OUR OTHER BREWERIES COUNCIL ROCK, ROOTS ENTER A GROWING FIELD/B1
HOMETOWN ONEONTA E!
E FR Volume 6, No. 28
City of The Hills
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch Complimentary
Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, April 4, 2014
Northern Eagle Buys Cooperstown Brewing Full Hops-To-Beer System Contemplated
By JIM KEVLIN
L
ou Hager’s Northern Eagle Beverages of Oneonta has acquired Cooperstown Brewing Co., a step that could create Otsego
County’s first complete hops-tobrewery-to-beer operation. The acquisition, from Butternuts Brewery, Garrattsville, closed on the morning of Tuesday, April 1,
and was announced that afternoon by Northern Eagle President George Allen. “Recognizing the movement toward local products and ingredi-
ents, we believe this purchase will help promote the Cooperstown and Otsego County chambers’ ‘Think Local First’ campaign,” said Allen. Founded in 1994 by Stan Hall, the brewery had developed Old Please See BEER, A2
Long Bids Farewell Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
In Surprise, First Professional To Lead City Hall Announces He’ll Retire 5/31 BAMBINO APPEARS
Bruce Hodges, Oneonta, president of president of Local Lodge 1529, By JIM KEVLIN International Asso& LIBBY CUDMORE ciation of Machinist & Aerospace Workers, speaks in favor of the Constitution Pipeline at ike Long ticked a rancorous FERC hearoff the list of ing Tuesday, April 1, at successes he OHS. Full story at initiated or participated WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM in:
struction along Clinton Street and near Silver Creek. Thirteen points in all, several with multiple aspects. When Oneonta’s first city manager – he will be retiring May 30 after what will be just • State CFA grants 20 months on the job City Manager Mike Long will be – was done, Mayor for downtown facades, replaced by City Treasurer Meg Miller, Common Counredevelopment of two Main Street buildings and Hungerford on an interim basis cil and attendees at the a downtown development after his retirement. Tuesday, April 1, meetmaster plan. ing gave him a standing • Bringing in the YMCA to manage the ovation. city swimming programs, and similar link“By tradition, the retiring city manager ages with Little League, tennis and softball. buys cocktails,” said the mayor, and the • Launching the $15 million Housing meeting adjourned. Visions housing renovations and new conPlease See TRANSITION, A7
M
NY Budget Aims $13M At SUNY-O
S
tate Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, cited $5 million for a SUNY Oneonta campus welcome center, and another $8 million for Milne Library construction, as examples of local benefits in the 2014-15 state budget. The Legislature approved the budget Monday, March 31, and Governor Cuomo signed it, the fourth year in a row the spending plan was passed by the April 1 deadline in the state Constitution.
AllOTSEGO.com
text of mayor, city manager’s statements at www.
Maine MD Succeeds Bassett’s Streck 30-Year CEO Wove Fox Hospital, 4 Others Into 8-County System By JIM KEVLIN
A
COLD MARCH: Weather s of July 1, the watcher David Mattice found Bassett Healthcare the month just ended was Network will have the second coldest March on a new top executive for the record, after 1857/SEE A5 first time in almost 30 years: Dr. Vance Brown, chief OPEN AGAIN: The 2014-15 state budget includes funds to open the rest Oneonta’s area on I-88 between Exits Price 18 and 19 at Worcester. Chopper BAD BET: James “Chappy” Chapman, Otego, who sheriff’s deputies called “the largest bookie in Oneonta,” is facing gambling charges which, if convicted, would give him 12 years in jail. Details at WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
medical officer at the $2 billion MaineHealth system, based in Portland, will succeed Dr. William F. Streck, Bassett president/CEO since 1985. “My first impressions are very positive,” said John Remillard, Fox Hospital
president, who showed the new CEO around the Oneonta hospital during the interview process. “He has an impressive CV. He’s accomplished a lot and has had the experiences I think will serve the Bassett Please See BASSETT, A6
Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Oneonta’s Ruth Herrick, one of the vendors Saturday, March 29, at the Greater Oneonta Historical Society’s Postcard & Emphemera Show, shows a postcard of “The Cavalcade of Baseball” from June 12, 1979, snapped during the opening weekend of the Baseball Hall of Fame, 75 years ago this year. When she examined the postcard with a magnifying glass, she identified the tiny image of Babe Ruth in the lower right. Baseball fan Bill Pietraface, Oneonta, snapped up the card for $20.
Pots, Pans Multiply At Price Chopper
Manager Ed Zawisza shows how palates of of pots and pans are piled to the ceiling.
By LIBBY CUDMORE
T Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
here’s going to be “some serious redemption” in the next three weeks, but Mona Golub, Price Chopper’s VP/customer relations, wasn’t not talking about Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Since November, Price Chopper shoppers have been accumulating one point
for every dollar spent toward an exclusive line of Thomas cookware. “The response has been overwhelming,” said Ed Zawisza, Oneonta store manager. “Just about every customer coming through the line is picking up a pot or a pan.” On Wednesday, March 26, 17 pallets of cookware arrived on the dock. “We’ve been getting 2-3 shipments a week,” said Please See POTS, PANS, A7
HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD