Hometown Oneonta 04-23-20

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Volume 12, No. 29

HOMETOWN E!

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ONEONTA

& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, April 23, 2020

Visit www.

AllOTSEGO.com

NEW COMMUNITY FOUNDATION URGES:

City of The Hills

LET’S UNITE, FIGHT COVID-19’S THREAT Relief, Recovery Effort Launched

GET

WELL, SENATOR!

By JIM KEVLIN Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Antonino Triarsi, owner of Neighbour’s Service Center in Milford, examined a hole in the roof after establishment was damaged by a smoky fire Saturday, April 18. Quick work by firemen allowed Triarsi, a Bloomville native who worked in Oneonta before opening his own establishment, to begin taking reservations by Monday morning. More details at

COOPERSTOWN

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he nation’s first community foundation, founded in 1914, is in Cleveland, Ohio, and in recent years it identified a lack of “capital wealth” as TOGETHER AGAINST preventing the THE CORONAVIRUS city’s blighted neighborhoods ►Harry Levine’s from rebound“call to action”/A4 ►List of Community ing.

“With a Foundation’s direcconsortium tors/A4 ►Herkimer-Oneida of business www.

OTSEGO.com Foundation battling people, governlead paint/A10 ment organiza• SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON tions and chariTo learn more about ties, they’ve FCOC or make donafunded several OTSEGO.com tion, visit hundred small www.cfotsego.org businesses in ►DRNEK; MARKETED RIGHT, those neighborOneonta could be telecommuthoods. “Funding entrepreneurship kept ing hub. ►Bassett HOSPITAL may soon wealth in the community,” said Harry conduct elective surgeries, Levine, chairman of the new ComGovernor Cuomo suggests. munity Foundation of Otsego County. ►10 of county’s towns avoid It’s creation was announced Tuesday, COVID-19 infections for now.

April 21. ►third suny oneonta employIt’s an example of what a commuee stricken with coronavirus. nity foundation can do. ►RULED ESSENTIAL, OFO Beneath the public’s radar, CFOC homeless and domestic formed last year, when Levine assemviolence shelters reopened.

Please See CFOC, A10

By LIBBY CUDMORE FLY CREEK VALLEY

S

All

All

►IN CRISIS,Susquehanna Animal Shelter takes over county rabies clinics. ►TO AID CUSTOMERS, NYCM announces 15-percent reimbursment. ►AS OF APRIL 17, New Yorkers must wear masks in public. ►ACCO FURLOUGHS most of its 500-person workforce, impacting region.►WESTFORD SAMARITAN transports food bonanza to Susquehanna Animal Shelter for its pet food pantry. ►baseball hALL OF FAME looks to early May for decision on 2020 Induction. ►SHERIFF, CODE ENFORCEMENT investigate COVID-19 complaints. ►HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL Library seeks to create a ‘Pandemic Archive” by collecting local journal entries.

As Demand Dips, Farms Dump Milk

Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

In recuperation from coronavirus, state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, emerges from his home on Milford’s North Main Street Saturday afternoon, April 18, to wave a parade of decorated, honking cars, organized by his church, Milford United Methodist, to welcome him back from Albany Med. Maureen Johnson is driving.

ince 1920, Mark Pernat’s family has sold milk from their Fly Creek Valley farm.

“My dad always said, ‘If you make the milk, they’ll come buy it,’ said Pernat.

But the truck didn’t come on April 5.

“Our co-op called and told us we had to dump our milk HOMETOWN ONEONTA and we would Bailey Pernat not be paid for leads Uncle Matt it,” he said. “In and dad Mark out 100 years, that of Fly Creek Valhas never hap- ley barn. pened.”

In all, the Pernats poured 1,200 gallons of milk – approximately $8,500 worth – onto their fields. “Normally Please See MILK, A10

DAMAGED BAPTISMAL FONT REPAIRED

Bassett CEO Says Scourge Declines, Symbol Of Endurance Buoys Church All But Stay Vigilant

By JIM KEVLIN

By ELIZABETH COOPER COOPERSTOWN

R

ate of positive COVID-19 cases in the Bassett Healthcare Network’s eight-county region, including Otsego, are starting to come down.

In the past week, 6-8 percent of tests taken across

the Bassett Network’s region were positive.

That’s down from 10 percent the week before.

In an interStreck view Tuesday, April 21, Bassett Network CEO Bill Streck said there Please See STRECK, A7

www.

OTSEGO.com

MILFORD

T

wo years ago, shortly after the Milford Methodist Church burned down, two members of the congregation, Al Bullard and Bill Triolo, were standing across Route 28 watching a crew of Peruvians from Rohlf’s Stained Glass, Mount Vernon, removed “Christ in Gethsemane” and other windows from the ruins.

As Bullard remembers it, Triolo, now chairman of church trustees, suggested, “Let’s go over and ask them for help.”

Please See FONT, A2

HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Al Bullard examines his handiwork.

HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

THURSDAY, aPRIL 23, 2020

A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Salvaged Artifacts Back In New Church FONT/From A1 Soon, the amiable crew was loading two wooden flower stands, the Communion table, the pulpit and the Baptismal font into Bullard’s red pickup truck.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get the communion rail,” he added.

The church furnishings ended up in Bullard’s garage on Eddie Martin Road, except for the pulpit, which organist Ron Johnson stored in his garage in Pierstown, and is now in the Milford Community Center on East Main Street.

“The wood was alright,” said Bullard, an antiques and hops expert who is also pastor at the Colliersville

and Emmons Methodist churches, “but it was black from soot and water damage.”

He added, “You can’t go wrong with quartersawn oak of the finest quality.”

By the time Pastor Austin the new church opened last June, Bullard – assisted

by David Elliott, Milford – had restored the Communion table, inscribed across the front with “Do This In Memory Of Me.”

This past Sunday, however, when church members tuned into Pastor Sylvia Barrett’s 10 a.m. service on YouTube, which has become a staple since the coronavirus threat required in-person Sunday services to be cancelled, they were greeted by a surprise.

The Baptismal font and flower stands were back in place. (The pulpit, considered out of scale in the smaller church, may be restored and displayed as an artifact in the new lobby.)

Among delighted church members was Becky Mattison, Oneonta, who had been alerted the day before by her daughter, Emily

Mattison-Welsh. Both Emily, now 37, and son Shawn, 41, were baptized at the font.

The mother called it “an old friend.”

Bullard has been refinishing furniture since a teenager in the Philadelphia suburb of Morton, Pa., where his father was an antiques dealer. “I like bringing things back,” he said.

The bowl is Depression glass, created between 1930 and 1939 by the Jeannette Glass Co. in western Pennsylvania. In the space beneath the bowl, Bullard found instructions on how to space the pews in the old church.

He scrutinized the brass plaque on the blond wood: It was donated by the pastor at the time, the Rev. Robert

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E. Austin, and his wife.

Looking at records back at the parsonage, Pastor Sylvia discovered another surprise: Rev. Austin was pastor in 1929, when an earlier church had also burned down.

He donated the Baptismal font at the ceremony dedication of the new church in March 1930, 87 years before the replacement church burned.

Bullard has a personal connection to artifacts salvaged from the 2017

fire: One of the smaller restored windows behind the Communion table was dedicated to Grace Martin, a relative of his wife Sandra.

Raised a Presbyterian, he came to Otsego County in 1966 to attend the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum studies, met his future wife and stayed, becoming a Methodist.

“It’s nice to have something from the old church in the new church,” he said.

“For continuity.”

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1808 BY

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For 212 Years

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Living with COVID-19

PAGE B-1

THURSDAY, April 23, 2020

At Virtual Animal Shelter, You Can

...TEE A PUDDY TAT...

what’s fun

Whenever You Feel Like It

BEST BETS

Louie, when he arrived, had a bad eye infection, but he’s much better now.

By LIBBY CUDMORE

W ONEONTA

AllOTSEGO.life

Ian Austin/

Terra Butler, founder and executive director of Super Heroes in Ripped Jeans, cuddles Louie, one of 12 kittens rescued two weeks ago.

ylie understands the frustration and boredom of quarantine.

“When Wylie came into our shelter, he had been attacked by either a fox or a coyote,” said Terra Butler, Super Heroes in Ripped Jeans director and founder.

“Because we couldn’t find the animal that attacked him, we couldn’t get it tested for rabies. Most shelters would have put him down as a precaution, but we just couldn’t do that.”

The former stray, now healthy in Month Three of his six-month rabies isolation, is one of the many foster animals and behind-the-scene activities you can monitor by joining

►SIGN UP for the Super Heroes in Ripped Jeans’ Lifesavers’ program at www.superheroesirj.org

the rescue’s new Lifesaver program.

“It’s a chance for people to follow stories that they might not normally see,” she said. “It gives an idea of what we go through every day.”

With COVID-19 shutting down the rescue’s thrift store, Butler had to think of new ways to bring in income to support the animals. “If 100 people signed up, that would cover a significant portion of our expenses,” she said.

“Closing the thrift store was a real financial hit.”

For $20 a month, visitors have access to exclusive videos and blog posts about the shelter’s residents, including Wylie, who is Please See LOUIE, A8

YOU CAN SOCIALIZE – AND MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE

With Elena’s Michael, You Can Dine Together – Apart event-worthy dinner platters for takeout from his kitchen location in the Hearths a’Fire plaza on Route 23 in Southside Oneonta.

ONEONTA “I do a lot of catering work for the colleges,” he said. “But all of the sports teams ichael Tracy, who owns Elena’s cancelled their seasons. So when I saw that Michael Catering, doesn’t want to people couldn’t go out to eat or have meals see anyone eating alone. with their friends, I got this idea.”

“The idea is this,” he said. “You call up He was inspired, in part, by a “silent five to seven of your friends, and I’ll deliver concert” he witnessed in 2011 while coaching meals to all of them. Then you get online” at Hamilton College. “Elena and I were in line – using Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts at the college observatory to look at the rings – “and have a virtual dinner party.” of Jupiter,” he said. “All of the sudden, we With much of his popular catering busiheard all these students just going crazy, ness stymied by COVID-19 lockdowns, Ian Austin/ OTSEGO.life and we were all looking around to see what Tracy has turned to individual catering, was going on.”

Chef Michael prepares to serving his signature deli sandwiches and Please See MICHAEL, A8 deliver his roasted chicken.

By LIBBY CUDMORE

M

All

in Otsego County

Sam Judd, Oneonta, sings a piece he wrote for LEAF’s 2019 Art & Poetry Contest at a reception at the Wilber Mansion. The 2020 deadline has been extended until August; get those creative juices flowing!

Yoga and Art Together A Brisk Road Race And Poetry Galore!

T

ake a few moments for spiritual development amid the stress of quarantine with the annual Spiritual Arts Fair, now in a virtual format!

Saturday-Sunday, April 25-26. www.facebook. com/isdoneonta/ • LIBBY What better way to CUDMORE relax than with art and yoga? Mary Murray leads an art talk about the Munson Williams Proctor galleries, followed by a yoga class with Lisa Gallagher. 10 a.m. Saturday, April 25, www.facebook.com/MWPAI. • Get outside after being cooped up for so long! The annual Cider Run 5K/10K is now a virtual race, so pick your own course and take a jog, all to benefit the Susquehanna Animal Shelter. 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 25, www.theciderrun. itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=4817 • Kids can take a virtual field trip through the Baseball Hall of Fame and learn all about the geometry of a baseball field and the angles of the game in a math-focused lesson. Registration required. 1-2 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28, www.baseballhall. org/events/virtual-field-trip-geometry-2020 • The poetry of Word Thursdays has gone digital with Bill Stratton and Cicada Musselman reading their work. 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 23, www.facebook. com/brighthp • And if you’re inspired, write a poem or create a piece of art for LEAF’s annual Art and Poetry contest on the theme of “I Can See Clearly Now,” finding a clear vision of dreams free from the problems associated with addiction. Deadline, Friday, Aug. 21.

Submission, leafartandpoetry@gmail.com

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL • HOMETOWN ONEONTA

AllOTSEGO.com, WHERE OTSEGO COUNTY GOES FOR BREAKING NEWS

VISIT www.

A-4 HOMETOWN ONEONTA

HOMETOWN Views

THURSDAY, april 23, 2020

EDITORIAL

In Time Of Trial, All Of Us Have A Chance To Do Good

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tsego County is blessed with generous foundations.

The Clark Foundation and its spinoffs have, of course, been transformative, and continue to be, with supporting the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fenimore and Farmers’ museums, Glimmerglass Opera and more than $10 million in college scholarships to top local students countywide since the 1960s.

The Clark’s Scriven Foundation is focused exclusively within the county, and it’s the rare worthy venture in the towns around Glimmerglass that hasn’t benefited from its public spirit and largesse.

As The Clark Foundation – founded by Stephen Carlton Clark

What the Clarks did for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Dewars for Hartwick College, the rest of us can do for worthy ventures – beginning with COVID-19 relief – through the new Community Foundation of Otsego County.

in 1931; now one of the largest in the nation – was made possible by Singer Sewing Machine’s worldwide reach and success, so the Dewar Foundation, founded in

ALBANY PERSPECTIVE

On Mend, Seward Turns Sights On Coronavirus

I

want to start this week’s column with a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have reached out to me and my wife Cindy over the past few weeks as we both battled the Novel Coronavirus. Your well wishes and prayers meant a great deal and gave us both strength during our fight against this sinister virus.

As the pandemic continues there are so many on the front lines that are deserving of our respect, JIM admiration, and SEWARD thanks. Nurses, doctors, first responders, police, corrections officers, grocery store and pharmacy workers, truck drivers, and many others are risking their health and spending countless hours away from their families to help our state and nation endure through these difficult times.

I understand many are struggling with health and economic issues. There are no easy solutions moving forward and additional aid will have to come from the state and federal levels to help with our recovery.

• Already, I have joined with my Senate Republican colleagues to push for a couple of key actions.

First, a letter was sent to

the U.S Department of Agriculture calling for assistance for our farmers.

Agriculture is New York’s top industry and vital to our health and way of life.

Unfortunately, in the best of times, farming can be a struggle and the Coronavirus is taking a devastating toll on many farms.

The letter reads in part: “New York dairy farmers need urgent assistance. To be clear, they are not looking for a handout, and they are not in this grim position because of their own failure. Government action to respond to COVID-l9 — while necessary — has artificially eliminated the natural demand for dairy products, so it is the duty of government to rectify the situation and help dairy farmers remain financially viable in this difficult time.

For this reason, we look to USDA for help.”

The recently passed CARES Act appropriates $9.5 billion to USDA, and we urge you to use that funding for direct financial assistance to farms who have faced harm because of COVID-l9.

Additionally, we urge the Department to make purchases of dairy products like Please See SEWARD, A6

HOMETOWN

ONEONTA

& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

James C. Kevlin Editor & Publisher

Tara Barnwell

Advertising Director & General Manager

Libby Cudmore

Managing Editor

Larissa Ryan Business Manager

Thom Rhodes Advertising Consultant

Elizabeth Cooper Correspondent

Ian Austin Photographer

Ivan Potocnik Web Architect

Kathleen Peters Graphics & Production Tom Heitz Consultant

IN MEMORIAM: Mary Joan Kevlin, Co-Publisher, 2006-17 MEMBER OF New York Press Association • The Otsego County Chamber Published weekly by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: (607) 547-6103. Fax: (607) 547-6080.

E-mail: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com

1947, was able to channel IBM’s similar globe-spanning fortunes into Oneonta.

As did many of what grew to 33 IBM millionaires, James Dewar’s

grandfather bought stock in the International Time Recording Co. at the turn of the 20th century.

Today, through IBM’s success, the Dewar Foundation’s fingerprints

may be found on every worthy venture of the last 70 years in the City of the Hills. Hartwick College was favored in particular by Dewar’s widow Jessie, who lived almost three decades beyond her husband’s passing.

• With such examples as Jane Forbes Clark and the Dewar family, the Community Foundation of Otsego County, in the making for the past year, is almost a guaranteed success.

Citizens who may have no more than $100, $1,000 or $10,000 to donate – many will choose to donate much more – will have a chance to experience the same thrill of doing good as the Clarks, Please See EDITORIAL, A5

Building A Foundation, Together

New Community Foundation Takes Aim At COVID-19 Editor’s Note: Harry Levine, former board chair of the Otsego Land Trust, is now leading the formation of The Community Foundation of Otsego County.

C

OVID-19 has changed our world.

Our community faces dire health and economic shocks that have disrupted our way of life and will continue to affect us for the HARRY foreseeable future. LEVINE The Community Foundation of Otsego County was created in 2019 with the mission of improving the quality of life for all the Otsego County area. We were about to publicly announce our formation when COVID-19 attacked. Rather than wait until the emergency passes, the Board of the Foundation has decided now is the time of greatest need and the Foundation must take a leading role in addressing the challenge.

For those not familiar with CFOC and how we have been building resources

to announce our introduction to the Otsego County community, we are an IRS designated nonprofit public charity (501c3). Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all in the Otsego County area primarily through gathering financial assets to direct to existing nonprofits in our county – to help them solve problems we all recognize and that are common to rural areas. We have an excellent Board of Directors with members dedicated to our mission.

Community foundations across the nation have taken leadership roles in establishing COVID-19 relief funds.

Albany, Syracuse, Utica and Rochester all have established their funds through local community foundations. In each city, local governments, businesses, and service organizations have joined as sponsors, making these funds a central point for donations to meet the emergency needs of their communities.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF OTSEGO COUNTY Directors and Officers

T

he following individuals will lead the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund for Otsego County: Harry Levine, president; former president, Otsego Lake Trust Gary Herzig, vice president; mayor of Oneonta Sarah Manchester, treasurer, limited partner, Edward Jones, financial advisers Bob Schlather, secretary; partner, Schlather & Birch attorneys Lou Allstadt, retired executive vice president, Exxon Mobil David Bliss, chair, Otsego County Board of Representatives Alan Donovan, retired president, SUNY Oneonta Faith Gay, founding partner, Selendy & Gay attorneys Patricia Kennedy, executive director, Springbrook Andrew Marietta, manager, Central New York office, NYCON Candice Shannon, former chair, Brookwood School Tom Simpson, board member, Glimmerglass Festival Patricia Smith, board member, Greater Norwich Foundation Scott White, president, Bank of Cooperstown •

►TO DONATE TO COVID-19 RELIEF FUND, VISIT www.cfotsego.com ►OR MAIL CHECKS TO Community Foundation of Otsego County P.O. Box 55, Springfield Center, NY 13468

CFOC has now set up a fund for Otsego County.

Initially, the Fund will direct its resources to emergency relief. Once the crisis abates, and if resources remain, the Fund will shift its emphasis to recovery efforts.

The Fund will gather money to address immediate needs in Otsego County (the relief part of the Fund). We know that unemployment is rising and we are seeing growing numbers of Please See NEW FUND, A6

LETTERS

No Traditional Graduation? Let’s Make It Memorable Anyhow To the Editor: If we can’t have a graduation for the Class of 2020, I think we should all line up in our cars with our senior, and do a parade throughout the town and neighborhoods.

Ask everyone to stand on their lawn as

the kids wave out the window! So family and friends can still celebrate them and still be 6 feet away from everyone.

Ask for the police to escort them with sirens on and flashing lights!

At the end, have the principal walk up to the window and hand the kid

their diploma!

Give these kids a way to go out with a BANG! And a moment they will cherish together!

Unique graduation for unique times!

HEATHER HOYT Worcester

AllOTSEGO.com • MORE LETTERS, A6

LETTERS TO EDITOR WELCOME • EMAIL THEM TO info@

THURSDAY, april 23, 2020

HOMETOWN

HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-5

History

Compiled by Tom Heitz and SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library

150 Years Ago

News Items – The Buffalonians are taking 90 pound sturgeon. On April 4, a foot of snow fell at Scranton, Pennsylvania. There are over 250,000 Odd Fellows in the United States. Wyoming farmers plow with tame Buffalo. Rhode Island has abolished imprisonment for debt. Lotteries are not tolerated in Russia – not even for religious purposes.

There are said to be 500,000 French Canadians in the United States. Steps are being taken in India to put a stop to the common custom of destroying female infants. Cincinnati has a curiosity in the shape of a Mulatto barber who has unmistakable red hair. The estimated number of members of the Masonic Order in the United States and British America is 468,455. Four young ladies were recently baptized in the Rum River at Aronka, Minnesota, when the thermometer marked ten degrees below zero. The New York Assembly has agreed to the Bill making eight hours a legal day’s work, except where by contract a different time is specified.

April 1870

125 Years Ago

Advertisement: JACK’s – Corner Main and Chestnut Streets Oneonta – Have you ever considered how much you can save by buying goods from us, notwithstanding the big advertisements of some of our competitors? We, in our “Little Store,” are MAKING PRICES to SUIT the TIMES. If our prices are right, you will be satisfied. COME and GET YOUR MONEY BACK. W.H. JACK. Advertisement: M. GUNEY’S & SONS, ONEONTA – Having enlarged our store and increased our stock, we can now show the finest line of Dry Goods ever brought in this Section. WASH GOODS in PROFUSION; DRESS GOODS and SILK DEPARTMENT; CLOAK DEPARTMENT; CARPETS, RUGS and OILCLOTH; UPHOLSTERY DEPARMENT; TRIMMINGS – Agents for Butterick’s Patterns.

April 1895

100 Years Ago

Reverend Dr. Edmund M. Mills, acting secretary for the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which opened Saturday at Des Moines, Iowa, stated tonight that the Conference would probably revise the ban on amusements, changing it from a mandatory act in the Book of Discipline to a “word of advice.” Memorials submitted to Dr. Mills from Conferences in all parts of the country showed that about one-third of the preachers want to eliminate all reference to dancing, theatres and card playing. In view of the fact that preachers do not put men and women on trial for these amusements, Dr. Mills will move the elimination of the following words in that part of the Book of Discipline dealing with the trial of a member for “Imprudent Conduct: Dancing, playing games of chance, attending theatres, horse races, circuses, dancing parties, patronizing dancing schools, or taking part in such other amusements as are obviously of misleading and questionable moral tendency.”

April 1920

80 Years Ago

A retired United States Marine Corps Officer told New York State Methodists that he had observed a “marked similarity” between the doctrines of Christianity and the work of Chinese Communists. Addressing ministers and lay delegates at the annual New York Conference of the Methodist Church, Major Evans Carlson spoke on “The Duty of Christian America in the Japanese-Chinese Conflict.” “The so-called Chinese Communists are practically Christians, though they do not profess the faith,” he said. “As a group they are humble in spirit and compassionate of their enemies.”

April 1940

60 Years Ago

The Oneonta Youth Council has grown

up and will become 15 years old next Tuesday. Suitable anniversary observances have been arranged, according to Chairman E.C. Damaschke of the Oneonta Recreation Commission. The public is invited to join a sociability night at the Youth Center, on the top floor at the Y.M.C.A. on Tuesday night at which new officers will be elected and installed. On Thursday night there will be a dinner for Council members and the election of new officers. On Friday night the large game room will be the site of a Teen Age Record Hop with prizes and a birthday cake cut. On Saturday, there will be tournament play in games with prizes and dancing in the record hop room. The Youth Council was organized April 26, 1945, with James T. Catella as first president. Last night the top floor of the “Y” building was crowded with upwards of 200 young people.

April 1960

40 Years Ago

20 Years Ago

Laura Jean Oliva, a physician’s assistant in Oneonta, made her first medical relief trip to the Dominican Republic in 1996.

Since then she has been back about five times each year, sometimes staying for as long as a month. Oliva offers exams, medications and vaccinations, as well as more specialized orthopedic care to residents in the southeastern part of the Dominican Republic, an agricultural area that produces sugar cane and tobacco. Eight months ago, Oliva started Esperanza Dominican Relief, a non-profit, nonsectarian, humanitarian organization – to provide her efforts with a formal structure and facilitate fund raising for a new clinic and laboratory. “After four years, I’m still working out of the back of my car,” Oliva said. Oliva is a 45-year- old Bronx native who stays in the Dominican with a host family and has two godchildren in the country.

April 2000

10 Years Ago

Armed with signs, songs and speakers,

April 1980 Tea Party patriots gathered in Norwich on Thursday in East Side Park across from the Chenango County Courthouse to rail at perceived governmental excesses and failures. Organized by Gilda Ward of Guilford, Charlie Ressiguie of Norwich and others, the Chenango County gathering, slated to run seven hours, drew scores of people at a time, some staying all day, others moving on. “Tea Party Patriots are tired of being ignored and controlled by their governments, both state and federal, Ressiguie said. “It’s come to the point where we’ve got to speak up.”

April 2010

LIFE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

VIEW FROM WEST DAVENPORT

What’s All This Testing About?

Better Living Through Plastics

A

t his Sunday, April 19, press confer• ence, Governor Cuomo reported his These tests look for two very different 22-year-old daughter had asked him, things.

One, the test that has been primarily “What’s all this testing about?” He seemed to be a little surprised by the question. talked about for weeks looks to see He said he thought he was exwho actively has the virus. plaining this well during his previTheoretically, once a person ous press conferences but realized recovers, or if he or she has not been he had not been getting his points symptomatic once the body clears across to everybody. He went over the virus, this test comes back negathis again. tive.

• This test can only show who has COVID-19 and thus is currently I will try to explain the different types of tests, roughly how they infectious, but it can’t tell you anywork, what their purposes are, and thing about whether a person had COVID-19 and is now relatively how they help us make decisions RICHARD STERNBERG about what to do next. immune.

Up until recently, Governor This test looks specifically for Cuomo has primarily been talking about the RNA, the genetic material of the coronavitest to determine who actively had the novel rus. Different manufacturers make this type coronavirus. He has also been talking about of test. While the different companies’ tests obtaining the testing equipment and getting are slightly different, they basically all work the chemicals necessary to do the tests. the same way.

On Sunday, though, he was also talkThe best simple but complete explanation may be obtained by Googling “here’s ing about a different test, an antibody test which would tell us who is immune to the how coronavirus test works.” virus, and he explained how this is going to • be rolled out in New York State, with 3,000 Two, more recently, a test has been develrandom samples to be taken over the next oped that looks for people who have had the week or so.

Please See STERNBERG, A6

Embrace The Joy Of Giving EDITORIAL/From A4 Dewars, Worcester’s and Stamford’s Robinsons and Broadhursts, and many other successful families here and across the country have done and are doing.

The original plan of Harry Levine, former Otsego Land Trust chairman, retired SUNY Oneonta President Alan Donovan, Patsy Smith of the Smith Ford family, Bank of Cooperstown President Scott White – there are 14 founding directors in all – was to build the community foundation’s focus from the ground up.

The idea was that, through focus groups and facilitated community meetings, the foundation would come to understand the common philanthropic will of all of us, and chart a strategy accordingly.

• Then, the coronavirus arrived.

Faced with a countywide manifestation of an international catastrophe, the foundation board decided the time to act is now, and launched, as its first undertaking, the “COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund for Otsego County” to help the stricken, the frontline workers who help them, and the jobless.

In the planning process, enough money was initially raised to cover all administrative costs. All funds donated – each and every one of us should give something, large or small – will be channeled to existing non-profits with focused and success track records in meeting the challenge at hand.

Few of us are fortunate enough to do the vast good that Jane Forbes Clark and Jessie Dewar are doing or did. But together, all 59,493 of us, can do significant good. Let’s do it.

G

overnor Cuomo is about to extend the temporary ban on fracking in New York and make it permanent via his budget Bill. Some will cheer that action, but those who understand its unintended consequences won’t be among them.

Indeed, they will live in fear of another pandemic where we don’t, as a result of his ban, have access to the materials needed to combat any medical illness – not just virus attacks.

Remember, fossil fuels like oil and natural gas aren’t just used for MIKE fuel.

ZAGATA • How can a rational individual make those statements? Well, here’s how.

Hydro-fracking for oil and natural gas, in addition to traditional production techniques, provides the raw material for all plastics and most pharmaceutical drugs/ medicines.

Plastics are essential in the manufacture of those things needed to combat disease and save lives. They are used in thousands of products that increase the quality and safety of everyday life.

The list includes, but is not limited

to: those much sought-after ventilators, face masks, goggles, IV bags and tubes, nearly all medical PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), heart stents, surgical gloves, syringes, insulin pens, catheters, inflatable splints, incubators for premature babies, dialysis tubing, artificial hips and knees, plastic pill casings (medicine), plastic implants for hearing, plastic cups and pitchers, eye patches, inhalation masks, disposable gowns, urine continence and ostomy products, tamper-proof caps, Petri dishes for microbiology cultures and thousands more.

Please read the list carefully and determine what your life might be like if you were no longer able to get one or more of the items you need to maintain the quality of your life.

• One or more versions of the hydrocarbon methane (natural gas) are used as feedstock during the manufacture of most of the drugs we rely on to save, or maintain the quality of, our lives. Picture your world without them.

On a more morbid note, think about body bags. Consider that, if all natural gas Please See ZAGATA, A6

OUR Foundation Girds To Battle Coronavirus NEW FUND/From A4 potentially fatal illnesses. The service sector of our economy will be faced with overwhelming assistance requests.

The Fund is a general fund. Every $1 donated will be disbursed as awards (CFOC will underwrite the administrative expenses). Awards will be made to existing organizations that have proven abilities to deliver services (CFOC does not currently have the expertise or time to evaluate new organizations).

The Fund will be a major countywide effort to use private donations to address the COVID-19 emergency. To do this, CFOC must partner with many individuals, businesses, and other community organizations, and private foundations. We are asking you to join us as contributors to the Fund.

To be clear, this fund is an additional resource and cannot replace local, state or federal funding. Nor is it designed to shift funds away from existing nonprofits – in fact, awards by the Fund will go entirely to nonprofits to deliver services. Please do not support our efforts at the expense of your continuing support of existing and productive

nonprofit organizations. ►DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND Our immediate concern is relief. We will rely upon existing nonprofit organizations that are on the front lines of responding to these needs. Awards will be issued to meet the following priorities: • Support for medical workers, EMTs, police, firefighters, and others in essential industries who risk their own health to serve the community.

• Prevention measures such as education and sanitary supplies to limit the spread of the virus.

• Support for vulnerable populations, i.e. older adults with compromised immune systems, and people who are unhoused.

• Practical needs, in case of disruption in services to vulnerable populations, such as meal delivery and daily living support for homebound older adults.

• Food access and other practical support for people who have lost wages or are unable to stock up on food, specifically those who fall in the gaps of government-led responses.

• Support for workers, especially low-wage workers, to address lack

of access to healthcare and paid sick leave, lack of proper safety equipment, economic impact of lost wages due to quarantines, cancelled activities, reduced hours/layoffs.

• Other emerging, immediate needs.

As we learn more about the impacts of the pandemic, priorities may change, but the overarching purpose of the Fund will remain the same. ►LET’S GET GOING The Fund has been organized to work smoothly. See our website at www. cfotsego.com for more details and how to make a contribution. We can accept checks or credit card payments.

We are operating with unpaid volunteers and will underwrite all development and administrative costs. CFOC will not charge any fees to the Fund.

The Board of CFOC has authorized an initial investment of $50,000 to start the Fund, of which $30,000 is a $1 for $1 matching challenge to the community to participate.

Please join us as we work as One Community – One County to rise to the challenges created by this pandemic.

THURSDAY, aPRIL 23, 2020

A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA LETTERS

The Answer: Choose People Over Money To the Editor: As a former registered nurse and a retired financial adviser, I see both sides of this horrendous dilemma.

But in my mind, there is no amount of money that is worth one death that could have been prevented.

We sit in our isolated homes in rural Central New York and feel a bit sorry for ourselves because we cannot do or should not do what is usual. But what we really should be doing is feeling extremely fortunate that our numbers are few.

Why is that?

Because our governor chose people over money.

The projections have changed because most of us are doing what we are supposed to do. The number of those who have “croaked” as Mr. Tom Morgan put it are much fewer than our federal government originally projected because many of the states took the lead.

Think of how many fewer cases there would have been if our president would have taken the warnings of the WHO (the truth and not the propaganda) and his experts seriously. If we had a leader who had locked this country

down instead of relating this to the flu, we would not be where we are today.

I don’t know about you, Mr. Morgan, but I have family members affected by this virus. I have a cousin who is a New York City school teacher who has been very sick for four weeks.

My brother-in-law’s brother is also struggling with COVID-19 (not “WuFlu”).

My niece and nephew are physicians and they have been exposed through their work and have two small children and awaiting test results. I have many, many friends in Rockland County who must stay in their homes because of the thousands of cases and deaths in that area.

And I am on the Board of Directors of United Hospice Inc. that is now taking care of those with no hope of recovery, both in their homes and in a residential facility. We have had three or four staff that have tested positive.

All of this might have been precluded had our government taken swift and country-wide action.

But instead, our leader is promoting civil disobedience that in itself is divisive

and dangerous. He has Governor for caring and not once talked about the we need to thank our first people who have died responders who are getting – only about numbers. And sick and we need to thank Mr. Morgan, you would all those who are working argue that the mainstream hard to take care of the press has blown this out sick, sitting with the dying. of proportion. I think not And most of all, we need to and I think that people are thank the scientists who are much more important than working hard towards medimoney. cation, testing and finding a I know that it will be vaccine so that we go back extremely difficult for this to life as we know it. And area to recover from the we need to listen to those closing of Dreams Park and, experts who care about our at first, I did not understand well-being. that decision and thought JUDITH PACHTER that a rolling closure would Oneonta be a better solution. But I personally would not want POEM TO THE EDITOR my grandchild in a dorm with dozens of other children that have come from all over the country in just four Stuck at home to six weeks’ time. Would Wrote this poem any of you?

• As a financial adviser, I Had some lunch never sat with a person who With Captain Crunch was gasping for air, but as Washed the dish a nurse I sure did. Feeling Made a wish like you are drowning is • probably the most horrenFed the cat dous feeling (yes, ladies, Found my hat worse than childbirth) in the Broke a mirror world. We need to continue Bad luck here to heed the advice of our • scientists and not our busiMade the tea ness leaders and stay home Had to pee and away from each other.

Sun went down We need to thank our Moon is round • Took a fall In the hall Bumped my head I am really amazed at how many people Went to bed have responded and have asked that we • continue our prayers on Wednesday.

Drank some booze We still have a long way to go so I will Took a snooze see you in prayer on Wednesday, April 22, Up at dawn and thereafter until we chase this virus off Mowed the lawn the earth.

• Alone and all together we can fill the Stuck at home air with prayer. Prayers are what medicine Wrote this poem cannot do.

TOM HEITZ Love, SHARON STUART VERA TALEVI Fly Creek Cooperstown

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Stuck At Home

Monday April 13

Tuesday April 14

All Prayed, And Things Started To Happen To the Editor: Thank you all for the wonderful response to last Wednesday 3 o’clock prayers.

I know our prayers have helped – two weeks in a row there was good news reported: On April 8 the good news was the CURVE WAS FLATTENING and then on April 16 – again, a day after our Wednesday prayers – the good news was not only had the curve flattened successfully, it PASSED THE PEAK and fewer people were admitted to the hospitals.

Wed. April 15

STERNBERG: Understanding Tests Key To Future STERNBERG/From A5 disease. This distinction is important.

The best way we are going to safely open up the economy is to know what percentage of the population has recovered from the disease and is now relatively immune – and where possible, specifically who is immune.

These people could now return to normal activities and safely go back to work.

This test works by looking for antibodies to the virus in a person’s blood.

An antibody is a large protein produced mainly by a type of white blood cell. It is used by the defensive or immune system of the body

to neutralize bacteria and the more accurate are our viruses. predictions.

• • To make informed deciWithout good testing we sions, we should know who are not going to have any has the disease, who had the idea what the actual infecdisease, who never had the tion rate is and how quickly disease, and what proportion immunity is accumulating of the population each group in the population. Once we makes up. know all this, good, safe, While it may not seem informed decisions can be intuitive, using the science made on how to proceed of statistics, it can be deterwith getting back toward mined by doing random normal. testing of a small but significant number of people in a population what these numbers probably are.

The bigger the proportion of a population that is tested, the more highly SEWARD/From A4 confident we can be in the percentages determined and fluid milk, butter, cheeses, and dry milk powders.

Direct commodity support and export assistance would also help farms manage their decreased domestic demand.

• At a time when so many Can the healthcare ZAGATA/From A5 Americans are out of work, providers and patients afford more individuals are turning drilling was banned, we to rely on the wind and sun to food pantries for their would be wrapping our to provide the energy neces- next meal. However, many meat at the grocery store sary to run the ventillators? food pantries lack cold and those who perish from What happens when the the cthinkoronavirus in storage space to keep milk newspaper instead of plastic. wind isn’t blowing and the products fresh. sun isn’t shining – about 40 What would that look like This is an excellent percent of the time between opportunity to create a today in New York City? the two?

Beyond medical uses, voucher program for people We all want a quality and in need through the Milk plastics have numerous other healthy lifestyle along with a Donation Program, as applications including, but quality environment. We’re authorized under the 2018 not limited to: Motorcycle, beginning to understand that Farm Bill, to facilitate the skiing and cycling helmets, without an abundant supply distribution of donated milk window safety glass, seat of oil and natural gas at this through grocery stores and belts, nylon/polyester air bags and seat belts for safety moment in time, both are at other venues. Doing so risk. in cars, cushioned foam would help poor Americans We’ve done a great job dashboards, shock absorbing keep food on the table, and car bumpers, firefighter PPE in this area of basing our also add demand for dairy (including jacket, pants, and economy on tourism and farmers. discouraging manufacturing. boots), space suits, fishing Late last week, the USDA This summer will tell us if waders. bullet-proof glass, announced $16 billion in that was a wise decision. clothing, eyeglasses, etc. direct support for farmers Mike Zagata, a DEC in need. Another $3 billion Are those things you want to commissioner in the Pataki will be used to purchase be without?

Administration and former meat, dairy products, fruit • environmental executive with and vegetables with excess Think about what’s Fortune 500 companies, food going to food banks. going on right now in our lives in West Davenport. This is a big win. hospitals.

•

ZAGATA: No Fossil Fuel?

Think Of What We’d Lose

If you would like me to go over this and other related topics please contact me through the Freeman’s Journal.

Richard Sternberg, a retired Bassett Hospital orthopedic surgeon, has agreed to provide his professional perspective while the coronavirus threat continues. Dr. Sternberg, who is also a village trustee, resides in Cooperstown.

Thu. April 16

Friday April 17

SEWARD: USDA Must Act To Stabilize Milk Supplies Additionally, I am calling on the governor to release scheduled raises for essential state workers. The state is delaying the 2 percent raises for 80,000 individuals who are on the front lines, and in some cases, performing very dangerous jobs.

The letter reads in part: “Recognizing this service in these unprecedented times, then, I appreciate this opportunity to urge you to immediately provide an exemption for essential workers unable to work from home, and unable to take adequate social distancing precautions on the job, from your freeze of their scheduled two-percent salary increase. These include corrections officers, law enforcement officers, nurses and other public hospital staff, and direct caregivers in nursing and group homes, and mental health care facilities.”

These are just a couple of elements. I will be highlighting many others as we continue to respond to this health crisis.

James L. Seward, who has represented Otsego County in the state Senate for 35 years, lives in Milford.

Sat. April 18

Sunday April 19

OtsegO COunty’s Daily newspaper/ online

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►SubScribe at OTSEGO.com or call lariSSa at 607-547-6103

THURSDAY, aPRIL 23, 2020

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7

Streck: Data Positive, But Let’s Go Step By Step

Vince Foti

STRECK/From A1 are several possible reasons, one being that the stay-athome order mandated by Governor Cuomo is working.

Another is that the disease is following its natural course and is now past its apex.

Without more testing, it is impossible to know how far the novel coronavirus,

607-432-2022

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which causes COVID-19, has penetrated the community as a whole. Until that is better understood, people must remain vigilant.

“We have to continue to emphasize that social distancing and handwashing and all these hygiene practices are critical to all of us,” Streck said.

Across the nation, some demonstrators have emerged to protest stay-at-home orders states have implemented since the coronavirus arrived in the United States. Here, there have been no demonstrations, but county board Chairman David Bliss said he has gotten numerous calls from business owners asking

A Pandemic COVID-19 spreads by droplets from sneezes or coughs, so if you keep your distance, you won’t breathe in any droplets.

The Number Three suggestion is to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Make it difficult for the virus to enter your body by keeping your hands away from your face.

Basic protective measures against COVID-19 bear repeating. How can we protect ourselves?

What are the best practices in hygiene and prevention?

According to the World Health Organization, the number one suggestion is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

Hand washing will kill viruses that may be on your hands. Maintain social distancing of at least six feet is Number Two.

The next suggestion is to practice respiratory hygiene— this means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze, or use a tissue.

And the last suggestion is STAY HOME if you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Call 607-547-5555 so they can direct you to the right health facility.

Let’s help protect each other so we can get back to our “new normal” and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Essential or Non-Essential...

our community has come together like no other community to combat COVID-19

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A lthough the world in which we live has changed the way we say goodbye for now, We are always here for you in your time of need.

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when things will change.

“The majority (of his callers) are anxious to get back to, not normal, but to work on the path to get to the new normal,” Bliss said. “I think we need to be preparing to move in that direction.”

Like Streck, Bliss said that even if there is a gradual reopening of work places, people will likely have to continue with the masks, hand-washing and staying 6-feet away from others whenever they can.

The speed and steps to reopen will be determined

by Cuomo, and may allow Upstate to move more quickly than the harder hit downstate areas.

Just 200 miles away, New York City has some of the highest rates of positive cases in the world. To date, there are more than 247,000 positive cases there, and more than 14,300 people have died since the beginning of March.

In Otsego County, as distinct from the eight-county region, there were 55 positive cases of coronavirus as of Monday, and of those 31 have recovered and are off isolation. Three people were hospitalized and four people had died.

The number of people on mandatory quarantine has dropped significantly from a high of 113 two weeks ago to just 25.

According to a federal blueprint for reopening, regions must show that the illness is in decline and hospitals must be able to show that they can treat non-COVID patients without jeopardizing their safety.

Streck said our area is on the way to being able to do both.

But the blueprint also requires there to be adequate testing capacity and tracking for COVID cases. We are not there yet, he said.

Testing capacity for active COVID infection has expanded dramatically here in recent weeks, but results can take several days to get back.

Bassett is on a waiting list to get a new type of test that will give results in minutes.

Harder hit areas are getting those first, Streck said.

Also, we don’t yet have the equipment to test for antibodies, so researchers can determine who might have been exposed or had an asymptomatic case of the illness.

Such tests would enable the county Health Department trackers to see how far the virus had penetrated and how many people might be immune.

The immune tests may be available here as soon as next week, he said.

For Bassett, the region’s low numbers may bring a gradual return to normalcy.

With the elimination of all elective surgeries, the hospital has seen far fewer non-COVID patients than usual. About 50,000 patients were seen in March, but that’s about one-third the usual traffic in the Network, Streck said.

The hospital has been reducing hours for certain employees to offset financial losses related to the reduced patient visits, but said that may change. The state is likely to allow elective surgeries again in areas like ours, where the virus has not progressed as far.

“We will bring people back as quickly as we can ramp up,” Streck said. “That will depend on how busy we become.”

Some parts of the Network have been converted to take in a possible influx of COVID patients, but the surge never happened and those areas may now be returned to their original function. It would take about 10 days from the day Cuomo authorizes such changes for the Network to adjust.

Then, it will be a question of how soon patients feel confident they can return without endangering themselves, he said. The Network has worked hard since the virus threat became apparent to make its spaces safe for non-COVID patients and that would continue, Streck said.

THURSDAY, aPRIL 23, 2020

A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Peek At Kitties, Puppies Behind Curtain Let Elena’s Michael Cater Virtual Dinner Party LOUIE/From A3 quarantined with Butler at her home.

“He’s just the sweetest cat,” said Butler. “He just wants to sit in your lap and kiss your nose.”

Many of the stories are joyful.

“We had someone bring in five dogs they couldn’t care for, and one of them was a pregnant mother,” she said. “On her fourth day with us, Pumpkin gave birth to five puppies. You can really see the difference as she’s coming out of her shell.”

Videos and photos of each newborn are on the Lifesavers site. “This family will all have happy endings,” she said.

But rescue life can be heartbreaking too.

“When we took in those five dogs, we went inside to finish the intake paperwork,” she said. “But when we came back out to get them, one of them had just died. We had no idea what happened; we’ve never had anything like that happen in the eight years we’ve been doing this.”

And there are challenges Butler wants members to understand. “Bottle-feeding kittens is cute,” she said.

“Until you’re on Week Two of waking up every three hours to feed six screaming babies.”

She doesn’t shy away from the realities of rescue, including showing photos of Louie and Violet, two kittens who developed nasty eye infections – but, with quick care and nurturing,

they recovered.

“Can you believe these are the same kittens?” Butler wrote under a photo of the pair snoozing on a blanket.

With many people stuck at home, they find they may want a furry companion.

“Our adoptions are way up,” she said. “People who might not have had time to foster or adopt an animal now have that time.”

Adoptions are being done by appointment. “We’ve gotten through our whole cat waiting list,” she said.

“That’s never happened before.”

And just as restrictions on our own social distancing ease up, Wylie will be ready for adoption.

“He’s going to make someone an awesome pet when he’s all through this.” she said.

MICHAEL/From A3 In the field below, students had gathered, each with their iPod, and were dancing, shouting and singing.

“The girls behind us told us the school wouldn’t let them have a concert because the neighbors would complain about the noise,” he said.

“So all the students put the same 15 songs on their iPods, went out in the field and listened together.”

Like any good dinner party, Michael’s concept includes an appetizer – asparagus wrapped in puff pastry, sausages wrapped in bacon or signature eggplant caponata (that Sicilian ratatouille).

Then, an entrée – roasted chicken, pork tenderloin or chicken parmesan with Elena’s Italian sauce, each with roasted potatoes and a spring salad.

For dessert, a piece of Tracy’s own homemade cheesecake and Italian cookies.

“This way, you can have your appetizer and cocktails at 7, dinner at 8 and dessert at 9,” he said.

And as a bonus, no one host is stuck doing all the dishes at the end of the night.

Now More Than Ever

Count On Us

Tracy, a former football coach, started his catering business in 2018 to maintain the legacy of his wife, the well-known Oneonta chef and pastry chef, Elena Doyle, after her death earlier that year.

Since then, he has become a fixture on the catering scene in his own right, especially with his sandwiches, which he boxes with chips and a drink for sports teams as his “coach saver” package.

But he’s still open to catering large events – from a distance. “I was asked to do 10 sandwiches for a Springbrook house,” he said.

“A few days later, I was called to do 10 meals. And then a little while later, I was asked to do 300 desserts!”

Because food, he believes, is a way of bonding with the people you love, even when you can’t be together.

“It’s socialization versus social distancing,” he said. “You can still talk to your friends and family and enjoy a good meal together. You have that in common, you can say, ‘Oh, the asparagus is really good’ and talk about what you’re all eating.”

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Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION of Victoria Tarbell, Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 1/29/20.

Off. loc.: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom proc. may be served & shall mail 50 Dietz St., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Purp.: any lawful.

6LegalMay.28 Legal nOtice PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to construct a

150’ monopole at 760 County Hwy 11, Laurens, NY (20191345). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

1LegalApr.23 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Name of LLC: UAS Oneonta Property, LLC;

LEGALS

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Date of Filing: 3/20/2020; Office of the LLC: Otsego Co.; The NY Secretary of State (NYSS) has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. The NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at P.O. Box 155, Robesonia, PA 19551; Purpose of LLC: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.28 Legal nOtice

TREFF SALES, LLC

Notice of Formation of

Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/10/2020.

Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall

Live Wire Trucking LLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on

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1/28/20.

Location: Otsego County SSNY desg. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. Mail process to 4 Garden St., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.21

mail process to 204 Roundhouse Rd., Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.21

a NY limited liability company (LLC).

SKYDIVING, LLC.

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NOTICE OF FORMATION of

NOTICE OF FORMATION of

PERSEPOLIS PROPERTIES, LLC A Limited Liability Company.

The Secretary of State has been designated as the agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her to: Shehnaz Irani, 5981 State Highway 7, Oneonta, New York 13820.

The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.

6LegalMay.21

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Articles of Organization were filed with the New York State Secretary of State on February 12, 2020.

The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County.

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Notice of LLC Formation of Cookies & Crumbs, LLC,

Arts. of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (NYSS) on 03/18/20.

Office: Otsego County.

NYSS designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. NYSS shall mail process to: 126 Louie Dickinson Road, Edmeston New York 13335.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.14 Legal nOtice

Notice of Formation of JUST JUMP

Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 2/10/20.

The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County.

The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon it to: The LLC, 1693 Co. Hwy. 10, Laurens, NY 13796.

The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act.

6LegalMay.7

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Notice of Formation of Shove Enterprises LLC. Arts of Org filed with Sec of State of NY (SSNY) on March 5, 2020.

Office Location: Otsego County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall may process to Robert A. Gouldin, Esq., 93 Main Street, Oneonta, NY 13820.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

6LegalApr.23

►Need to publish a Notice of Formation, Public Notice, Supplemental Summons, or Notice to Bidders?

Contact Larissa at 607-547-6103 or ads@allotsego.com and she can get you started.

THURSDAY, april 23, 2020

HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-9

IN MEMORIAM ‘Jem’ Nader Mitrano, 92; Sister Of Former Mayor NEW YORK CITY – Jemele “Jem” Nader Mitrano, 92, Oneonta native and sister of former Mayor Sam Nader, stricken with the coronavirus, passed away on Easter Sunday, April 12, at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut.

Jem was born on Sept.

22, 1927, the eve of the Tunney-Dempsey fight, in Oneonta, to Elias and Rose Nader. Her family resided in Oneonta’s Sixth Ward, where Jem was an active community member.

For more than 10 years, she worked at Bendix in Sidney as an assembler, where her boss told her she produced faster than his machines.

Jem met her husband, Dominick, while he was in town from Manhattan for the summer to visit his relatives. The couple married

six months later in 1965, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oneonta.

They settled down in Manhattan’s West Village Jemele initially.

Nader In the city, Mitrano Jem worked for Wormser Hat Co. for 15 years until its closing.

After, she worked for New Hermes Plastic Engraving Co. When its doors closed, Jem decided to retire.

However, Jem, who never liked to sit still and embodied the quality of ambition, quickly became bored with retirement and took another job as a secretary and bookkeeper for Summa Capital in the Empire State Building.

She routinely walked the

two-and-one-half mile commute from her East Village apartment to the Empire State Building.

The youngest of six children, Jem remained close to both her family and Dominick’s family. Jem especially enjoyed cooking for family and friends and hosting holidays in her home. She was known for her large Easter celebrations, as she was a devout Catholic.

Jem lived in Manhattan for more than 54 years and she was an involved member of her community.

She served as a Eucharistic Minister at her parish, Most Holy Redeemer, on the Lower East Side. She also served on the New York City Board of Elections and was an active member of CancerCare.

JJem’s biggest pride and joy was her family, especial-

ly her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren.

Jem was predeceased by her parents; sisters Adele, Dorothy and Julia; brother Nausif; and husband, Dominick.

She is survived by her daughter, Anissa of Wilton, Conn.; son-in-law, James; grandchildren, James Dominick, Jacquelyn and Aidan; brother, Sam of Oneonta; as well as many loving nieces and nephews, their spouses and children.

Arrangements will be made at a later date, when it is safe to do so.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Fairfield Preparatory School Christian Service program Fairfield College Preparatory School, Attn: Development Office, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.

Dr. Herbert A. Leupold, 89; Physicist Had Cooperstown Home COOPERSTOWN – Dr. Herbert A. Leupold, 89, a physicist at the U.S. Army Research Lab at Fort Monmouth, N.J., who maintained a second home in Cooperstown, quietly exited this life on March 29, Dr. Herbert 2020.

He was Leupold born in Brooklyn on Jan. 6, 1931,to Josefa Thalmayr and August Leupold. Herb’s education includes a B.Sc. in Physics from Queens College, an M.S. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia in 1964.

After a short postdoc at Lawrence Radiation Labs in California, he joined the Fort Monmouth facility. He

retired in 2000.

His extensive list of awards includes Army Science Conference Prize (1974,1984,1990), Army R&D Achievement award (1983,1988) and a Post Doc from Lawrence Livermore Labs (1964-67). He authored and co-authored over a 100 scientific publications and was awarded 116 patents.

Herb was predeceased by his parents and his sister Eleanor Zatlin. He is survived by two brothers Dr. Robert Leupold and Dr. Arthur Leupold, his close companion, Olga Blum, and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, grand nieces and grand nephews.

A memorial service is planned at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 22, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Catholic Church in Cooperstown.

IN MEMORIAM

Rocco J. Lauria, 84

Jocelyn A. Rauscher

Jan. 25, 1936 - April 14, 2020

Jan. 26, 1942 - April 16, 2020

COOPERSTOWN – In the early morning hours of Thursday, April 16, 2020, Jocelyn A. Rauscher, beloved wife, mother and grandmother passed away unexpectedly due to cardiac-related issues at her home with her husband by her side. She was 78.

A native of Scotland, she was born Jan. 26, 1942, in Edinburgh, a daughter of the late William Ferguson Jack and Gwendolyn Hurdle Jack.

Jocelyn A. Educated in Rauscher the United Kingdom, she was employed in England as a Registered Nurse.

On April 3, 1971, she married Andrew Rauscher, M.D. in a private ceremony in East Sheen, Surrey, U.K. Dr. Rauscher is a former Bassett Hospital medical director.

Jocelyn was an enthusias-

tic bird watcher, avid gardener and talented artist specializing in painting, doll making and pottery. She loved to create paintings of English cottages, meadows and bluebell woods, all memories of her upbringing in England.

She was very giving to her family and to the community.

She opened her home to others, and they became part of her extended family. Jocelyn was also a skillful chef, creating new recipes for her family who always appreciated tasting her delicious creations.

A talented horse rider, she passed on this passion to her daughter, and recently became involved with her hobby farm.

In her free time, she volunteered at the Bassett Cancer Clinic and was a hospice volunteer helping ease the pain of others during their battles with cancer, as she was a two-time survivor herself.

Jocelyn is survived by her husband of 48 years, Andrew Rauscher, M.D.; their five children, Daniel and Jeanne Rauscher of Haddam, Conn., Rebecca Nichols and

fiancé Andre Mills of Westford, Mass., Pilarin Nichols of North Andover, Mass., Jemma Rauscher and John Dinnenn of Cooperstown, and Annabel Rauscher of Chelmsford, Mass.; eight grandchildren, Matthew, Alex, Laura, Liam, Maeve, Emily, Brendan and Finnigan; a sister-in-law, Marya Parker of England; and a long list of lifelong friends.

A lifelong lover of animals she leaves behind Bodie, Ozzie, and her cat Freddy.

While there will be no service or gathering at this time, please remember the times you spent with Jocelyn, smile, and know that she is at peace. A celebration of life will be planned in the future.

For those who wish to make a donation in memory of Jocelyn, her family respectfully requests that memorial gifts be directed to the Susquehanna SPCA or the Salvation Army.

Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

HARTWICK – Rocco Joseph Lauria, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and brother, passed away late Tuesday morning, April 14, 2020, at Cooperstown Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing. He was 84.

Born Jan. 25, 1936, in Utica, he was the son of Rocco and Norma (Bice) Lauria. After graduating with the Edmeston Central School Class of 1954, Rocco served for three years with the New York Army National Guard.

On April 14, 1956, Rocco married the former Louise Bunn in a ceremony at the parsonage of the Mount Vision Methodist Church.

Throughout his life, Rocco always enjoyed working at anything to do with the land.

In later years, he especially enjoyed vegetable gardening and selling his produce at a roadside stand near his home. His gregarious nature led him to be able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone he met.

Rocco also had a com-

petitive side to his personality, which was quite evident when he played golf, a sport he truly loved. He also enjoyed deer hunting.

Rocco was a member of the Hinman Hollow Grange, and was a faithful member of the Hartwick United Methodist Church, where he enjoyed leading the hymn singing for services.

Rocco is survived by his wife of Rocco Lauria 64 years, Louise B. Lauria of Hartwick; two daughters, Melody Ainsworth and husband, Chris of Rochester, Minnesota, and Teresa Hickling and husband, Brian of Edmeston; three sons, Brian Lauria of Hartwick, Jeffrey Lauria and wife, Dana of Erieville, and Kevin Lauria of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire; nine grandchildren; and 16 great grandchildren. He is also survived

by two sisters, Doris Gould and husband, Bud of New Berlin, and Dolores Maxson and husband, Bob of West Edmeston, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents Rocco and Norma Lauria, Rocco was preceded in death by two great grandchildren, Mea Grace Stoecklin who died September 24, 2019, and Kyle Joseph Seamon who died March 26, 2020, and a sister, Philemena (Phyllis) Janet Tufts who died November 3, 2012.

While there will be no services at this time, please remember the times you spent with Rocco, smile, and know that he is at peace.

For those who wish to make a donation in memory of Rocco, his family respectfully requests that memorial gifts be directed to the Hartwick United Methodist Church, PO Box 44, Hartwick, NY 13348.

Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

and Ryan Spranger, Zakee and Timy Velasco, Gabrielle and Grace Tymchyn, Timothy III, Owen and Brooke Green; and one great-great-grandchild, Everly LaBare. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his wife, Isabel on November 4, 2010; his son, Bruce on November 19, 2017; parents; sisters, Betty Jubar and Thelma Brown; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-inlaw; and several nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Fox Nursing Home for the care given to him.

Also, special thanks to the Fox Hospital nursing staff and doctors for their exceptional care.

Donations, in his memory may be made to the C.H. Hose Company, PO Box 116, Schenevus, NY 12155 or the Schenevus-Maryland Emergency Squad, PO Box 80,

Schenevus, NY 12155.

A private graveside service with military honors will be held for immediate family at the Evergreen Cemetery in Otego.

A celebration of Charlie’s life for family and friends will be announced at a later date.

To sign the online guestbook, visit, www.hellerskinnerfh.com, the website of the Heller & Skinner Funeral Home, 155 Main St., Worcester, NY.

Charles D. Scofield, 93 SCHENEVUS – Charles “Charlie” Duane Scofield, 93, passed away on April 18, 2020 at A.O. Fox Nursing Home, Oneonta from complications of COPD. Charlie was born in Otego, Sept. 26, 1926, the son of Charles E. and Dorothy (Hamilton) Scofield. He lived most of his childhood on a farm in Otego and going to school there. He joined the United States Navy in 1943 and served for three years.

Upon discharge in 1947, he married Isabel Davis and they moved to Schenevus in 1949, where they raised their four children. They were married for 63 years.

Charlie started working for the New York Telephone Company in 1947 where he worked for 35 years, retiring in 1982. He was presented

the New York Telephone Company Good Neighbor Award for outstanding community service in 1967. He was a past life member and club president of the Retired Telephone Pioneers.

When Charlie was not busy at work or around home, you were apt to find him at his “second home”, the firehouse, Charles D. working or Scofield playing cards.

He joined the Schenevus Fire Department in 1950, and was named Otsego County Fireman of the year in 1977. He also served as Fire Chief for many years and Fire Commissioner. He

Sept. 26, 1926 - April 18, 2020

was one of the many firemen injured at the D&H train derailment and explosion on February 12, 1974.

He was one of the last surviving charter members and organizer of the SchenevusMaryland Emergency Squad.

He was an active member of 50 years, also serving as a first aid instructor and EMT. He was an honorary member of both the Schenevus Fire Department and SchenevusMaryland Emergency Squad.

Charlie was also involved in many other community services: The Schenevus Central School Board for 16 years, 50-year member of the American Legion, 50-year member of the VFW; member of the Schenevus Rotary, and worked with the Boy Scouts of America (Troop 18), and many others. He was awarded the DAR (Iroquois Chapter) Community Service Award in

2019.

He is survived by his children, Barbara (Timothy) Green, Worcester, Beverly (Kirk) Stropes, Cassatt, SC, and Brenda (Eugene) Tessitore, Schenevus; daughter-in-law, Sharon Scofield, Schenevus; grandchildren, Michelle (Edwin) Munoz, Mark Scofield, Jeffrey Scofield (Nicole Field), Kimberly (Todd) Willis, Kyle (Katy) Stropes, Jeremy Stropes (Brittney Holland), Rebecca (Dominic) Brent, Erika Tessitore (fiancé Brandon Barber); step-grandchildren, Kristin (Ronald) Spranger, Kimberly (Robert) Velasco, Kelly (Greg) Tymchyn, Timothy II (Jennifer) Green; great-grandchildren, Luke (Heather) LaBare, Noah LaBare, Isabella Munoz, Riley and Sawyer Scofield, Ensley Stropes, Hunter Willis, Madison Brent; step-greatgrandchildren, Taylor, Erika

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A-10 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Facing Threat, Community Foundation Moves Up Launch To Tackle COVID-19

Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA & The Freeman’s Journal

The fifth generation of Pernat farmers, from left, Chris, William, Alex, Bailey and Emily, pose with the fourth generation, brothers Matt, center, and Mark. Bailey is Mark’s daughter; the others are Matt’s children.

First Time In 100 Years, Crisis Forces Pernats To Dump Milk MILK/From A1 if they ask you to dump, it might be there was an ice storm and the truck couldn’t get through, but you were always paid,” he said. “But with COVID-19, there’s an overabundance of production.”

With limits on dairy products at the grocery store, it might seem like a quandary – but according to David Balbian, Cornell Cooperative Extension area dairy management specialist, there’s so much more than just the cow to consider.

“Processing plants have had disruptions,” he said.

“People are calling in sick, their kids are home and they don’t have childcare, the drivers who take the milk to New York City refuse to go because they’re afraid of getting sick.”

Additionally, he said, the closings of schools and reduced business at restaurants – the two largest buyers of dairy products – has reduced the immediate need.

And because it’s illegal to sell raw milk, farmers are left with little choice but to dump what they have. “DEC laws are relaxed enough where you can dump it on your own fields as fertilizer,” said Balbian. “But that’s expensive fertilizer.”

So far, Pernat said, he’s

only had to dump once. But it comes after four bad years of low milk prices, making the loss that much harder to swallow. “2020 was projected to be a good year for milk prices,” he said. “They were starting to rise again, they were anticipated to reach $20 per 100 pounds.”

Now, he said, prices are down to $17, and it could go as low as $12. “That’s a 35 percent decrease,” he said.

“That’s a really big gap to make up, and a lot of farms can’t withstand that.”

Pernat previously reduced his herd from 200 to 75, and sells bales of hay for horse stables downstate. “It’s more profitable than cattle,” he admitted.

But he’s also looking towards the future. “People have told us we should look into making the farm into Community Supported Agriculture,” he said.

“We’re starting to look into how that would work, and maybe into building a bottling plant.”

Customers would prepay, he said, and then milk would be delivered directly to them.

He sells his milk to Marcus Dairy, which bottles and sells to markets in New York City and Connecticut. “We want to create our own market,” he said. “It would be neat to keep the milk here.”

COFC/From A1 bled a 14-member board, ranging from Cooperstown’s Lou Allstadt, retired Exxon Mobil executive vice president, to the former Smith Ford’s Patsy Smith of Norwich and Cooperstown, and Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig, “a cross-section of community-spirited people,” Levine said.

The original idea was, through focus groups and community meetings, to build a plan of action from the ground up over the next several months.

Then COVID-19 arrived.

“We put everything aside to focus on COVID,” said Levine, who operates a construction firm in Princeton, N.J., but also has a local home and recently ended his tenure as Otsego Land Trust president.

The board concluded it was time for action, which led to this week’s announcement of the first initiative: The COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund for Otsego County. Immediately, the Fund has committed $50,000 to help existing non-profits – 501c3s – address the crisis.

Of that, $30,000 is will be matched with private donations. Board members will reached out to their contacts for donations, and Levine urged members of the public – all of us – to donate to the initiative.

All money contributed to the fund will be used for COVID-19 relief; administrative costs will be covered by money CFOC raised previously. So far, the foundation has no staff, so administration will be handled by volunteers.

“Unemployment is rising and we are seeing growing numbers of potentially fatal illness,” CFOC said in a statement that accompanied Tuesday’s announcement.

“The non-profit sector of our economy is faced with overwhelming assistance requests, and we are going to help.”

The priorities listed included helping healthcare workers, firefighters and police, and “essential workers”; education and sanitary supplies; support for “vulnerable populations” (the elderly and the homeless); addressing lost wages and lack of food when necessary “to fill gaps in government-led responses,” and to help people, the poor in particular, get healthcare when needed.

Tuesday evening, Oneonta Common Council pledged its support for the undertaking, and the Cooperstown Village Board plans a similar declaration at its April 28 meeting.

In an interview, Oneonta’s mayor, the CFOC vice president, said when the

foundation board first met last year, the idea was to follow “the traditional model,” building a strategic plan based on grassroots inputs.

“Then, completely unforeseen circumstances developed,” Herzig said, referring to the coronavirus.

“While we will follow the traditional model, this is not the time for that. There is a huge need. We have people in Otsego County who struggle in the best of times.

In these circumstances, it is impossible for them to make it alone.”

He praised Oneonta’s Dewar Foundation and Cooperstown’s Scriven Foundation, a Clark family entity focused on in-county philanthropy: “They’ve done wonderful things.”

“The community foundation,” he continued, “is made up from support from every member of the

community. Individuals can contribute, businesses can contribute, groups can contribute. It’s truly what the name implies.”

Herzig also pointed out that Otsego County has received some help from the Community Foundation of South-Central New York, but that is Binghamtonbased and primarily focused on Broome County.

Another CFOC board member, county Rep. Andrew Marietta, DCooperstown/Town of Otsego, who is also regional manager of the state Council of Nonprofits, said that private foundations “can pursue their pet projects.”

Not so a community foundation. “It’s truly what the name implies.”

“Community foundations are really trying to serve the broadest group of people and the greatest range of needs,” he said.

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