Hometown Oneonta 09-16-21

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ISIon mS DIv e t S y S atIon Inform

AUTUMN Dreams

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Volume 13, No. 50

City of the Hills Block party to raise money for Wilber Mansion There will be a City of the Hills block party from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, to raise funds for the 2022 festival at Wilber Mansion. There will be live music, a beer garden and a silent auction.

Golf tournament to be held for Oneonta Theatre Oneonta County Club will host a golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 19, in order to benefit the Friends of the Oneonta Theatre. The tournament costs $75 a player and will include a BBQ, raffle and silent auction. Go to Friends of Oneonta Theatre on Facebook for more information. INSIDE

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Museum reinterpretation COVID causes The Farmers’ Museum to redo its classic fall event

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

Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, September 16, 2021

COMPLIMENTARY

Otsego County observes 9/11 anniversary By KEVIN LIMITI Across Otsego County, there were remembrances for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that rocked the world and changed the course of history. The First Presbyterian Church in Oneonta rang the church bell 20 times for each moment of the attack. It rang at 8:45 a.m. when the first plane hit the World Trade Center, 9:03 a.m. when the second plane hit, at 9:45 a.m. when the Pentagon was hit and at 10:10 a.m. when United 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. Motorcyclists from the American Legion Riders had a run in honor of the day. About 100 riders roared through the streets of Oneonta and were later in Milford, a line of motorcyclists stretching back across state Route 28. Milford held a parade where firefighters from the region drove past the Milford Fire Department in their fire trucks, throwing candy to the children as people cheered and waved American flags. Leading the parade were two navy veterans who stood atop a car while Taps played from the loudspeaker. Wilber Park in Milford was a scene of remembrance but also was doubly a fundraiser for cancer research. Otsego County Rep. Jennifer Mickle, R-Decatur, Maryland, Westford, Worcester, helped organize the event. The prominent message at the park and in all of the events was gratitude towards first responders, including firefighters, police, EMS workers and the military. Attending the event was Oneonta mayoral candidate Len Carson and other local leaders. Austin Partridge, a member of the Milford Board of Representatives,

►OPENING DAY: G-MU opens a school-based health clinic, dedicates it to former Sen. Jim Seward. Page A2. ►Hartwick farewell: President Margaret Drugovich will retire from Hartwick College in 2022. Page A3. ►Library helP: State funds for library construction, repairs to go to help in Hartwick, Richfield, Edmeston. Page A3. ►FiRST TIME: Franklin’s girls soccer team wins first Mayor’s Cup trophy in Stamford on Saturday. Page A7. ►THiS IS SPARTANS!: Sports columnist Nate Lull thinks the Unatego’s girls soccer team has what it takes to win titles this year. Page A7. ►Sorin STORIES: While Gretchen Sorin continues to get honors for her book and By KEVIN LIMITI documentary, “Driving While Black,” her son Gregory goes The extension of the eviction west to tell his own tales. moratorium in New York has drawn Page A10. criticism from local politicians,

Kevin Limiti/The Freeman’s Journal

Firefighters march past the Milford Fire Department on state Route 28 during a 9/11 anniversary memorial Saturday, Sept. 11.

spoke of enlisting in the Marine Corps and said he saw hope in the sacrifices made by those who had died in 9/11 and the war on terror. He ended with a rendition of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, a speech fitting the tone of the day with a reflection about the deaths of innocents, first responders and soldiers and the consecrated ground where they died. Former state Sen. James Seward, a Milford resident, spoke about how he was in lower Manhattan on 9/11 and witnessed first hand the terror and hope of being in such a

momentous event. “All hell broke loose,” Seward said. “I’ve never seen such fear.” Seward said if it weren’t for the actions of the police, firefighters and EMTs, the “casualties could have been ten times more.” “They truly are heroes, our police, our firefighters and all our first responders,” Seward said. “We owe them a great deal of gratitude.” Seward switched gears to talk about his experience with having cancer twice, as well as COVID, and surviving both. “I’m happy to report to you that

I’m cancer-free,” Seward said. “I have survived two life-threatening diseases.” Seward spoke of how New Yorkers banded together during 9/11 to help each other. “They are all heroes. You are all heroes,” Seward said. “This is truly a day to celebrate heroes and I’m glad we’re doing this.” Assemblyman John Salka, RBrookfield, gave an impassioned speech about the loss of his daughter to brain cancer as well as the importance of remembering 9/11. See MEMORIAL, Page A3

Eviction moratorium extension draws opposition

who see it as being unfair to landlords, while others say renters and landlords need to take advantage of OTSEGO.com state assistance in order to mitigate a potential housing crisis. The eviction moratorium was ►JUDGE’s ORDERS: The state vaccine mandate for medical extended to Jan. 15, 2022, which workers is on hold following a Gov. Kathy Hochul said was to judge’s stay, pending a hearing. “alleviate the crisis facing vulner►Sports UPDATES: With high able New Yorkers who are suffering school sports starting, get the through no fault of their own.” latest scores online. Hochul urged renters in need to ►FLOOD RELIEF: Residents, seek out help from the Emergency businesses can apply for loans Rental Assistance Program. to help with damage from July ERAP was meant to assist renters flood in the Butternut Valley. during the coronavirus crisis who are ►COVID UPDATES: Otsego below 80% median income, received County continues to rise in unemployment benefits or a reduced coronavirus cases. Follow Breaking News On

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income after March 13, 2020, as a result of the pandemic shutdown and have outstanding rent due or are at risk of homelessness or housing insecurity. However, ERAP has been slow to disperse funds and has been the subject of criticism by republicans representing Otsego County in the Assembly. “We did a terrible job getting this out to help tenants and landlords,” Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford, said during a phone interview about the subject. Miller said he was “getting calls constantly” from landlords who are struggling. “They have taxes due, they have mortgages,” Miller said, emphasizing they weren’t big landlords. “These people buy their property for vacation rentals. “

According to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, there are 155 applications in Otsego County for ERAP as of July, which is less than 1% of the state total of 168,321. Miller said the relief money was given from federal dollars, “when COVID was in full swing.” “The rationale for the moratorium was people were out of work,” Miller said. “Now there’s really more jobs. There are jobs everywhere. Why aren’t the renters working to pay their rent when there are jobs available? Employees are crying for people to work.” Miller maintains not enough was done for the landlords and said the process has to be initiated by the renters. He said he wasn’t opposed to voting for an extension again if it included protections for landlords.

“We have to do a much better job,” Miller said. “There have to be provisions in the law that allows evictions.” Audrey Benkenstein, housing and community development director at Opportunities for Otsego, said the eviction moratorium was extended in order to give more time for renters and landlords to reach out for assistance. She said funds are available but have been slow to disperse. “There have been issues with the rollout (of ERAP),” Benkenstein said. “There’s still a billion dollars of rent relief. We are trying to make people understand that tenants and landlords can apply for funds.” Benkenstein emphasized that landlords can take advantage of funds from ERAP and that some of her See EVICTION, 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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