviet Union, which finally defeated Germany.
Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.
After all of those years of massive pain, death, and destruction, built on white supremacy, insanity, and hate, Adolph Hitler died, hiding in his underground concrete bunker in Berlin, Germany on April 30, 1945.
He put a bullet in his head.
James R. Dean Cooperstown
Vote Riley: Local Voices Matter
In all the noise about the upcoming presidential election, it is easy to forget that we in the 19th Congressional District have an important choice for our next U.S. House Representative. Democratic candidate Josh Riley brings a new, clear voice that will represent us well.
With his family stretching back for five generations in our region, Josh Riley has a lifetime understanding of the diverse economy of upstate New York and the many issues important to our area. His family’s roots are Republican, so he will listen to and respect different points of view. As a Democrat, he has pledged to work in a bipartisan way. This is in contrast to his opponent who, while claiming to be bipartisan, has parroted his party’s line, including the racist attack on Haitian immigrants. Molinaro also strongly supported the hard-right conservative Mike Johnson (outspokenly anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ) for Speaker of the House.
Josh Riley has been clear about his stand on important issues. He points to the economic hardship and inequality caused by the greed of large corporations, especially in rural communities. Unlike his opponent, Riley supports a woman’s right to
reproductive care. On the issue of border security, Riley has presented specifics for what he and Congress could do, unlike Republicans, who blocked a comprehensive bipartisan border bill for political advantage.
Local voices matter, so make yours heard with your vote for Josh Riley.
Diane Hamblin Oneonta
Physician Should Be Bassett Head
In Bassett’s 102 year history, Staci Thompson is the first CEO that is not a physician. A physician is held to a higher ethical standard than a business person. They teach ethics in medical school, in business school they teach accounting. Doctors relate to each other in ways that nondoctors cannot fathom. The CEO should be able to relate to Bassett’s most important employees, the doctors, on both a professional and ethical level. The doctors are what determine the reputation of the hospital, its efficiency, the standard of its service and, yes, its revenue. The CEO’s primary task is to recruit and retain good doctors. A fellow doctor can do that.
The recent layoffs may have been necessary to cut costs, but the doctors whose staffs were cut were not consulted. More experienced staff members were cut, leaving less experienced staff to take up the slack. More productive doctors have left, taking their staff with them. Government subsidized healthcare may make up the bulk of Bassett’s revenue, but the more profitable departments are dependent on productive, ethical doctors. So management’s primary constituency are the doctors. Even a Wharton MBA knows that.
Chip Northrup Cooperstown
Kudos for DMV Satellite Office
I read with great satisfaction the recent news that a DMV satellite office will open next year in Oneonta. MacGuire Benton made this a central issue of his unsuccessful campaign for county clerk last year. Providing this essential service to the most populous part of our county
Berkson, Monica Calzolari, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Elizabeth Cooper, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Karolina Hopper, Wriley Nelson, Joel J. Plue, Tom Shelby, Dan Sullivan, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin
by Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART
160 YEARS AGO
The Final Arrangements: Final and thorough arrangements must be made by the Democrats of each town and election district for the contest of the 8th of November. We wish to offer a few timely suggestions to our friends in the county to this important matter. A committee should be appointed in each town, say of nine members, who should take upon themselves: 1. To complete the poll lists and see that every Democrat is registered. 2. To visit any and every voter in the town. 3. To provide conveyances for bringing out every Democratic voter who has not a team of his own. 4. To select two good challengers for each poll, and men to watch the canvass closely till the votes are all canvassed and the result declared. 5. Every Democrat who has ever been in the habit of attending the polls and giving out tickets, and who is able to do so now, should lend a hand on the 8th. Try and have the voting go off peaceably, quietly and good-naturedly. Discountenance the sale or use of liquor near the polls; it is the prolific source of trouble.
October 28, 1864
85 YEARS AGO
October 25, 1939
35 YEARS AGO
Alcohol abuse is pervasive in many high schools, but at cooperstown central School it has become hidden behind the collective denial of a large segment of the community. “cooperstown likes to pretend its kids are perfect,” said one teenager. “But we aren’t.” “Part of the problem is that it (student alcohol use) is not brought to the surface,” Theodore Kantorowski, ccS athletic director, said. “It’s a problem, because there’s no support out there,” he said. “If parents, students and faculty members would openly say these students drink, then we can take action. Instead, the alcohol problem is camouflaged.” The denial is deep-seated. “The root of such widespread denial,” said Betty currier, executive director of LEAF, “is fear. Parents are afraid for their children, afraid of what the community will think and they don’t want to ask themselves—‘Where did I go wrong?’”
November 1, 1989
news from the noteworthy
Sean Lewis: ‘chamber Has a Lot Going On’
As we approach the fourth quarter holiday season, the Otsego county chamber of commerce is moving into a very busy period of community activity. As always, the Occc participates in efforts that support our communities and the nearly 300 member businesses, organizations, and individuals we serve.
October 31 is, of course, Halloween. As a member of Oneonta’s Parade Team, we are helping the Rotary club of Oneonta with the Annual Halloween Parade. Other team members include Hill city celebrations, Destination Oneonta, and “The Daily Star.” We are all working together to produce the traditional parades that are part of the fabric of this city. Staging begins at 5 p.m. along Elm Street, with the parade beginning at 6 p.m. Bring your children down to Main Street for trick-or-treat at participating businesses starting at 3 p.m. And, of course, there are donuts and cider at Foothills Performing Arts and civic center directly after the parade. Show up, show out, and dress up for the festivities! If you want to participate in the parade itself, register at https://form.jotform. com/242834950782162.
November 14 is our Annual Members Meeting and Awards celebration in the Atrium at the Foothills. This year’s award winners are: Breakthrough Award—The Gathering Place; Small Business Award—Annutto’s Farm Stand; Member of the Year—Bobby Angilletta and the staff at Sal’s New classic Pizza; and four winners of the community Leadership Award—Hartwick college and SUNY Oneonta for their efforts to
By MERL REAGLE
I, Gluteus (3)…
Language that gave us “gumbo”
Actress Linney
Salad bar option
1979 sci-fi classic
Bk. after Ezra
“How’s the divorce going, ___?”
25 “My thoughts exactly, ___”
Vicksburg victim
Furry friend
Sooner city
Mr. Moto portrayer
“We’re over here, ___” 35 Avon or Devon
“How’s life in the fast lane, ___?”
Arthur Ashe’s alma mater
7-foot-1 star
Sudden proliferation
Time off
Singer about Alice
“You’re getting warmer, ___”
“What are you up to now, ___?”
20 YEARS AGO
ccS high school students under age 18 will cast ballots in the presidential election next week, too, thanks to the cooperstown central School 12th-graders in Kathleen clare’s social studies classes. clare, in her first year on the ccS faculty, teaches participation in government and economics classes. On Monday, students will hold a school-wide, lunch-time mock election with students in the 9th through 12th grades registering to vote, choosing party affiliations, and casting ballots.
October 29, 2004
Solution: “Guess the Theme” (October 24)
work together on multiple projects, and ONc BOcES and Bassett Healthcare Network for the recent LPN Pipeline Program. This event is a traditional sellout, so members should reserve their seats right away by visiting our website at otsegocc.com.
Starting on Small Business Saturday (November 29), Occc will once again be running our Shop Small, Win Big Promotion for Otsego county retail businesses. Each participating business will donate a $25.00 gift card, with expectations that we will increase the levels from 30 participants last year. The community can visit each location between November 28 and December 17 to register. Occc will pick one winner from all the registrations collected live on Facebook, and that lucky individual will win all the donated gift cards plus a $200.00 gift card to the participating business of the winner’s choice. Our goal is to present one winner with over $1,000.00 in local store credit just before the holidays! Look for the Shop Small, Win Big posters and registration displays throughout Otsego county.
The Holiday Parade and other traditional christmas season events will be held again this year in Oneonta. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. and runs its traditional course along Main Street. Santa will be making his regular appearance, with visiting hours at the cottage on Muller Plaza directly afterwards. The city tree lighting will be December 12 at 5 p.m. Additional Muller Plaza Santa visiting hours will be after the tree lighting,
Continued on page 13
Shortly, to Shelley
Void’s partner
Signal, perhaps
Statesman Stevenson
Oil amts. 66 Pre-event buzz
Big name in country
“How’s the new diet coming, ___?”
Bird word
“Going to the party, ___?”
Cops in helmets
“Tough day,
candidates for the General Election: In Their Words
Editor’s Note: Iron String Press reached out to candidates in statewide races for the November 5, 2024 General Election, as well as those running in the City of Oneonta, for their thoughts on why voters should choose them at the polls. Here are their responses, in the order that they appear on the ballot:
United States Senator
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Did not respond to e-mail inquiries.
Michael D. Sapraicone
Did not respond to e-mail inquiries.
Diane Sare
I am the only peace candidate running in this race. If Senator Gillibrand and Mike Sapraicone meant what they said at the recent candidates’ debate, they both agree that Ukraine and Israel should be sent unlimited funds and weapons with no strings attached. This cannot possibly be in the interest of the American people.
I believe we should stop sending weapons to rogue regimes which are putting the world at risk of nuclear war. The United States must strengthen our industrial base with adequate energy and water resources. We need nuclear power and high-speed rail. If we can offer economic prosperity for ourselves and other nations, we will be able to bring peace and security. If we seek war, we will reap what we sow.
For 32 years, I worked with former presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche, who was the leading physical economist of the United States. He warned that Nixon’s decoupling of the dollar from the gold reserve system would lead to perpetual war and fascism. It has.
We must return to the founding principles of our nation, namely that each person is equal and should have an equal opportunity to develop his or her talents for the benefit of all. The Erie canal unleashed the productive power of the State of New York—a modern rail system today would pull the nation together and allow us to dramatically raise the standard of living for our people.
Representative
in Congress, District 19
Josh Riley
I’m a fifth-generation Upstate New Yorker, bornand-raised in a working-class neighborhood in Endicott. My family came here over a century ago to work in the local factories.
As I was growing up, I saw our community lose jobs as the plants closed down. I delivered the paper every morning, and saw headlines about Upstate’s job losses right next to headlines about Wall Street’s soaring profits. I saw firsthand how our community was sold out by greed in our economy and corruption in our politics. Now I’m running for congress to take on the corrupt politicians and special interests who put themselves ahead of us.
I’m fighting to give working families a fair shot to get ahead—taking on corporate price gougers to lower costs, and creating opportunity by bringing back good paying manufacturing jobs. I trust women to make their own healthcare decisions, which is why I’ll always protect abortion access. And I’m not taking any corporate PAc money because I’m going to congress to fight for neighborhoods like the one I grew up in, not the special interests.
As a Democrat who comes from a Republican family, I’ve never been afraid to call out my own party when I think they’re wrong—that’s why I’ve taken career politicians from both parties to task for failing to secure our Southern border.
Democrat, Republican, Independent or something in between, there is a home for you in this campaign and on Tuesday, November 5th, I’d be honored to have your vote.
Marcus Molinaro
Growing up, my family struggled. We worked hard and at times relied on food stamps. When I first ran, I promised to solve problems for working class families like the one I grew up in.
Two years later, I’ve delivered real results. I’m ranked the most bipartisan in New York and the fourth in congress for passing bills. I’ve focused on our issues to make progress on affordability, protecting Social Security and Medicare, supporting those with disabilities, and delivering relief to our agricultural community.
On the issues I’m sure you’re hearing a lot about, let me tell you where I stand.
On border security, I’ve become a leading advocate for closing the border and in May 2023, voted to pass the Secure the border Act. It’s the strictest border security bill in generations and if President biden would sign it into law—it would make a massive difference. It reinstates Remain in Mexico, and deploys physical barriers and innovative technology at the border to stop the unmitigated flow of illegal crossings and deadly drugs. And importantly, it fully funds law enforcement.
On reproductive health, I believe healthcare decisions should be between a woman and her doctor, not Washington. I kept my promise to reject a national abortion ban—keeping New York’s laws in place. And I bucked my own party as the first Republican to back legislation protecting IVF, birth control, and mifepristone.
I’m asking for your vote to continue fighting for our priorities.
State Senator, District 51
Michele Frazier
As rural New Yorkers, we all want our communities to thrive. Growing up in a large family flower business in Oneonta, I understand what it means to put in the work to make things grow.
From working as a crisis intervention worker to a professor at an access institution, I have committed to making our communities better. The housing crisis is real in our area. I’ve got a plan to help our communities solve this crisis. When people find stable housing, they plant roots and invest in their communities. We also want to feel safe in our communities. I want to expand 911 to include mental health, domestic violence and substance abuse professionals to free up our law enforcement to protect our communities while also providing more comprehensive services for our people in crisis.
Finally, as a mom of three children, two of whom have special needs, and the daughter of an aging parent, I want to make sure we take care of our families. I want to make sure our seniors have in-home care, transportation, and nursing homes that are for people and not profits. This year, New York will rework the formula for K-12 education. Rural New York needs a representative who will show up, do the work and bring our voice to that discussion and so many more. If we leave our seat at the table to a person who doesn’t show up to meetings, we have left ourselves on the menu.
Rural New Yorkers deserve their seat at the table.
Peter Oberacker
As your senator, and having served as a town supervisor, Otsego county board member, and an active volunteer first responder, I understand the challenges our communities face and will continue to work tirelessly to address them.
Fighting for Affordability: I am committed to making New York affordable again. The left’s extreme policies have strained our families and businesses. I’m dedicated to lowering taxes, cutting wasteful spending, and ensuring hard-working families can live, work, and retire here.
Protecting Public Safety: I will remain a strong voice against dangerous bail laws, fighting to keep criminals off our streets and end the revolving door of crime in our communities. I’m proud to cosponsor legislation to repeal bail reform, restoring judicial discretion and safeguarding our neighborhoods.
Supporting Local Heroes: As one of the few active first responders in the State Senate, my support for law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel is unwavering. I’ve pushed to make EMS an essential service, which has passed the Senate. My electronic appearance bill was recently signed into law, improving safety by streamlining legal proceedings and enhancing our justice system.
I humbly ask for your vote on or before November 5 to continue the fight for affordability, safety and a brighter future for Upstate New Yorkers.
Member of Assembly, District 102
Janet Tweed
I’m a physical therapist, local elected official and candidate for New York State Assembly 102. I’ve achieved difficult goals at the town and village level by collaborating across the political spectrum.
If elected, I’d be one of few legislators in Albany who are frontline healthcare workers. Healthcare accessibility and affordability are some of my top priorities, and I’d provide a needed voice on how legislative changes would impact providers and patients. I support the New York Health Act, which would ensure universal coverage of all New Yorkers at lower cost than our current system.
Another top priority is strengthening our economy through maintaining critical infrastructure, and expanding our stock of safe, affordable housing. I’ll work with private and state leaders to improve our housing stock in ways that are collaborative and respect home rule.
I also want to protect our environment, both from climate change and from inappropriate renewable energy infrastructure. I support incentivizing solar construction on buildings, parking lots, and brownfields—not on our prime farmland. My opponent, chris Tague voted against an offshore wind project in Long Island, even though it will protect roughly 5,000 upstate acres from solar development. Tague’s only legislative contributions over the last five years are several “awareness” proclamations. We deserve better.
I’m committed to serving all residents of the 102nd, regardless of political affiliation, and I’ll put in the work to find collaborative, affordable solutions. Learn more at: janettweed.com.
Christopher Tague
Experience, bipartisanship, common sense. That’s what I bring to the table as a New York State assemblyman. That’s what I’ve done for the past six years. Our state is struggling with a number of long-term problems that the current status quo seems unable to account for, and that’s what I continue to fight against. The influx of illegal migrants into this state is staggering, and our current method of addressing the issue—sending reimbursement funds to New York city in the billions of dollars—isn’t fixing anything. If anything, it’s a slap in the face to the hardworking New Yorkers struggling to keep food on the table and gas in their cars. Where is their support from the state government?
We aren’t only facing an immigration and affordability crisis, though. Rural New York, like the area we call home, continues to struggle with establishing reliable infrastructure, from solid roads to our broadband Internet connection. We have homeless veterans on the street, our people are struggling under the weight of this state’s regulations and inconsistent support. My hope is that we can continue to return common sense to Albany with a combination of accountability, education and experience, all of which I believe I bring to the table. And I’ve received a number of endorsements this year from multiple groups that seem to agree, from NYSUT to the New York State Troopers PbA to the New York AFL-cIO to the NFIb. I’m ready to continue the important work.
Member of Assembly, District 118
Robert J. Smullen
Did not respond to e-mail inquiries.
Member of Assembly, District 121
Vicki Davis
People deserve responsible representation. We need a stronger voice representing us at the state level. A voice willing to work with everyone from both sides of the house. A voice that supports the mutual benefits available when rural and urban citizens work together. A voice that will be a resource for all of the district. I will be that voice.
I have a lifelong career as a professional set designer. It’s a field that demands collaboration, attention to detail, budget and labor consciousness. It is a problem solver’s dream job and I will bring these skills to my role in the Assembly. As a university faculty member, I am attuned to the educational system and its value as a resource to our communities. As a long-time member of our area, I am invested in central New York, and have served decades as a community organizer and volunteer. My belief and faith in democracy is what influenced my interest in joining my union. When people work together collectively they make the world better for everyone. Rural needs are different than urban ones. Our situation must be a part of the conversation on the
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candidates for the General election: In Their Words
state level. We hold unique assets and they must be protected. It is crucial that as the assemblypersons we be of service to the entire district, creating programs to serve our constituents, providing resources and information, and bringing support to those in need.
With your support, I will represent all of the people of District 121. Thank you.
Joe Angelino
Did not respond to e-mail inquiries. Member of Assembly, District 122
Adrienne Martini
it needs without compromising our unique communities and our upstate values.
Assemblyman Brian Miller
When you head to the polls, I hope you’ll consider re-electing me as your assemblyman. The 122nd District deserves a representative who will push back against Albany’s out-of-touch mandates and stand up for Upstate values. Over the past eight years, I’ve been fighting for our communities against policies that have led to rising crime, hurt our agricultural industries, and neglected the unique needs of rural Upstate New York. I understand firsthand how state-level decisions impact us locally. I’ll continue to push back on harmful regulations that don’t work for our communities.
I believe in Oneonta and I’m committed to working hard to find compassionate, effective, and responsible solutions to address challenges. I’ve demonstrated this through my record of community service, including leadership on nonprofit boards and as a founding member and former president of Otsego Pride Alliance, which organizes an annual Pridefest in the city. I’ve also dedicated more than 20 years to working in human services. Continued from page 6
I ran for the Otsego county board of Representatives in 2017 because I realized how instrumental local government is in our everyday lives—and how more diverse voices lead to better decisions about how and where our public money is spent. We all deserve decent roads, safe communities and resilient infrastructure.
Now I’m running for State Assembly because our county government is limited in how much it can do with the resources it has. central New York needs a representative who will make sure our region gets the funding and relief from burdens like unfunded mandates to grow into an even better place to live.
So many of our challenges grow out of a lack of affordable housing. We cannot continue to attract well-paying jobs and skilled workers if we don’t have a place for them to live. And if we can’t continue to grow our tax base, the services we offer will continue to be inadequate to the needs of the most vulnerable members of our region.
In Albany, I will incentivize investment in increasing housing of all types, including workforce and senior housing.
New Yorkers in the 122nd Assembly District need a representative who will show up for more than ribbon cuttings and fundraisers. I will work hard to deliver for central New York, including universal broadband and functional healthcare systems. I can work from within the majority to get this region what
I’ve worked across party lines to introduce and support legislation that makes a difference for Upstate New York. I’m proud to have secured essential funding for town projects and educational institutions in our district as well as each library throughout the122nd District. With affordability more critical than ever, I’m committed to reducing taxes, cutting wasteful government spending, and eliminating unfunded mandates that burden our towns. Supporting small businesses, the backbone of our economy, is key to creating local jobs.
Public safety is also a priority, and I’ve co-sponsored legislation aimed at keeping our communities safe, focusing on common-sense solutions. My experience as a mechanical engineer, orchard owner, and years in public service have prepared me to tackle our district’s challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset.
As your assemblyman, I’m committed to improving the quality of life for the 122nd District. Thank you for your trust, and I look forward to continuing to serve you with dedication and integrity.
City of Oneonta Council Member, Ward 1
Elayne Mosher Campoli
As First Ward council member, I will continue to focus on issues that impact quality of life, access to health and human services, economic development and fiscal responsibility, and community building.
Oneonta is a hometown with a lot of heart. This
The job scene
To place effective employment ads, call 607-547-6103
Attention
city is special and has a lot going for it! Overall, the city of Oneonta is in a strong financial position and we have a community that really cares and looks out for each other. challenges like access to services, housing for year-round residents, and climate justice also present us opportunities to get creative and come up with solutions that can lead to economic development in the city.
Continued on page 9
Emergency Housing Shelter Associate Head Start Health Specialist Professional Development coach Toddler Classroom Teacher Toddler Classroom Aide
FT Head Start Positions - with school breaks and summers off: Preschool Assistant Teacher Preschool Classroom Aide
Interviewing for: Advertising Sales Agent
Applicants
Please send cover letter and resume to info@allotsego.com, with “Sales Position” in the subject
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Notice of formatioN of Limited LiabiLity Company:
DREAMOID LLC.
Art. Of Org. filed with Secretary of State of NY on 09/19/24. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. Office in OTSEGO COUNTY. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, PO BOX 214, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Notice of orgaNizatioN of BES HOUSE AND SUPPLY LLC under Section 203 of the Limited Liability Company Law.
Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/18/24.
Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Ma Eden Marquinez and Bjorn Marquinez, 1 Susquehanna Ave., Apt. 2, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalOct.31
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Notice of formatioN of LBNAN LLC
Art. Of Org filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 09/20/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to 7665 State Highway 28, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Notice of formatioN of Tom Hunt Excavating LLC
Art. Of Org filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 8/30/2024.
Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process
against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to the LLC at 159 Mravlja Hill Road, Worcester, NY 12197. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalOct.31
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Notice of formatioN of CATSKILL DRONE SERVICES LLC
Arts of org. filed with SSNY 7/8/2024
Otsego Co.
SSNY design. as agent for process & shall mail to ZENBUSINESS INC., 41 STATE ST #112, ALBANY, NY 12207. General Purpose 6LegalNov.7
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Notice of formatioN of DREAMWORX CONTRACTING L.L.C.
Arts of Org. filed SSNY 9/9/2024
Otsego Co.
SSNY design. agent for process & shall mail to 41 STATE STREET, SUITE 112, ALBANY, NY, UNITED STATES, 12207. General Purpose
6LegalNov.7
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Notice of formatioN of B & C CONTRACTING OF CNY LLC.
Filed 8/19/24. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 163 Armstrong Rd, West Winfield, NY 13491. Purpose: General. 6LegalNov.7
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Notice of formatioN of a Ny Limited LiabiLity compaNy.
CHIEF SCHENEVUS RESTAURANT LLC.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 30 September 2024. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to PO Box 133, Schenevus, NY 12155. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalNov.7
LegaL nOtice SUmmoNS
Supreme Court of New York, Otsego County.
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR TREEHOUSE SERIES V TRUST, Plaintiff, -against-
PATRICIA LAMPHERE A/K/A PATRICIA A. LAMPHERE, POSSIBLE HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; BURDETT J. LAMPHERE, POSSIBLE HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; HEATHER BOURG A/K/A HEATHER NICOLE BOURG, POSSIBLE HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; JENNA KING, POSSIBLE HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; MEAGAN LAMPHERE, POSSIBLE HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE
A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF ESTHER M. LAMPHERE A/K/A ESTHER LAMPHERE; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (NORTHERN DISTRICT); NBT BANK; CAPITAL ONE BANK USA, NA; LVNV FUNDING LLC; “JOHN DOE” and “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants
Index No. EF2024-72 Mortgaged Premises: 53 East James Street a/k/a 53 James Street East Richfield Springs, New York 13439
Section: 25.05 Block: 4 Lot: 17.00 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the
LEGALS
Complaint in the above captioned action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner 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 hereof. 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 OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECTIVE of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a Mortgage to secure $59,061.76 and interest, recorded in the Otsego County Clerk’s Office on July 25, 2003 in Book 1196, Page 98, Instrument Number 15398, covering the premises known as 53 East James Street a/k/a 53 James Street East, Richfield Springs, New York 13439. The relief sought herein is a final judgment directing sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the mortgage described above. Plaintiff designates Otsego County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises is located.
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 your mortgage company will not stop this 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.
FRIEDMAN VARTOLO, LLP
1325 Franklin Avenue, Suite 160 Garden City, NY 11530, Attorneys for Plaintiff. 4LegalOct.31
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Notice of formatioN of Freer’s Property Management, LLC:
Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 05/31/2024. Off. Loc. Otsego Co.
SSNY designated as agent of LLC on whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 119 Shulgay Road, Cherry Valley, NY, 13320. Purpose: all lawful activities. 6LegalNov.14
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Notice of formatioN of SOUTHEAST USA 2, LLC
Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/1/24. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 477 Chester St., Uniondale, NY 11553. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Principal business loc: 65 Ford Ave., Oneonta, NY 13820. 6LegalNov.14
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Notice of formatioN of Desnoyers Deals,LLC.
Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on 08/30/24. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to the LLC, 673 Talbot Rd West Winfield NY 13491. Purpose: any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.14
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Notice of formatioN of HILL CITY BOOKKEEPING LLC Arts of Org.
filed with SSNY 9/19/2024. Otsego Co. SSNY design as agent for process & shall mail to 41 STATE ST, STE 112, ALBANY, NY, US, 12207 General Purpose 6LegalNov.14
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Notice of formatioN of Stonehouse Design LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on January 26, 2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Stonehouse Design, 173 Deerfield Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.21
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Notice of formatioN of a Ny Limited LiabiLity compaNy. Tan Kat Farm, LLC, filed articles of organization with the NY Secretary of State on 04/14/2011. Office is located in Otsego County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. NY Secretary of State shall mail copy of process to 507 Wileytown Road, Hartwick NY 13348. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 6LegalNov.21
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Notice of formatioN of Excelsior Claims LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/28/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to PO Box 202, Gilberstville, NY 13776. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of Royalty Tobacco LLC.
Filed 9/5/24.
Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. for process & shall
mail to 5626 St. Hwy. 7, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of VA LAKESIDE ESCAPES LLC
Article of Organizations filed with the SSNY on 8/19/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copies of process to 23 Maggiolo Dr., Pearl River, NY 10965. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.28
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Notice of formatioN of Nelliston Storage LLC
Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on October 16, 2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 271 Texas Road, Springfield Center, NY 13468 Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.5
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Notice to tHe VoterS of otSego coUNty
Candidates and Polling Places for the: November 5, 2024 general election polls open 6am-9pm eLectorS for preSideNt aNd Vice preSideNt of tHe UNited StateS Kamala D. Harris for President Tim Walz for Vice President (DEM, WOR) Donald J. Trump for President JD Vance for Vice President (REP, CON) UNited StateS SeNator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (DEM, WOR) Michael D. Sapraicone (REP, CON) Diane Sare (LAR) repreSeNtatiVe iN coNgreSS, diStrict 19 Josh Riley (DEM, WOR) Marcus Molinaro (REP, CON) propoSaL NUmber oNe Text available at
vote.otsegocountyny.gov
State SeNator, diStrict 51 Michele Frazier (DEM, WOR) Peter Oberacker (REP, CON) member of aSSembLy, diStrict 102 Janet S. Tweed (DEM, WOR) Christopher Tague (REP, CON) member of aSSembLy, diStrict 118
Robert J. Smullen (REP, CON) member of aSSembLy, diStrict 121 Vicki Davis (DEM) Joe Angelino (REP, CON) member of aSSembLy, diStrict 122 Adrienne Martini (DEM, WOR) Brian D. Miller (REP, CON) city of oNeoNta COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 1 (UNEXPIRED TERM) Elayne Mosher Campoli (DEM, HHE) Rick Ranc (REP, OWU) COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 8 (UNEXPIRED TERM) Don Mathisen (DEM) cHerry VaLLey TOWN JUSTICE no candidates decatUr SUPERVISOR (UNEXPIRED TERM) Johnathan D. Kersman (DEM) Julia Parker (REP) eXeter TOWN JUSTICE no candidates COUNCIL MEMBER (UNEXPIRED TERM) no candidates HartWicK TOWN JUSTICE Glenn Schilling (CON) SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS (UNEXPIRED TERM) Owen T. Wellman (REP) LaUreNS COUNCIL MEMBER (UNEXPIRED TERM) Kim Sparaco (REP) maryLaNd SUPERVISOR (UNEXPIRED TERM) no candidates COUNCIL MEMBER (UNEXPIRED TERM) no candidates morriS TOWN JUSTICE no candidates pLaiNfieLd TOWN JUSTICE no candidates Council Member (Unexpired Term) no candidates ricHfieLd
COUNCIL MEMBER (UNEXPIRED TERM) Charles H. Furner (REP) Dan Sullivan (RRI) UNadiLLa
COUNCIL MEMBER
(UNEXPIRED TERM) Lawrence Crosier
(REP) WeStford CLERK/COLLECTOR (UNEXPIRED TERM) Joanne Tobey (DEM) Joseph Poliseno (REP) TOWN JUSTICE Jocelyn J. Harris (REP)
poLLiNg pLaceS city of oNeoNta Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market St. bUrLiNgtoN Municipal Building, 6011 St. Hwy. 51 bUtterNUtS Municipal Building, 1234 St. Hwy. 51 cHerry VaLLey Community Center, 2 Genesee St. decatUr Town Barn, 104 Co. Hwy. 37 edmeStoN Municipal Building, 2 West St. eXeter Highway Garage, 7411 St. Hwy. 28 HartWicK Town Office Building, 103 Town Dr. LaUreNS Firehouse, 34 Main St. maryLaNd AMVET Post 2752, 25 Main St. middLefieLd Clark Sports Center, 124 Co. Hwy. 52 miLford Town Hall, 2859 St. Hwy. 28 morriS Engine & Townhouse, 118 Main St. NeW LiSboN Town Hall, 908 Co. Hwy. 16 toWN of oNeoNta diStrictS 1,3,4 Town Hall, 3966 St. Hwy. 23 toWN of oNeoNta diStrict 2 FoxCare Center, 1 FoxCare Dr. otego Municipal Building, 3526 St. Hwy. 7 otSego (aLL diStrictS) St Mary’s Parish Center, 31 Elm St. or Town Building, 811 Co. Hwy. 26 pittSfieLd Town Hall, 175 St. Hwy. 80 pLaiNfieLd Courthouse, 133 Co. Hwy. 18A ricHfieLd Town Hall, 18 E. James St. roSeboom Town Building, 126 Co. Hwy. 50 SpriNgfieLd Community Center, 129 Co. Hwy. 29A UNadiLLa Town Hall, 1648 St. Hwy. 7 WeStford Town Hall, 1812 Co Hwy 34 WorceSter Town Hall, 19 Katie Ln. Otsego County Board of Elections 140 Co Hwy 33W, Ste 2 Cooperstown, NY 13326 continued Pg. 9
Candidates for the General Election: In Their Words
Continued from page 7
I bring many skills to the position and I have the capacity and determination to learn what is needed. Communication is essential to create transparency and I will uphold these values in public service. I want to make a difference, and I’m dedicated to my family, friends and wider community. I’m investing time and energy to get involved, listening and learning about the needs and strengths of the city and interests of Ward 1 residents.
Rick Ranc
Did not respond to inquiries.
city of Oneonta council Member, Ward 8
Don Mathisen
I’m running to represent the City of Oneonta’s 8th Ward. My goal is to ensure efficient, financially responsible government. I want to keep property taxes as low as possible while providing essential services. City services include police and fire departments to keep us safe; public works to maintain streets, parks, and municipal buildings; a water system to provide clean, safe water; and a waste water treatment plant so our discharges into the Susquehanna River meet environmentally sound standards. I promise to work hard, listen to constituent concerns, and do my best to find solutions to problems.
text of Proposal number One, an amendment
Concurrent Resolution of the Senate and Assembly proposing an amendment to section 11 of article 1 of the constitution, in relation to equal protection
Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 11 of article 1 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
§ 11. a. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy, be subjected to any discrimination in [his or her] their civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state, pursuant to law.
b. Nothing in this section shall invalidate or prevent the adoption of any law, regulation, program, or practice that is designed to prevent or dismantle discrimination on the basis of a characteristic listed in this section, nor shall any characteristic listed in this section be interpreted to interfere with, limit, or deny the civil rights of any person based upon any other characteristic identified in this section.
LEGALS
from Pg. 8
607-547-4247 boe@otsegocountyny.gov
1LegalOct.31
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Notice of formatioN of Mountain Magic Market LLC
Arts. of org. filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 10/25/2024. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy of process to 164 Ed Herman Road, Schenevus, NY 12155. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalDec.5
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Notice of formatioN of The Hounds Cooperstown LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/14/2024 Office Location: Otsego County SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to P.O. Box 365, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
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Notice of PUBLic HeariNG
NOTICE is hereby given that there has been duly introduced before the Board of Representatives of the County of Otsego, New York, a Local Law entitled: A Local Law establishing cost recovery for haz-
ardous materialrelated emergency response.
NOTICE is further given that the Board of Representatives will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Local Law in the Representatives Chambers at the County Office Building in the Village of Cooperstown, New York on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 9:45 a.m. at which time all persons interested will be heard. The location of the public hearing is accessible to persons with mobility impairment. The public hearing will be streamed via Facebook Live on the official Otsego County Facebook page: https:// www.facebook. com/otsegocountynewyork A copy of this Local Law is available on the Otsego County website.
Dated: October 31, 2024
Carol D. McGovern
Clerk of the Board of Representatives Otsego County, New York 1LegalOct.31
LegaL nOtice
Notice of formatioN of 222587 Family AP LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/29/24. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 190 Butternut Rd., Unadilla, NY 13849. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalDec.5
LegaL nOtice
STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF OTSEGO
MIDFIRST BANK Plaintiff, vs.
LINDA M. STAGER AKA LINDA STAGER, if living, and if she be dead, her 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 who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, any right, title or interest in and to the premises; BETTY STAGER, FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF OMAHA, A SUBSIDIARY OF FIRST NATIONAL OF NEBRASKA, INC.; DISCOVER BANK; VALLEY HEALTH SERVICES INC.; Defendants.
Filed: October 21, 2024 Index No.: EF2024-353 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises: 173 Clintonville Road Cooperstown, (Town of Middlefield ) NY 13326 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 Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or
within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner 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 hereof. 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 OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is for the foreclosure of: Mortgage bearing the date of June 21, 2006, executed by Linda M. Stager and Betty Stager to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (“MERS”), solely as nominee for First American Mortgage Trust, Massachusetts Business Trust to secure the sum of $128,600.00, and interest, and recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Otsego County on June 29, 2006 in Document No.: 2006-00046617 Book: 1490 Page: 1027. That Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as mortgagee, as nominee for First American Mortgage Trust duly assigned said Note and Mortgage to MidFirst Bank, a Federally Chartered Savings Association by Assignment dated September 2, 2021 and recorded on September 15, 2021 in the Office of the Clerk of Otsego County in Instrument No.: 2021-5155. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the Mortgaged Premises described
§ 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendment be submitted to the people for approval at the general election to be held in the year 2024 in accordance with the provisions of the election law.
Explanation – Matter in underscored is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted.
above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.
Plaintiff designates Otsego County as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the County in which the Mortgaged Premises is situated. Section: 178.00 Block: 2 Lot: 11.00
DATED: May 13, 2024 Rochester, New York
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 your Mortgage company will not stop this 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. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SCHEDULE A LEGAL DESCRIPTION ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT,
PIECE, OR PARCEL OF LAND, situate, lying and being in the Town of Middlefield, County of Otsego and State of New York, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at an iron pipe driven in the ground on the southerly side of the Clintonville Road and running thence southerly at approximately a 90° angle to the highway (through a New York State Electric and Gas pole forty-two (42) feet southerly of the highway) one hundred twenty-seven (127) feet to an iron pipe driven in the ground; Thence easterly eighty-four (84) feet to an iron pipe driven in the ground; Thence northeasterly three hundred (300) feet to an iron pipe driven in the ground; Thence northerly at approximately a 90° angle to the Clintonville Road two hundred fifty (250) feet to an iron pipe driven in the ground on the southerly side of the highway; Thence westerly along the southerly side of the highway two hundred sixtythree (263) feet to the point or place of beginning (all of the distances are approximate and subject to a more accurate survey).
Maynard H. Emerson and G. Edna Emerson hereby grant and convey to the grantees herein right to use water from a well existing on their property together with the right to enter, repair and maintain existing water line from said well to premises conveyed by this instrument to grantees and above rights to run with the land.
EXCEPTING AND RESERVING all the right, title in interest of the grantor in and to the water rights conveyed
to her by deed from Robert W. Pollard and Alice W. Pollard dated August 16, 1984 and recorded in the Otsego County Clerk’s Office on August 23, 1984 in Liber 697 of Deeds at page 1173, said real property being located in the Town of Middlefield, County of Otsego and State of New York, as described in a deed from Constance E. Brandt to Maynard H. Emerson and G. Edna Emerson, dated 15 October 1984 and recorded in the Otsego County Clerk’s Office in Liber 699 of Deeds at page 57.
6LegalNov.21
LegaL nOtice
Notice of PUBLic HeariNG
NOTICE is hereby given that there has been duly introduced before the Board of Representatives of the County of Otsego, New York, a Local Law entitled: A Local Law to override the tax levy limit established in General Municipal Law §3-C.
NOTICE is further given that the Board of Representatives will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Local Law in the Representatives Chambers at the County Office Building in the Village of Cooperstown New York on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 9:50 a.m. at which time all persons interested will be heard. The location of the public hearing is accessible to persons with mobility impairment.
The public hearing will be streamed via Facebook Live on the official Otsego County Facebook
A copy of this Local Law is available on the Otsego County website.
Dated: October 31, 2024
Carol D. McGovern Clerk of the Board of Representatives Otsego County, New York
1LegalOct.31
LegaL nOtice
Notice of PUBLic HeariNG
NOTICE is hereby given that there has been duly introduced before the Board of Representatives of the County of Otsego, New York, a Local Law entitled: A Local Law imposing an additional mortgage recording tax in Otsego County.
NOTICE is further given that the Board of Representatives will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Local Law in the Representatives Chambers at the County Office Building in the Village of Cooperstown, New York on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 9:40 a.m. at which time all persons interested will be heard. The location of the public hearing is accessible to persons with mobility impairment. The public hearing will be streamed via Facebook Live on the official Otsego County Facebook page: https:// www.facebook. com/otsegocountynewyork A copy of this Local Law is available on the Otsego County website.
Dated: October 31, 2024
Carol D. McGovern Clerk of the Board of Representatives Otsego County, New York 1LegalOct.31
LegaL nOtice
Notice of PUBLic HeariNG
NOTICE is hereby given that there has been duly introduced before the Board of Representatives of the County of Otsego, New York, a Local Law entitled: A Local Law establishing the salary of Director of Real Property Tax Service II for the remainder of the year 2024.
NOTICE is further given that the Board of Representatives will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Local Law in the Representatives Chambers at the County Office Building in the Village of Cooperstown, New York on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 9:55 a.m. at which time all persons interested will be heard. The location of the public hearing is accessible to persons with mobility impairment.
The public hearing will be streamed via Facebook Live on the official Otsego County Facebook page: https:// www.facebook. com/otsegocountynewyork A copy of this Local Law is available on the Otsego County website.
Dated: October 31, 2024
Carol D. McGovern Clerk of the Board of Representatives Otsego County, New York 1LegalOct.31
Energy Demystified: The Bolts and Volts of Electric Energy
With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet,” Dr. Victor Frankenstein says in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” On this dramatic night, set not in a Gothic castle in October but in a German city apartment in November, he would harness the raw power of electric energy.
Even though Mary Shelley mentions galvanism in Chapter 2 of the novel—alluding to Luigi Galvani’s early experiments “animating” dead frogs with channeled lightning, making frog muscles convulse—Shelley never explicitly wrote that Victor placed bolt-like electrodes on the monster’s neck, nor that Victor used electricity to animate his Creature. All the same, subsequent movies—particularly James Whale’s 1931 film adaptation—and our collective imagination over time have solidified in our minds the spooky castle, the laboratory with wires and glass tubes, lightning and thunder, bolts and volts.
Perhaps this is because electricity still seems as mysterious as life itself, even entwined with life itself: our brain cells send pulses of electricity to talk to each other, and shock paddles (or sticky defibrillator pads, more frequently used since COVID-19 began) can restart failing rhythms of the heart. And we all know you should never climb over electric fences—particularly ones from Jurassic Park. So what exactly is this enigmatic power that can, indeed, spark life—or destruction?
At its core, electric energy is the work done to move electric charges. If, like Sisyphus, I push a boulder uphill, it takes effort—and that effort is stored as gravitational potential energy (for more about potential energy, read Citizen Science #16, “Potential Energy’s Untapped Value,” on Allotsego.com). Likewise, when we move electric charges against an electric field, we store electric potential energy. The energy stored is proportional to the amount of charge moved and the strength of the electric field. This energy can then be released, performing work—lighting a bulb, heating a filament, or, in Dr. Frankenstein’s case, animating something far more extraordinary.
Consider a thunderstorm, nature’s best display of electric energy. Through complicated collisions and Sisyphean updrafts within the storm, particles with negative charges are driven toward the cloud base, with positive charges accumulating near the top. This separation creates a large electric potential difference (voltage) between the cloud base and the ground below, because the ground often becomes positively charged in response.
This potential energy remains stored as long as air (a poor conductor) separates the charges. But once the potential difference becomes strong enough to overcome the insulating properties of air, negative charges, invisible to our eyes, begin to snake down the sky. When one of these “leaders” nears the ground, positively charged particles
Linda M. O’Connor 1950-2024
RICHFIELD SPRINGS—Linda M. O’Connor, age 74, passed away very unexpectedly on Friday, October 18, 2024 in Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown after being taken to the emergency department by her good friend.
Linda was born on March 24, 1950 in Cooperstown, a daughter of the late Martin Syczyk and Anne Hrynda Hornacek. She was raised and educated in Richfield Springs, graduating from Richfield Springs Central School. After high school, she attended Adirondack
Community College.
On June 24, 1971 she married John D. O’Connor in Saints Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church in Herkimer, a blessed union of 49 years until his passing on March 20, 2021.
Linda was also an asset to our community. She helped the churches in preparing meals, assisted in community services, and any time a volunteer was needed, she was there. She was known for cooking for the sick and the people down on their luck.
For many years she was a real estate broker with the Frank Curcio Real Estate Agency, Richfield Springs, and in later years she owned and operated the company. Many of us can recall the yellow real estate signs that we always found around Richfield. As with her profession, if you needed a home, she found you one. She tried to help everyone—no matter who you were or where you came from.
She was a friend to many and will be truly missed. The world lost
on the surface surge upward to meet it—people report that just before lightning strikes, their hair will stand on end, their skin tingles, they’ll have a metallic taste in their mouths, they’ll hear crackling or buzzing metal objects, and other signs—all evidence of positive charges moving upward, attracted by the snaking leaders.
When the charges meet, completing the conductive channel, the electric energy is unleashed and the current travels back up the bolt, illuminating the sky…as well as any hideous beings lurking about in the storm, as Dr. Frankenstein experienced while hiking in the Alps.
“A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me,” he says. “Its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy dæmon, to whom I had given life.” Curiously, in the book, Dr. Frankenstein’s Creature is highly intelligent, articulate, and literate. I’d like to think he’d be curious about the lightning that supposedly created him.
If he asked me how much energy is actually involved in an average lightning bolt, this is what I’d say: Electric energy can be measured in different ways—including through lightningblasted sand, called fulgarite—but according to the National Weather Service, a typical lightning flash is about 300 million volts and about 30,000 amps. (For comparison, the current in our wall sockets is 120 volts and 15 amps.)
Given a voltage (symbol V) of 300 million volts and a current (symbol I) of 30,000 amps, we start with the formula for power: P = V × I. Substituting these values gives P = 300,000,000 volts × 30,000 amps =
OBITUARIES
a wonderful person too soon. Nothing in the world meant more to Linda than her family. She loved to be with her children and grandchildren. Holidays to her were everything. She always had the house decorated for any holiday and she cherished the chance to prepare her home for family visits. There was nothing she looked forward to more than her three sisters and her two kids coming to visit with their own children.
Surviving her are her son, Michael, and his wife, Rene, of Clifton Park with Linda’s grandchildren, Gavin and Avery; a daughter, Kristin Hoffman of Hillsborough, North Carolina and Linda’s grandchildren, Chloe and Charlie; three sisters: Christine Slocum and her husband, Gregg, of Liverpool with Linda’s nephews, John and Louis; Susan Daley and her husband, Bob, of Latham with Linda’s nephew, Bobby, and niece, Lexi;
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.
9 terawatts, or 9,000,000,000,000 watts (W). This wattage definitely exceeds Hollywood’s estimate from “Back to the Future,” where Doc Brown shouts about needing “1.21 gigawatts!” of power to send a DeLorean through time.
To find the total electric energy, we multiply this power by the duration of the strike. For a typical lightning strike lasting around 50 microseconds (0.00005 seconds), the energy E is E = 9,000,000,000,000 W × 0.00005 s = 450 megajoules, or 450,000,000 MJ.
This is a fabulous amount of energy. Like Dr. Frankenstein, I do wish we could harness this energy for our own benefit—not to create monsters from dead flesh, perhaps, but to channel it into useful and life-saving devices: lights, cell phones, computers, and medical devices, among many others.
The equation we used for lightning can be modified to calculate our electric energy consumption. My smartphone, for example, has a battery rated at a voltage of 3.85 volts (V) and a storage capacity of 4,680 milliamp-hours (mAh), a unit that combines the current and the time together. We first convert milliamp-hours to amp-hours, giving us 4.68 Ah. If I use the full battery capacity of my phone, the total electric energy I have released from the battery is E = 3.85 V × 4.68 Ah = 18.02 Wh, meaning the battery holds about 18 watt-hours of energy (on your electricity bill, you’ll notice that you often pay a certain amount per 1,000 watthours, or kilowatt-hours). To convert watt-hours to joules (a more universal unit of energy), we multiply by 3,600 (since 1 watt-hour equals 3,600 joules) to get about 64,800 joules. If I allowed my full phone battery to drain completely until it died, it would use up around 64,800 joules of electric energy. This amount is nothing compared to a lightning bolt—it’s even less than the chemical potential energy in one Snickers bar (250 calories × 4,184 joules/calorie = 1,046,000 joules!). But the more we smartly use electric energy and source it from clean, renewable sources—who knows, maybe lightning itself, someday—the longer we’ll be able to enjoy these marvels without messing around with nature as Dr. Frankenstein did.
“It was already one in the morning,” the wellmeaning doctor said that stormy November night. “The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.”
As we continue to infuse a spark of being into our dead smartphone batteries, let us remember the power and potential for both creation and destruction as we use bolts and volts to animate our modern-day Creatures.
Jamie Zvirzdin researches cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Project, teaches science writing at Johns Hopkins University and is the author of “Subatomic Writing.”
Kathryn Vanness of New Jersey and Linda’s niece, Marissa; along with several other nieces, nephews and cousins.
Calling hours for Mrs. O’Connor were held on Friday, October 25 in J. Seaton McGrath Funeral Home, 40 West James Street, Richfield Springs.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, October 26 in St. Joseph the Worker Church, Canadarago
Street, Richfield Springs with the Reverend Rendell Torres, celebrant. Burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy in Linda’s memory may be made with donations to St. Joseph the Worker Church; envelopes will be available at the funeral home. To plant memorial trees in memory of Linda M. O’Connor, visit sympathy.legacy.com.
Photo provided linda m. o’connor
Image provided by Jamie Zvirzdin lightning illuminates an echo of Frankenstein’s monster—a reminder of both the mystery and power of electric energy, capable of sparking life or unleashing destruction.
Voter Fraud Virtually Non-existent
Misinformation is something that is unintentionally wrong or misleading. Disinformation is information that is intentionally wrong/misleading. Misinformation and disinformation are most insidious when they spread falsehoods about our election system, especially as election Day nears. The flood of mis-and disinformation about election fraud has little reference to the facts. The League of Women Voters of New York recently prepared a fact sheet on the myths about elections and voting practices. The league’s goal is twopronged: to debunk the misinformation and to deliver the facts.
According to the prestigious brennan center for Justice, over the last 50-plus years, there has been no evidence of voter fraud in the United States on a scale even close enough to change the outcome of an election. The “Washington Post” has also noted that following the 2016 election, there were only four documented cases of voter fraud out of 136 million votes counted votes.
The primary reason that voter fraud is so low is simply because our elections are secure. Today, the state’s election laws require that although New York’s voting equipment may be electronic, it cannot be capable of
New Exhibit Features Work of Maria Tripp
c OOP e RSTOWN—
“Remember and celebrate,” an art exhibit honoring the late Maria Tripp, has opened at the cooperstown Art Association.
In a glass showcase, the exhibit contains Tripp’s acrylic paintings created in May-britt’s Studio on Railroad Avenue over the past few years.
Subjects include Otsego Lake, four seasons of a tree on Fair Street, the Stone bridge and a few other locations, including Pyramid Lake, where Tripp participated annually in writingworkshops. A short comment for each piece of artwork illustrates Tripp’s boundless personality depicted in her painting and writing.
Tripp resided in cooperstown since 1971, where she raised her two sons and worked in several institutions, including bassett Research Institute and the former New York State Historical Association. She was married to the late Wendell Tripp for more than 35 years.
Tripp passed away on May 9, 2023.
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externally transmitting or receiving data via the Internet, radio waves or other wireless means. Voting systems must also be certified by the State board of elections to ensure that the equipment meets requirements of the state and the federal Help America Vote Act.
The bOe must account for every ballot that is used in an election, and voting machines, also called tabulators, must have a counting mechanism to keep track of how many votes have been recorded. The tabulators are locked immediately after polls are closed. New York’s election law also requires that voting machines “[provide] a ‘protective counter,’ which records the number of times the machine or system has been operated since it was built and a ‘public counter,’ which records the number of persons who have voted on the machine at each separate election.” (New York
State election Law § 7–202). The bOe must account for every ballot that is used and every ballot that is counted. ballots are counted by vote-counting tabulators, which are more accurate and faster than counting by hand. Hand counts can have error rates up to 50 times higher than tabulators. However, election officials also verify electronic totals by conducting a mandatory audit comparing the tabulator results with the paper ballots after every election.
There are also many measures in place to ensure the security of mail-in ballots. The bOe compares signatures from mail-in ballots with signatures on record from voter registration documents. Absentee and early mail ballots are only sent to registered voters, who have explicitly requested them.
These ballots are mailed in nested envelopes printed with barcodes specific to
each vote. The barcodes on envelopes that come back are matched to voter records, making it impossible for someone to just print a pile of ballots and submit them. These ballots are counted by bOe staff, who are equally divided between representatives of the two major political parties.
When you see something purporting to be a “fact” about the election process, don’t assume it is a “fact.” check the source of the information. Do some research on your own. The New York State election Law website is a good place to start (https://elections.ny.gov/electionsecurity) or visit the League’s website, www. LWVcooperstownArea. org.
check out all the facts, but more importantly, don’t spread misinformation.
Patty MacLeish is communications director for the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area.
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ONEONTA GUN SHOW
Proposed Sign Law Change: Opposing Views
statement For mayor ellen tillapaugh
‘A Face Is So Important’
In this discussion of veteran banners on NYSEG utility poles in the village, emotions have run high. We have heard:
• They will distract drivers and cause accidents, even though there is no documentation that that is the case in any of the communities with banners in place. Oneonta, which has a great deal of signage on their Main Street along with banners on the lamp poles, has seen no increase in distracted driving. Drivers looking at their phones is a more prevalent concern.
• If we open it to these banners, it is open to all. The NYSEG official who handles this program for utility poles throughout central New York indicated that nearly all applications have pertained to veteran banners. NYSEG has turned down a few applications—they were from private businesses or had signage political in nature.
• Other safety concerns and that they won’t be visible with trees. Remember, a non-profit organization must first apply to NYSEG listing the pole numbers requested for banner display. All requests are then evaluated in the field by a NYSEG engineer—who considers sight lines, and safety.
• The Village will lose control. In addition to the NYSEG application, the village—with a permit process— could address other concerns (duration of display, removal of damaged banners, etc.) and, obviously, streets where we would allow banners and where we would not.
• The village has already constructed veteran monuments in our community. No, that is not accurate and nothing for which we can take credit.
As mayor of Cooperstown, it is my honor to be asked to speak every year at our community’s Memorial Day Ceremony.
I often note the memorials in our village to honor and remember those who travelled far beyond our small community to defend the principles and freedoms of our nation.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, where the Memorial Day ceremony takes place, was erected in the early 1900s not by the village but by Otsego County in memory of all those in our county who served in the Civil War.
The statue of a WWI infantryman at the north end of Pine Boulevard was installed and dedicated in 1931, 13 years after the 1918 Armistice. Again, not a memorial in any way paid for or installed by the village. For years after 1918, there had been talk of creating some sort of monument, but nothing was done. Finally, “the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary, No. 579 pledged themselves to properly commemorating…the deeds…and the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice.” These were women who lost fathers, husbands or sons. They enlisted a local resident, former New York State Sen. Walter Stokes, to spearhead the design and fundraising campaign. The campaign was overwhelmingly supported by local residents, particularly those who had lost a family member in the Great War. In just over a year, the Doughboy monument was dedicated on Armistice Day, November 11, 1931. On the reverse is a plaque which lists the names of 27 men from Cooperstown who died in that war. Many of the family names—Coleman, Cooper, Eggleston, Johnson—are still present in our community today, more than 100 years later, as well as one name, Clark F. Simmons, for whom our American Legion Post is named.
In February 1966, the American Legion and VFW Posts announced plans for a new veterans’ memo-
rial and began raising funds for it. Again, not funded by the village.
The memorial was placed on Pine Boulevard at the intersection of Main Street and dedicated that same year, on Memorial Day, May 30, 1966. It was intended to honor Korean and WWII veterans and is inscribed “in lasting memory of the Cooperstown area men and women who served in their country’s wars. They gave their today for our tomorrow.”
The dedication of that memorial occurred before our village lost Private First Class Robert Atwell, who died on March 21, 1968 during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam.
Bobby, a CCS graduate, Class of 1966, was 20 years old when he died. When he died, I was 13, and I remember his face.
On Memorial Day, May 30, 2022 a plaque, provided with funding from the VFW, American Legion, local Rotary and Lions clubs, and Bobby’s sister, Neal, was dedicated in Lakefront Park.
Bobby’s name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Wall in Washington, D.C. It is the most visited memorial in Washington D.C. Last year, a project to not only remember the name but also the face associated with those 58,000 names was finally completed. It is called the Wall of Faces—it is both a digital site you can access online at home or at the memorial. There are four pictures of Bobby on that site. An image of a face has power and is meaningful.
Just after Bobby’s death, Sgt. John Winslow died in Vietnam in July 1969. John was a CCS graduate, Class of 1964. There is no marker bearing John’s name in our village.
We can say that the stone monument on Pine Boulevard honors all those who died in subsequent wars—but what about terrorist attacks?
I was also in school with Kevin Coulman. He graduated from CCS in 1974, and from SUNY Oneonta in 1978. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marines. He was killed in the bombing in Beirut, Lebanon in October 1983. A terrorist attack by Hezbollah which killed 241 U.S. military personnel, in a region of our world still in conflict today. There is no monument to Kevin in the community where he went to school. Last year, his class held their 50th reunion. Classmates put flowers on his grave in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hartwick Seminary and then went on and put flowers by the monument in Oneonta’s Neahwa Park, where all 25 New Yorkers killed in that terrorist attack have their names inscribed. But there is no tribute to him in his hometown community.
A face is so important.
In 2020, during the pandemic when George Floyd was killed—one additional person in our nation’s incredibly troubled history of race relations—not only did we say his name, but we also had iconic images of his face painted on buildings. Not just in Minneapolis, but in other cities. In PowerPoint presentations for our village’s Police Reform Plan, his face depicted on those murals was front and center. I don’t know if the murals in those other cities violated sign law. I do know that our communities and cities are a reflection of all those who live there.
A face is so important.
I realize that I am most likely the lone vote for this change to our sign law. I am also the only one sitting here who knew those individuals and will remember their faces. Would I have donated money for banners for Bobbie, Michael and Kevin, so they could be remembered in their hometown? Absolutely. It would be the least I could do.
‘No Legislation in Isolation’
Thank you to all who participated in the discussion of the banner proposal and sign law amendment to authorize the installation of commemorative banners on Village streets. This will be the Board of Trustees’ fourth meeting on this topic. In the first three meetings we heard from proponents and opponents of the proposal and sign law amendment. Today we received a packet of more than 60 support letters, the majority of which were from non-residents of Cooperstown.
Tonight, we are responsible for deciding whether to amend the village sign law.
I have carefully considered the public comments on this issue and appreciate the interest and depth of feeling that it has generated.
On the screen are photographs of Cooperstown’s military service monuments. There are five of them: one at the County Seat on Main Street commemorating the Civil War; a grouping of three at the north end of Pine Boulevard in memory of World War I service; at the south end of Pine Boulevard, a monument commemorating service and sacrifice in all our country’s wars; and the Vietnam Robert Atwell memorial in Lakefront Park. The memorial to Robert Atwell expresses the nobility of service and the tragedy of war through the life and death of one son of Cooperstown. The Atwell memorial was erected during my tenure as trustee; I voted in favor of it. All these memorials are in public spaces that foster quiet contemplation and remembrance.
In visiting them recently, I tried to put myself in the time and place of those who erected the Civil War and World War I memorials. Did they then believe that war, at last, was behind them?
Some may have noticed that the World War I memorial remembers those who served in the “World War.” Its bronze castings list more than 200 service men and women. Perhaps it was unimaginable then that the War to End All Wars would have a sequel, though it did, within a generation, and caused historians to rebrand the World War as merely the first.
To me the most striking and mournful monument is at the south end of Pine Boulevard, directly across Main Street from the Civil War monument. It concedes that there may never be a time when we erect the last memorial for the final war. That monument instead stands for all “Cooperstown area men and women who served in their country’s wars.” The monument is a timeless reminder of the ongoing sacrifice of “their today for our tomorrow.” With grace, dignity, and endurance, it bears witness to the awful truth of war’s human toll.
I urge all to visit Cooperstown’s military monuments and reflect on the gifts of service and sacrifice that they represent.
Against the backdrop of these memorials by which Cooperstown honors military service, and for the following reasons, I oppose amending the village sign law as proposed in the pending motion.
First, each of us on this board has the title of trustee. We are fiduciaries, sworn to care for the public interest and rule of law, including the safety, health, comfort, and general welfare of Cooperstown’s inhabitants, the protection of their property and businesses, and the preservation of peace and good order in our public spaces.
Second, we trustees, and our predecessors, are stewards of the village’s home rule authority that is protected by state law. Trustees have used that right of self-determination and self-governance on behalf of the village to design, enact, and implement legislation to fulfill the Village’s governmental responsibilities. Our village laws are compiled in the clerk’s office and are available for all to review. They are also published online at our village website.
Third, trustees do not enact legislation in isolation. Our village has 13 boards and committees on which approximately 60 village residents serve, as the trustees do, without compensation. Decisions on what laws to enact and how they are written and administered are informed by the work of the village’s boards and committees, and the public. This is true of our sign law, which ensures the right of free speech, provides for commercial advertising, and protects vehicular and pedestrian safety by limiting visual clutter and discouraging distracted driving. Our law does all of this while caring for Cooperstown’s rich history, scenic streets, businesses, museums, religious institutions, and landscapes, all of which benefit residents and visitors from around the nation and across the world. The Planning Board, in independent deliberations, reached a reasoned decision to recommend that the trustees not approve the proposed sign law amendment. The Planning Board’s recommendation, appropriately, has weighed heavily in my review of this matter.
Fourth, the village recognizes the activities of non-profit, charitable organizations whose activities center in and whose headquarters are in the village as well as the towns of Otsego, Middlefield, Springfield, and Hartwick. In support of those activities, the village—at considerable expense—designed, constructed, and services two sets of display poles on Main Street. The poles can accommodate banners that traverse Main Street at a height sufficient to avoid any hazard to vehicles and pedestrians and at the same time inform residents and visitors of the good works ongoing in our communities. The village has adopted criteria and an application process for displaying banners. A banner commemorating military service, in my view, could be designed to meet the display criteria for periodic use of the banner poles.
Fifth, instead of taking their turn to use the village banner poles, proponents of the sign law amendment seek installation of banners throughout residential neighborhoods without limit. The proposed amendment arbitrarily and invidiously designates certain village streets for the banner displays. That should be unacceptable by itself, but it gets worse. When asked at a previous Board of Trustees meeting about how banner siting would occur, a banner proponent answered “first come, first served” and “if we run out of space” on the streets identified in the law “we will get more streets.”
Sixth, if an amendment is made to the sign law to accommodate this banner project, the amendment will open previously restricted public space and infrastructure to all who satisfy the criteria for displays on our two Main Street banner poles. In other words, it would be unlawful for the proposed amendment to be for the exclusive benefit of those promoting military service banners. For example, qualifying nonprofit groups seeking the end of gun violence, advocating policies to address climate change, or promoting racial reconciliation will be entitled to a meaningful opportunity for banner display permits. However, the military service banner proponents have expressed an expectation of an indefinite, renewable entitlement to all the display spaces that the amendment would authorize.
Seventh, the proposed amendment would place an administrative burden on the village associated with official review and decision making on successive and, at times, competing banner display applications. That process could well lead to costly conflict and demands for additional legislation.
For these reasons, I will vote against the amendment to the village sign law and urge my fellow trustees to vote against it as well.
statement against trustee joseph membrino
Trustees
Continued from page 1
cooperstown alike and different from other communities,” Falk continued.
Ultimately, Falk said she opposed the sign law change, citing cooperstown’s role in the county as a destination and its higher volume of pedestrian traffic. She also said she was not willing to let NYSeG make decisions regarding banner approval. The purpose of the current sign law, Falk said, includes preserving a sense of place and scenic views. She pointed out that the proposed changes to the law are opposed by the village Planning board and the former Planning board chair.
Trustee Joseph Membrino, also opposed to the law change, read from a prepared statement.
“Trustees do not enact legislation in isolation. Our village has 13 boards and committees on which approximately 60 village residents serve, as the trustees do, without compensation. Decisions on what laws to enact and how they are written and administered are informed by the work of the village’s boards and committees, and the public,” Membrino read.
“This is true of our sign law, which ensures the right of free speech, provides for commercial advertising, and protects vehicular and pedestrian safety by limiting visual clutter and discouraging distracted driving. Our law does all of this while caring for c ooperstown’s rich history, scenic streets, businesses, museums, religious institutions, and landscapes, all of which benefit residents and visitors from around the nation and across the world. The Planning b oard, in independent deliberations, reached a reasoned decision to recommend that the trustees not approve the proposed sign law amendment. The Planning b oard’s recommendation, appropriately, has weighed heavily in my review of this matter.”
The full text of Membrino’s statement can be found on page 12.
Trustee Richard Sternberg was not in favor of the law change, saying that the “rules are not clear.” He also said he viewed the Hometown Heroes banners as “selfaggrandizement for some people.”
Trustee Hanna bauer followed Falk’s lead in thanking veterans for their service, but did not approve of the law change.
“We don’t need to do what every other village does,” she added.
Trustee George Fasanelli said he was a proponent of monuments to honor veterans, versus the temporary nature of the banners themselves.
“Monuments are timeless,” he said.
Last to speak was Trustee Audrey Porsche, who said that while she has a special place in her heart for the military,
she had recently driven through Rensselaer and “the banners look awful—not a very fitting memorial for our veterans.”
When put to vote, Local Law 11 of 2024, Sign Law Amendment, was overwhelmingly defeated by a margin of 6-1.
Parrillo, who has been spearheading the Hometown Heroes banner program initiative locally, told board members before leaving the room, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
Outside, following the vote, Parrillo said, “I have found through this experience with the village how self-centered and ignorant the people here are. These banners would fit in with this historic village. You may not want one in front of your home, but those men and women didn’t choose to go to war, either. You should honor them.”
Floyd bourne, commander of cooperstown VFW Post 7128 said at the public hearing on Monday, September 23 that both the VFW and the American Legion are tax exempt and would be willing to take a lead role in the local Hometown Heroes banner initiative, were it to move forward.
When asked on Tuesday, October 29 how the community’s veterans felt regarding the vote, bourne— consulting with other VFW officers, said, “We have no comment at this time.”
chamber
Continued from page 5
December 13 from 5-8 p.m., December 14 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., December 20 from 5-8 p.m., and December 21 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. And the Festival of Trees will be at the Foothills Atrium on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7. If you would like to participate, please contact Karen Laing at klaing@ otsegocc.com.
We hope to see you this season as we celebrate our area and the folks who live and work here.
Sean Lewis is the president and chief executive officer of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce.
election
Continued from page 1
Sitting U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (DeM, WOR) is being challenged by Michael D. Sapraicone (ReP, cON) and Diane Sare (LAR) and, closer to home, incumbent Senator Peter Oberacker (ReP, cON) of Schenevus is running against Oneonta’s Michele Frazier (DeM, WOR). congressman Marcus Molinaro (ReP, cON) faces challenger Josh Riley (DeM, WOR) and there are four Assembly races: Assemblymember christopher Tague (ReP, cON) versus Janet Tweed (DeM, WOR) in District 102; Assemblymember Joe Angelino (ReP, cON) versus Vicki Davis (DeM) in District 121; and Assemblymember brian Miller (ReP, cON) versus current Otsego county board member Adrienne Martini (DeM, WOR) in District 122. current Assemblymember Robert Smullen (ReP, cON) is running unopposed. [Turn to page 6 to learn more about these candidates and the initiatives they espouse.]
Here in Otsego county, the city of Oneonta is looking to fill two unexpired common council terms. elayne Mosher (DeM, HHe) is running against Rick Ranc (ReP, OWU) to represent Ward 1, and Don Mathisen (DeM) is running unopposed for the Ward 8 spot.
In the Town of Hartwick, Town Justice Glenn Schilling (cON) is running unopposed and former Superintendent of Highways Owen Wellman (ReP) resigned earlier this year and is not actually running for reelection, though his name appears on the ballot, unopposed. Keith bronson is currently performing the duties of highway superintendent to fill Wellman’s unexpired term and is running as a write-in candidate,
as it was too late for him to be added to the ballot, town officials said.
Unexpired terms on town councils appear to be the order of the day. Of the three other contested races countywide, all are to fill unexpired terms. In the Town of Decatur, Johnathan Kersman (DeM) is running against Julia Parker (ReP) for supervisor. In the Town of Richfield, charles Furner (ReP) is running against Dan Sullivan (RRI). In the Town of Westford, Joanne Tobey (DeM) is running against Joseph Poliseno (ReP).
Two uncontested races for Town of Laurens council Member and Town of Unadilla council member, in which Kim Sparaco (ReP) and Lawrence crosier (ReP) are running, respectively—are also to fill unexpired terms. Jocelyn Harris (ReP) is running uncontested for Westford Town Justice.
Finally, and perhaps most troubling, there are eight positions open for which there are no candidates. They are: cherry Valley town justice (unexpired term); exeter town justice and council member (unexpired term); Maryland supervisor and council member (both unexpired terms); Morris town justice; and Plainfield town justice and council member (unexpired term).
Letters
Continued from page 4
was an issue that could not be ignored. It is good to see that the clerk’s office adopted this idea and has been working to make this a reality.
Thomas Russo cooperstown
Thanks to EMS Personnel
On the eve of October 9, I required an ambulance. The first to arrive were two emergency personnel from the county, who ensured I was stable. Sadly, I didn’t get their
Otsego County Early Voting
Editor’s Note: Data from the Otsego County Board of Elections as of Monday, October 28 at 10:58 a.m.
Early Mail and Absentee Ballots issued: DeMOcRAT: 1,744
RePUbLIcAN: 961
OTHeR: 162 NO PARTY PReFeReNce: 727
Early Mail and Absentee Ballots returned: DeMOcRAT: 1,068
RePUbLIcAN: 556
OTHeR: 79 NO PARTY PReFeReNce: 359
In-Person Early Voters 10/26, 10/27
DeMOcRAT: 969
RePUbLIcAN: 587
OTHeR: 26 NO PARTY PReFeReNce: 364
names. I was transported to MIb by the Fly creek Ambulance crew of Patty Shultz, Juney Winnie and Waylon casell. everyone was extremely professional and caring, and made me and my family feel very safe in their hands. They are a class act and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your quick response and assistance.
Tim Weir Fly creek
On Gov’t Atrophy
Physical responsibility is like fiscal responsibility. Atrophy sets in when these muscles are not exercised. Unfortunately, when not doing due diligence, heavy weights and heavy debts become too large to pick up.
Americans need physical and fiscal exercise or they will continue to become weaker. Our government is having to kick ever larger objects down the road than a can. Gerry Welch cooperstown
WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU
Promotions, births, meetings, new hires, events, milestones, grand openings, sports results, anniversaries and more.
Photos welcome, too! info@allotsego.com
►FriDAY, Nov. 1
YARN CLUB
2-3:30 p.m. First Friday each month. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.
BLOOD DRIVE
3-7 p.m. Laurens High School, 55 Main Street, Laurens. redcrossblood.
org EXHIBIT OPENING
5-8 p.m. “Family Portrait.” First Friday event. Show runs through 12/1. 25 Main Collective, 21 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-5340.
HALLOWEEN
6-9 p.m. “Halloween Open Mic.” Costumes welcome. The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 285-4111.
OUTDOORS
7-8:30 p.m. “Naked Eye Astronomy.” Presented by the Otsego County Conservation Association. Mohican Farm, 7207 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5474488.
PLANETARIUM 7 p.m.
Tour the Fall Night Sky with SUNY Oneonta Faculty. Fees apply; registration required. SUNY Oneonta Planetarium, Room 018A Perna Science Building, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta.
THEATER 7:30 p.m.
“Murder on the Orient Express.” Based on the
novel by Agatha Christie. Fees apply. Also showing 11/2 and at 2 p.m. on 11/3. Presented by the Catskill Community Players at the Wieting Theatre, 168 Main Street, Worcester. catskillplayers.org
THEATRE 7:30 p.m.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Presented by Orpheus Theatre. Fees apply; registration required. Also held at 3 p.m. on 11/2 and 11/3, at 7:30 p.m. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1800.
CONTRADANCE
7:30-10:30 p.m. Fun, social dance with the Otsego Dance Society, featuring music by the Spare Parts, with Bob Nicholson calling. Halloween costumes optional. Suggested donation, $10/adult. First Presbyterian Church, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown.
►S AtUrDAY, Nov. 2
BLOOD DRIVE 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Main Street Baptist Church, Briggs Hall, 333 Main Street, Oneonta. redcrossblood. org
ART MINISTRY
9-11 a.m. “Invention In Drawing.” Led by Gary Mayer. Fees apply; registration required. Held Saturdays through 11/23.
First United Methodist Church of Oneonta, 66 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-4102.
ONEONTA FARM-
ERS’ MARKET 9 a.m. to noon. Produce, arts, crafts and more from area producers. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center atrium, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. oneontafarmersmarket.org
GRIEF 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “The Waves of Grief: Healing Grief Retreat for Adults.” Presented by Helios Care. Free; registration required. Uplands Center, 2641 Dunk Hill Road, Walton. (607) 432-6773.
FUNDRAISER 10 a.m. Registration at 9 a.m. “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.” Presented by Helios Care. Registration required. Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. (607) 432-4773.
DAY OF THE DEAD
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 5478344.
WRITING 1-2:30 p.m.
“Sacred Writing Circle at the Gatehouse: Death, Transformation and Re-
membrance.” The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 285-4111.
HURRICANE RELIEF
2 p.m. “Vets Helping Vets: Hurricane Relief Benefit.” VFW Post No. 2338, 752 State Highway 20, West Winfield. (315) 822-5170.
MUSIC 3 p.m. “Junior Recital.” Anderson Theater, Hartwick College, 1 Hartwick Drive, Oneonta.
WOMEN’S CIRCLE
6 p.m. “Red Tent Women’s Circle.” Includes activity, story circle and a potluck dinner. Fees apply. The Telegraph School, 83 Alden Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 264-3785.
SCREENING 6 p.m. “Borderline: A Pre-Festival Program of Short Films.” Part of the Glimmerglass Film Days. Registration required. Cooperstown Coworks, 6 Doubleday Court, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8881.
BENEFIT 6 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. “18th Annual Greater Oneonta Historical So-
NEW HOME SITE - 13.5 ACRES
ciety Live Auction.” Free admission. Quality Inn, 5206 State Highway 23, Oneonta. (607) 4320960.
BENEFIT 6-8 p.m.
“3rd Annual Postcard Exhibition Benefit.” Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. canoneonta.org
CONCERT 8 p.m., doors 7 p.m. “Organ
Fairchild: Funky Jams Made For Getting Down!” Fees apply. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
THEATRE 8 p.m.
Broadway direct screening of “42nd Street Musical.” Fees apply. Red Dragon Theatre, Hunt Union, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. Campus_activities@oneonta.edu.
►SUNDAY, Nov. 3 DAYLiGHt SAviNGS tiME ENDS
FUNDRAISER
9:30 a.m. “2024 Hot Cocoa 5K Run.” Benefit for the Arc Otsego Helping Hands Fund. Fees apply. Neahwa Park, Oneonta. (607) 432-8595.
LIBRARY 1-4 p.m.
“Cooperstown Writers Group.” Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.
AUTHOR TALK 2 p.m.
“Reckoning with Ancestral Sins: Uncovering My Family’s Slaveholding Past.” Presented by Washington D.C. journalist and author Debra Bruno. Fees apply; registration required.
Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5471400.
OUTDOORS 2-5 p.m.
“Queer Outdoors: Mud
Lake Hike.” Led by the Otsego County Conservation Association. Robert V. Riddell State Park, Davenport. (607) 375-7280. SUNDAY SPEAKERS Free and open to the public. Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (202) 271-7619 or visit • 4 p.m. “The Paradox of Presidential Power.” Presented by Dr. Richard Pious in conjunction with the Friends of the Village Library. • 5:30 p.m. Intermission with pizza and soft drinks. Funded by Louise Burchard Pierce Memorial Grant. • 6 p.m. “A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy.” Part of the Race, Equity and Justice series presented by the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown.
BEAUTY EXPO
4-8 p.m. “Fall Back Into (Self) Love: Self-Care & Beauty Expo.” Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
►MoNDAY, Nov. 4
GUN SHOW 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Oneonta Gun Show.” 50+ dealers showing arms and military relics. Buy, sell or trade. All firearm laws will be observed. Admission $5. Presented by Midstate Arms Collectors Inc. at the Oneonta Elks Lodge, 84 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 748-1010. POTTERY 1:30-4:30 p.m. Open Studio. Experienced potters are invited to work on personal projects and hone their skills. No instruction provided. $30/session. Held Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays. The Smithy Clay Studio, 1 Otsego Court, Cooperstown. Gallery@SmithyArts.org.
