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Volume 13, No. 29
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, April 22, 2021
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Otsego County seeks to supplement struggling local emergency services By GREG KLEIN
lengthy coronavirus pandemic. “Now it has become very evident that we need to come up with something to assist the locals in the process,” Klinger told the county’s Board of Representative during a special presentation Wednesday, April 7. The duo made a presentation asking the board to develop a plan for supplemental EMS help, with a county ambulance and/or an advanced life support fly car to assist with response and transportation to people in need of emergency health help. An ALS fly car is a medical vehicle that can respond to an emergency but does not do transportation. “It’s becoming more and more evident we have to do something,” Wilber said. “We’ve got crews begging us for help. Partially because of COVID, they’ve just reached the end of their
rope in their ability to supply and support their communities. “If we haven’t already, we’re going to be losing people because we can’t get an ambulance to them,” Wilber continued. O’Brien said he had been on the line as people died while waiting for responders and it is a heartbreaking feeling. “Without going into particular details, I can tell you there have been a number of times already this year where we have lost people,” he said. While the board met, a call could be heard in the background of the meeting, which was held via Zoom because of the pandemic and broadcast on Facebook. The call had been out for around 20 minutes, O’Brien pointed out, and was on its fifth agency request as the board members discussed the issue. See EMERGENCY, A6
COOPERSTOWN – Emergency medical services are struggling to respond to calls countywide, leading Otsego County officials to consider stepping in with supplemental services. Micro-grant “I’ve been in the service for 47 years. I have applications have never seen it this bad,” said Rep. Dan Wilber, Edmeston, Exeter, Plainfield, who April 30 deadline R-Burlington, is a member of the Edmeston Fire Department COOPERSTOWN and Rescue Squad and the chair of the county’s – Otsego County has Public Safety and Legal Affairs Committee. announced it will continue Wilber said he and his fellow PSLA members its micro-grant program for have been listening to Otsego County Emergency community events in 2021. Services Coordinator Art Klingler Jr. and The deadline for groups Otsego County E-911 Director Bob O’Brien. to request a share of up to Both men have been warning them that a $50,000 in funding is Friday, generation of EMS workers are aging out April 30. of service or have been discouraged by the Sponsors must explain their event in detail and tell the Board of Representative’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee how the event will draw visitors to the area. If it is a new event, the application must describe the market segment the sponsors are trying to attract. All advertising and promotional materials created for the events must state that they are paid for in part by a grant from Otsego County Government. Brochures and STAFF REPORT information regarding other As of Friday, April 16, Iron Otsego County venues and String Press, Inc, publisher of The events must be made availFreeman’s Journal, Hometown able at events. If events are Oneonta and www.allotsego.com is canceled for any reason under new ownership. other than weather, the Tara Barnwell, general manager grantee must return the grant of Iron String Press, becomes presimoney. dent and publisher and actor-writer Go to www.otsegocounty. Greg Klein becomes editor of the com and click on Communicompany’s print and digital news ty Events Grants Application and entertainment sources, succeed2021 for more information. Larissa Ryan/The Freeman’s Journal ing Jim Kevlin. New Iron String Press President and Publisher Tara Barnwell Kevlin after 15 years as editor, poses with the paper’s publisher/editor of 15 years, Jim Follow Breaking News On publisher and president of Iron Kevlin, who retired Friday, April 16. String Press and its media family, OTSEGO.com has retired. in Otsego County. who had owned the paper for nearly With the new ownership, Iron Kevlin and his late wife, Mary a decade. The Freeman’s Journal ►al colone, community leader String Press remains the only Joan (M.J.) Kevlin,purchased The was founded in 1808 by Judge and newspaper columnist, dies locally owned and locally focused Freeman’s Journal in 2006 from William Cooper and has served ►Otsego county brings back news and entertainment operation Elinor Vincent and Michael Moffat, Otsego County for the past 213
Local media company under new ownership
Kevlin has retired; Barnwell named publisher; Klein named editor
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micro-grants for community events in 2021; April 30 deadline ►raging fire HAS ONEONTA Lanes future in doubt.
City promotes Mattice to administrator position By GREG KLEIN
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years. Kevlin, a graduate of Colgate University, spent 48 years in newspapers, mostly as an editor, in Upstate New York, New England and Pennsylvania. The Kevlins expanded the company to include an Oneonta-based newspaper, Hometown Oneonta, and an online news source covering Otsego County, www.allotsego.com. M.J. Kevlin died in 2017 after a three-year battle with cancer. Kevlin and his current wife, the Rev. Sylvia Kevlin, pastor of Milford Methodist Church, who is also retiring at the end of the month, are planning to move out west to be closer to family. “Looking backward,” Kevlin said, “I’m thankful and honored at how Otsego County supported our expansion into a countywide force, from Cooperstown’s historic Freeman’s Journal, to founding Hometown Oneonta, to launching www. AllOTSEGO.com, the full-service 24-7 news site. ‘Our’ includes my late wife M.J., new publisher Tara Barnwell, and many other dedicated, creative and hardworking staff See SALE, A6
ONEONTA – The city of Oneonta has promoted Greg Mattice to fill the position of city administrator. Mattice, who has been with the city since 2010 and has been the city engineer for about half of that time, was approved for his new position by the city’s Common Council Tuesday, April 20. The administrator position is a revised position in the city, an attempt to turn the autonomous
city manager into an employee for the council and mayor. George Korthauer resigned as city manager in January 2020, about six months before his three-year term was set to expire. In the aftermath, city officials said they had not had a good track record with managers and wanted to reform the position. The new position, which was created at a special meeting in October, was designed to have less power and independence than the city manager position.
Mattice was a member of the Otsego County’s Energy Task Force and in 2017, Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig gave him the key to the city in appreciation of his efforts in keeping the city safe during winter storm Stella. “I know that both the department heads and the council are both looking forward to working with you in that role,” Herzig said. “We are very excited to have you in this role.” Mattice, who will begin in his new role July 1, will make $110,000 a year. See ONEONTA, A6
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD