Hometown Oneonta 07-01-21

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Trail Art! Sculpture Trail to open Friday in Cherry Valley

AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE

Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, July 1, 2021

COMPLIMENTARY

AllOtsego people: Local radio legend announces retirement

OPD investigating graffiti at Neahwa Park

By PATRICK DEWEY

D’Imperio said the time around the station early on was enough to further his radio interest. Soon after, Hastings sold the broadcast company to Jan Laytham and paid opportunities for D’Imperio emerged. There was mutual respect between the two, and D’Imperio soon became the morning host on AM 730, WDOS. Laytham coined D’Imperio’s radio name “Big Chuck.” “When she made me Big Chuck, she gave me the chance of a lifetime,” D’Imperio said. D’Imperio and Laytham partnered with Eastern Travel to or-

ganize “Big Chuck’s Bus Trips.” Though unsure whether there would be interest, D’Imperio agreed to Laytham’s idea. The team would end up hosting 52 weekend bus trips for listeners. “We made so many great friendships and saw many great shows. Those trips were a highlight of my career,” D’Imperio said. For 20 years, D’Imperio was the host of “Thursday Night Jukebox,” a two-hour show on 103.9 WSRK featuring songs from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. D’Imperio said being a radio See BIG CHUCK, Page A3

After 32 years, local radio legend Chuck D’Imperio turned The Oneonta Police off the microphone on his Department is investigating WDOS morning show for the hateful graffiti in Neahwa last time Tuesday, June 29. Park that read “Black Lives The retiring radio host got Splatter” and “White Lives his start in 1988 at what was Matter.” then Hastings Broadcasting “It’s hateful, it’s sad and in Oneonta. The best offer it’s repulsive,” Mayor Gary owner Gordon Hastings had Herzig said. “We need to all for D’Imperio was an unpaid do what we can to express that Contributed position changing tape reels and we don’t tolerate that here. ‘Big Chuck’ D’Imperio, seen at a recent monitoring the station during That type of hateful graffiti is book signing, is retiring from local radio three-hour broadcasts for the not common in Oneonta. That after more than 50 years in the region. Boston Pops. said, no community is immune to it. There are hateful people in the world and we as a community need to do our part in communicating that we don’t tolerate that here.” By KEVIN LIMITI Herzig said he was assured by Acting Police Chief Chris ONEONTA — Oneonta High Witzenberg that the city would School celebrated its graduation “prosecute them to the greatest Saturday, June 26. extent that we can.” The ceremony was held on the Witzenberg said graffiti in football field adjacent to the school, general was common around where, in a common theme among this time of year, when schools graduates this year, speakers talked are being let out. “It’s certainly about struggling through COVID provocative and that was the and the extra challenges associated intent,” Witzenberg said. with the pandemic. The graffiti was not “No other generation has felt visible from the highway. It more trapped in our hometown than was painted over during the ours,” Aiden Mackey said, a graduweekend. ate tasked with giving the greeting. “I call upon all of you to forge your INSIDE own path and to tell your own story. ►NEw HAll LEADER: Josh Our expectations were set so low Rawitch to take over as Hall of this year that anything we got back Fame president in September. was an amazing experience.” Page A7. There were 121 graduating seniors ►CASE CLOSED?: Defense, in the class of 2021, many of whom prosecuting attorneys discuss won scholarships and awards. Dylan Robinson murder case In addition to congratulating the following the guilty verdict. graduates, Superintendent Thomas Page A12. Brindley thanked the parents and ►graduation 2021: More staff for enduring through the stories and photos from high coronavirus pandemic. Kevin Limiti/Hometown Oneonta school graduation weekend. “In some way, shape or form, Oneonta Valedictorian Maximillian Madej makes his graduation speech Saturday, June 26. PageS A8-9. you’ve all participated in school ►Post-Season Honors: this year, and for that I’m grateful,” now than ever before.” lenging for all of us,” Madej said. all be happier and more fulfilled. ” Stepp, Seamon among Brindley said. “Despite the craziValedictorian Maximillian Madej “A few years ago, I was given the “We, the class of 2021, have athletes given post-season ness of this school year, it seems gave a speech that encouraged his simple advice to do better. In some shown we are kind and hard workawards. Page A7. that these four years have passed by fellow graduates to do better. instances, I succeeded and in some ing and ready to move on and take really fast. This class was an incred“I know nobody wants to keep instances, I failed. But I’ve always on the challenges of tomorrow,” Follow Breaking News On ibly special group. This is more true hearing it but last year was chaltried my best. By doing better, we’ll Madej said.

OHS graduates celebrate overcoming adversity

AllOTSEGO.com

►NUMBERS DECLINING: Otsego County Department of Health releases good news about coronavirus numbers locally, statewide. ►Farmers’ Celebration: Local museum announces traditional Independence Day celebration will be held. ►MEAD LAWSUIT: Former Hall of Fame president sued by family of late Angels’ player. ►Open for Business: Caribbean food restaurant opens in Oneonta. ►Program Milestone: Springbrook holds ceremony for residents.

Cooperstown residents debate apartment complex About 30 speakers discuss pros, cons of Chestnut Crossing apartments in lengthy public hearing By GREG KLEIN COOPERSTOWN — More than 50 people packed the Cooperstown Central School cafeteria for a public hearing on the proposed Chestnut Crossing apartment complex at 10 Chestnut St. The Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees moved the meeting to the middle/high school because of the public hearing, the first official chance for residents to speak for or against the 13-unit apartment complex proposed by Josh Edmonds and Francesca Zambello for two pieces

of land they own on Chestnut Street and a third on Pine Boulevard. The overflow crowd did not disappoint, with about 30 people speaking on the issue and two more speaking about a proposed licensing law for village-owned Cooperstown icons. Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh lifted the typical one-hour limit length for public hearings, gave each speaker five minutes to speak on each issue, and even allowed a handful of people to speak a second time or ask limited questions. The public hearing portion of the meeting took

more than two hours and the meeting itself wrapped up after 11 p.m, but Tillapaugh said she expected as much. “It is important for everyone to have the opportunity to speak and be heard by all,” she said. “I expected it to be a large crowd and a late night.” The views on the project were clearly divided, with about 60% of the speakers in favor of the project, but nearly every single neighbor and Pine Boulevard resident against the density of the project, which they argue is too big for the lots, See PROJECT, 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


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Hometown Oneonta 07-01-21 by All Otsego - News of Oneonta, Cooperstown & Otsego County, NY - Issuu