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ONEONTA
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
t. 24 Friday Sep .com onta e n o x d e t Volume 13, No. 51
City of the Hills City, town confirm Complete Streets committment After receiving a letter from Town Supervisor Robert Wood last week, reconfirming the town’s interest in working with the city on a street project involving State routes 23 and 28, as well as the James F. Lettis and Leslie G. Foster highways, Oneonta’s Common Council was expected to approve a grant application to the state DOT during the city’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 21. The project is projected to cost about $8.4 million, with $3.4 million coming from a local match and the rest from the state grant as part of its Transportation Alternatives Program. The city will pay for $2.3 million as part of the match, with the town funding the other $1.1 million. The meeting took place after deadline Tuesday. Go to AllOtsego.com for more information. INSIDE ►TED TALKS: TedxOneonta returns after a one-year hiatus. Page A3. ►CANO FUNDRAISER: City of the Hills preparation has begun for 2022. Page A3. ►Chic Walshe: Milford girls, Cooperstown boys win opening-round games, will face South Kortright teams in finals on Saturday in Davenport. Page A7. ►A FISHING TALE: Coop native pursues dream of being a professional bass fisherman. Page A7. ►a HEART FOR HArtwick: Retiring President Margaret Drugovich said she will miss the Oneonta community. Page A9. ►PARTY PLANNING: Destination Oneonta announces big October plans. Page A11. ►GReat GROFF: Author Lauren Groff’s new book looks at Marie de France. Page A12. Follow Breaking News On
AllOTSEGO.com ►RABID ANIMAL: The Otsego County Department of Health reported a bat found in the Cooperstown area tested positive for rabies last week. ►Sports UPDATES: With high school sports going on, get the latest scores online. ►COVID UPDATES: Coronavirus cases continue to rise in Otsego County.
AUTUMN Dreams VISIT www.
What’s in your garage? At one Middlefield home, it is contemporary art for sale
AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, September 23, 2021
COMPLIMENTARY
Healthcare groups take different vax views Despite court stay, Bassett to require employees to comply; Cooperstown Center asks state to reconsider By KEVIN LIMITI Healthcare groups in Otsego County are dealing with the state’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers and the need to keep their facilities staffed. Bassett Healthcare Network, one of the largest employers in the area, is determined to vaccinate its entire workforce in spite of backlash and the potential loss of employees.
Bassett has made some progress on the vaccine front. According to an internal email penned by Bassett Healthcare CEO Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, vaccinations of its employees are at 90%. About two weeks ago, the vaccination rate was only 75%, according to Bassett officials. Ibrahim said these numbers were increasing daily. “Specifically, I want to say thank you to the many, many of you
who have chosen to receive their COVID-19 vaccine,” Ibrahim wrote. “Whether you were among the first to get vaccinated in December, you just recently received your vaccine, or fall somewhere in between, I am so grateful for the choice that you made, and I know that our patients are as well.” The decision for Bassett workers to be vaccinated came as a response to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mandate
that all healthcare workers should have the vaccine, whether or not the employee has cause for a religious exemption. Bassett Healthcare Network has given a Monday, Sept. 27, deadline for employees to get at least one dose of the vaccine. Workers who don’t get the vaccine won’t be fired, however they won’t be allowed to work either. See VACCINE, Page A2
Protesters decry mandates in Cooperstown, Oneonta By KEVIN LIMITI Anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters staged two rallies in Otsego County in the past week, bringing their message to Bassett Healthcare and others. Hundreds of protesters, along with Assemblyman John Salka, RBrookfield, marched to A.O. Fox Hospital and through Main Street in Oneonta on Friday, Sept. 17. Protesters also marched Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Cooperstown, from the Otsego County Courthouse to Bassett Medical Center. The protesters chanted slogans such as “stop the mandate” as they walked through downtown Oneonta towards the hospital. There were signs that said “unmask our children” and “protect our liberties.” The vaccine mandate from Bassett Healthcare Network was in response to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mandate that all healthcare workers should be vaccinated. Prior to the march, the Oneonta protesters rallied at Damaschke Field. “I’m here to support the medical professionals and support their right to not have an injection they’re not confident in,” Salka said. “Last year they were heroes, this year they’re zeroes.” In a speech prior to the March, Salka said healthcare workers were “being treated like garbage” and “second class citizens.” He also derided medical advisor Anthony Fauci for “lying” about masks. Salka was possibly referring to when in the beginning of the pandemic, Fauci said people didn’t need to wear masks. “I’m proud to walk with you up to Fox Hospital,” Salka said. “I want to thank everyone for being here today.” Bernard Holoquist, who works at Bassett Medical Center as an anesthesia tech, said he was “praying I keep my job,” because of the vaccine mandate. The deadline for healthcare workers at Bassett to get the first shot
Kevin Limiti/The Freeman’s Journal
An unidentified protester demonstrates against vaccination mandates at Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown on Tuesday, Sept. 21.
of the vaccine is Sunday, Sept. 27. “Eighteen months I was good enough for them,” Holoquist said. Holoquist gave a speech where he said he believed his freedom was being taken from him. “I believe our liberty is gone or it’s going to get even worse,” Holoquist said, who said, “the goalposts keep moving” in regards to the COVID virus. “Wear a mask, we wore a mask. Take a shot, we take a shot.” Much of the rhetoric in the speeches was based on a reluctance to wear masks and get vaccines, and a general mistrust of the information being put out about the COVID response. “They don’t do masks in Florida. They don’t do masks in South Carolina,” Holoquist said. “Why do we do masks? You have to wake up.” However, Florida’s COVID rates
are among the worst in the nation during the Delta variant, with a positivity rate of above 11% last week, according to the Florida Department of Health. The New York Times reported last week that about 450 people a day are currently dying of COVID in Florida, compared with 33 per day in New York. Holoquist said that he lived a life like he didn’t care if he died. “Why are you worried about the shot if you can give it and get it?” Holoquist said. Gina Madeiros, who also works at Bassett Hospital as a supervisor, said she was there because of “medical freedom and choice.” Madeiros emphasized she wasn’t anti-vaccine but she had the virus previously and believed her antibodies were enough. “You don’t get the flu shot when you’ve had the flu,” Madeiros said. “I watched patients die because they
didn’t take medical advice and that’s their right. I should have that right also. I have until Sunday. ... I’ve been poor my whole life. I finally got a career and now I have to choose. That’s not fair.” According to the CDC, reinfections with COVID are rare but do occur. However, there is not much data, yet, on how common reinfections are, how severe they are, or whether an individual is able to spread the virus if re-infected. Also unknown is how the Delta variant, which is more contagious, and other future variants, will factor in to reinfections. As the group marched through downtown Oneonta to Fox Hospital and back to Damasckhe Field, there were many vocal supporters near by who honked their horns or showed support. Not everyone was supportive See PROTESTS, Page A2
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD