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Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, May 13, 2021
COMPLIMENTARY
Otsego preps for hiring new administrator By GREG KLEIN
Otsego County’s legislators began an in-depth look at crafting the county administrator position at a special all board workshop Monday, May 10. Oneonta will be closing The 14 board members listened Main Street from 5 p.m. and asked questions during a twoto 10 p.m., Saturday, May hour meeting as County Attorney 15, in celebration of SUNY Ellen Coccoma reiterated to them the Oneonta and Hartwick details of the local law they passed College graduates. in 2019 to establish the position and The street will be closed several experts on local governments between Elm Street and that are using a county administrator Chestnut Street for the gave their tips and suggestions. purpose of outdoor shopping “This is going to be a work in and dining.
Council to revisit mask ordinance
progress,” Coccoma said. “We’re going to probably impliment things now, then as we see how it works out, you may end up saying, ‘we need to change that.’” A county manager, executive Dave Bliss or administrator had been proposed to Otsego County by individuals and good government groups for more than three decades.
The county’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee studied the prospect for two years, finally drafting a proposal to create a day-to-day manager who answers to the board. The administrator position passed in a November 2019 local law, with only three representatives against the plan. Steven Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, Pat Cummings, NYSAC’s council, and Nick Mazza, who served as a county administrator for more than 20 years in Livingston County, gave their insights and took questions from the legislators.
Acquario said the county administrator position has had staying power in counties that have adopted it. “It’s probably about 95%,” he said. “So it works. It’s good and it is quite helpful.” Cummings, who worked in Schenectady Couty when it switched to a county administrator, said the board will delegate some authority, and in return, will gain a lot more time to focus on big-picture matters. “This is the benefit of a county administrator,” he said. “They are there every day, and you are delegating See OTSEGO, Page A3
Kick ball battle
The Oneonta legislative council discussed the city’s mask ordinance Monday, May 10, and the matter is expected to be brought up at the next Common Council meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 18. Questions with the ordinance included whether to have different criteria depending on whether an individual was vaccinated.
Garden Club to hold sale The Oneonta Federated Garden Club will be holding their Spring plant sale 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday May, 29 at Huntington Park. Korey Rowe/The Freeman’s Journal
INSIDE ►No hitters: Unatego’s Couperthwait shuts down UV/GMU; Cooperstown staff blanks Herkimer. Page B3. ►SOFTBALL SHOWDOWN: Hawkeye bats top Oneonta pitching. Page B3. ►BUDGET VOTES: School systems to hold elections Tuesday, May 18. Page A6. ►ROBBERS SENTENCED: Two men are sentenced to prison for their series of robberies in and around Oneonta last year. Page A6.
Yuliah Johnson, a senior at Oneonta High School, drives a kick ball during a game with her classmates on the turf Friday, May 7.
Tourism promoter: Focus different for 2021 By GREG KLEIN
Otsego County’s tourism efforts are being refocused on outdoor activities, fall weddings and vaccinated out-of-state residents, according to a presentation given to the Otsego County Board of Representatives at its May meeting. Cassandra Harrington, executive director of Destination Marketing Corporation, said her three-staff Follow Breaking News On member nonprofit is making every to lure tourism dollars into the OTSEGO.com effort region this year and beyond. Harrington addressed the Repre►Return Performance: sentatives at their meeting, which Jeff Idelson will return to the Nawas held via Zoom, because of the tional Baseball Hall of Fame and coronavirus pandemic, on WednesMusuem as interim president. day, May 5. ►COURT NEWS: Oneonta man She said the group is looking to sentenced to 180 days in jail increase late summer and fall tourfor possession of pornographic ism in an effort to boost 2021 bed material involving a minor. . tax money. ►61 and counting: Harrington said her group, which Otsego County announces was spun off from the county in another death from the corona2014 and added Schoharie County virus pandemic.
All
A screen capture from the Otsego County Board of Representative’s meeting Wednesday, May 5, shows a new website being designed by Destination Marketing Corporation for outdoor activities.
as a client two years ago, has shifted to a virtual campaign, allowing it to add several promotional categories and “pages” to its promotional materials. DMC is launching an outdoor activities website that culls informa-
tion and links to all the other county locations for hiking, boating, fishing, winter sports and more. Those sites include state parks, Otsego 2000’s Otsego Outdoors website, information about playgrounds, camp sites, hotels and more.
It will launch seasonal campaigns, too: around baseball for the summer, around the leaves and craft food and beverages in the fall, and around outdoor activities in the winter. Harrington said the area tourism businesses are still smarting from Dreams Park cancellations and some are closing up their accommodations for the year rather than adjusting to rentals of stays less than a week at a time. She said there are certain segments of the tourism economy that are doing better than others, including outdoor activities. She said fall weddings have been spiking as 15 months of pent-up demand overflows into the fall calendar. Harrington said her group has been continuing its efforts and ad buys despite knowing that its own budget will take a big hit when 2020 bed tax money – there was none, because of the pandemic – is figured into the three-year average that See TOURISM, Page A3
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD