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THURSDAY-FRIDAY, October 18-19, 2012
James C. Miles has held top positions at Williamsburg, The Hershey Hotel and – now – Cooperstown’s Otesaga.
This doll-sized patchwork quilt was handstitched by Fran Hazelton and will be raffled during the “Quilts and Comforts” quilt show on Saturday, Oct. 20.
TOP HOTELIER, TOP HOTEL T
Quilts Galore At DAR Show
he Daughters of the American Revolution’s “Quilts and Coverlets” show, with raffles, a luncheon, and a presentation by Joan Sondergaard. Luncheon, $20, call (607) 547-5482 to reserve a seat. 10-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. Cooperstown United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut St., Cooperstown. Info, Merrilyn O’Connell, (607) 547-9515.
James C. Miles brings 40 years as a top executive at some of the nation’s foremost resort hotels to the leadership of Cooperstown’s 103-year-old Otesaga. He’s seen here on the hotel’s famous veranda that overlooks Otsego Lake.
HEAR BEETHOVEN: Catskill Symphony presents Beethoven’s 9th. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. Hunt Union Ballroom, SUNY Oneonta. Info, tickets, www.catskillsymphony.net. HALLOWEEN SAFETY: Safe Kids promotes Halloween Safety with tip sheets, reflective zipper pulls and stickers. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 20-21, Fly Creek Cider Mill, 288 Goose St. Fly Creek. Info, (607) 547-9692 ext. 111.
As a rising executive at Colonial Williamsburg, Miles oversaw preparations when the Reagan Administration hosted the G7 Summit in 1983.
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Jim Kevlin/
Miles Hosted G7, Hirohito, Led Huge Hershey Hotel Expansion By JIM KEVLIN
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COOPERSTOWN t came off seamlessly. May 28-30, 1983, the leaders of the world’s seven richest democracies – the so-called G7 – sipped coffee in each others’ Colonial-era parlors or chatted over picket fences between their backyards. France’s Mitterrand, Germany’s Kohl, Canada’s Trudeau, the U.K.’s formidable Margaret Thatcher, Italy’s Fanfani, Japan’s Nakasone tackled the world’s toughest issues in the
world’s most convivial atmosphere. Yes, it all came off seamlessly, and the gathering’s benign host, Ronald Reagan, got all the credit. Yet, if preparation is the key to spontaneity, the man who perhaps deserved the most credit stayed modestly in the background. He was James C. Miles, then a top executive at Colonial Williamsburg, who Oct. 1 joined The Otesaga as incoming general manager. “It was one of the greatest experiences of my career,” the 40-year hotelier reflected in an interview a few days after arriving to take charge of the 103-year-old resort hotel on Otsego Lake. He and the retiring GM, John Irvin (who
had a sterling career of his own) – they’ve known each other for years – will be working in tandem through Thanksgiving, the end of the 2012 season. As a boy growing up in South Portland, Maine, Miles had also considered becoming a professional musician or lawyer, but listening to his enthusiastic recounting of his years managing top resorts, the career he did choose seems inevitable. It started modestly enough, washing dishes at a Howard Johnson’s in his hometown during that chain’s heyday, (while playing drums with a local jazz combo – “My mother would wait Please See MILES, B8
After 20 Years, Adult-Learning Classes Going Strong By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
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wenty years after retiring from teaching home-economics education at SUNY
Jan.-May Program To Be Unveiled Sunday, Oct. 21 Oneonta, Fran Bliven still has homework to do. “I’m taking Debbie Clough’s class in Posey-Patch quilting,” she said, pointing to the carefully cut squares of floral-printed fabric on her diningroom table.
“This is my homework.” Fran, a member of the Center for Continuing Adult Learning since its started in 1992, is also studying the Barrier Islands and volunteered with the Swart-Wilcox House, all
as part of the CCAL’s ongoing curriculum. “The whole premise starting out was that people could take classes in something they were interested in without any background,” she said. “It’s such a special time for Please See CCAL, B2
BUMP IN THE NIGHT: The Farmers’ Museum brings you “Things That Go Bump in the Night,” the eerie lantern-tour. Tours last one hour and start on the half hour. 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Tickets $10. 5775 NY 80, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-1452. GHOULS GATHER: Haunted hayrides, goblin games, spooky tales, Brooks BBQ. $5 for adults, $3 kids. 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 Co. Hwy 31, Cooperstown. Info, www.friendsofglimmerglass.com KIDNEY WALK: Benefit walk for Northeast Kidney Foundation. $5 donation per walker. 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. Alumni Field House, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta. Info, registration, healthykidneys.org. CONCERT: Boston-based folk musician singer-songwriter Ellis Paul travels to Oneonta. $20 in advance, $22 day of show. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. Oneonta Theatre, 47 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Info, (607) 6434022, www.oneontatheatre. com.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL • HOMETOWN ONEONTA EVERY HOUSEHOLD, EVERY WEEK IN ONEONTA, WEST ONEONTA AND COOPERSTOWN