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& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch Complimentary
Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, October 5, 2012
Volume 5, No. 3
SIMONSON CHOSEN OHS ALUMNI OF YEAR
City of The Hills
M ark Simonson, city historian since 1998 and a longtime stalwart
2012 SMALL BUSINESS & BREAKTHROUGH AWARD WINNERS
in the OHS Alumni Association, will be honored by the association as Alumnus Of The Year at the annual reunion Friday-Sunday, Oct. 12-14.
40-Year Tradition Alive At Benson 2 Partners Seek To Extend Tradition Of Oneonta’s Oldest Realty Agency
‘ALTERNATE M’
Pipeline On I-88 Backed
By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Oneonta artist Bunny Joseph surveys the offerings of the 2012 Central New York Watercolor Society Annual Juried Show, “Those Who Can!” – works by Otsego County teachers. In the back are her two offerings, “Study In Blue” and “Red Pillows.”/MORE PHOTOS, A3
Knicks’ Star Helps Open Local Dick’s
T
he Dick’s Sporting Goods will cut the ribbon on its Southside Mall store at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Town Supervisor Bob Wood will help cut the ribbon. Noon-2 p.m. SunStarks day, Oct. 5, former New York Knicks player John Starks will make an in-store appearance. There will also be extended hours throughout the weekend. STEMMING STEROIDS:
Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg will be at Oneonta High School 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, to brief students on the Hall’s new anti-steroids BASE (Be A Superior Example) program. The day before, he will announced a anti-steroids registry. MEL FOR TANYA: Due to illness, Tanya Tucker has rescheduled her December concert at Foothills to next Aug. 17. C&W great Mel Tillis has stepped in, and will perform Dec. 21 in the local venue Check www.foothillspac.org for details.
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very so often, Becky Thomas and Betsy Shultis will get someone coming into the Benson Agency with a different idea about the meaning of real estate. “This building was a fraIF YOU GO: To register for the ban- ternity in the early ‘70s,” said quet, call 432-4500 Becky. “I have a picture of them all in their short shorts on or e-mail shelly@ otsegocountycham- the roof.” “There were 35 guys living ber.com here,” Betsy added. “I once took a guy up to the third floor because he was convinced that his class ring was still on the ledge.” The building used to also be a rectory when St. Mary’s Catholic Church was across the street (where the Hess Station is now) and occasionally, couples who got married there will stop by for a tour. Betsy, who joined the agency in 1986, and Becky, who joined in 1994, bought the Benson Agency from Rosalee Benson in 2001. “We wanted to keep the good reputation Rosalee built – and take it further,” said Please See BENSON, A7
DETAILS,b1
Constitution Potential Bonanza, Ayes Argue By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Becky Thomas, left, and Betsy Shultis’ Benson Agency is lodged in one of Oneonta’s landmark mansions, on Grand Avenue.
Green Earth’s Become Horn Of Plenty Under Dean, Emily Roberts, Store Evolved Into Community Center By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
W
hen Dean and Emily Roberts bought the Green Earth in 2008, their now-renown produce section was a little lacking. “It was a hard table with a bunch of bananas,” said Emily. “It was the sorriest looking thing – we have pictures, we laugh about it now.” The progress made since then is now being recognized: The Green Earth will received the 2012 Otsego County Chamber/ Excellus Breakthrough Award Thursday, Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA Oct. 11, at the chamber’s annual Small Dean and Emily Roberts, assisted by their son Business Banquet at The Otesaga. Michael Shaughnessy, have greatly expanded the Please See ROBERTS, A7 Green Earth’s offerings since 2008.
PAST CHAMBER/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS HONOREES
Gruver Zweifel & Scott, LLP (2011) • Hometown Oneonta/The Freeman’s Journal (2010) • James Jordan Associates, Architects (2009) • The Shipping Room (2008) • ISD (2007) • Eastman Associates (2006) H.W. Naylor Co. (2005) • Gordon B. Roberts Agency (2004) • Cooperstown Bat Co. (2003) Ultimate Broadcasting (2002) • Sport Tech (2001) • Fly Creek Cider Mill (2000)
PAST CHAMBER/Excellus BREAKTHROUGH AWARD HONOREES
Cleinman Performance Partners (2011) • Green Toad Bookstore (2010) • Ioxus (2009) • Cooperstown Cookie Co. (2008) • GrafiQa Creative Services (now Vibrant Creative) (2007) • T.S. Pink Corp. (2006)
A
s this newspaper went to press Tuesday evening, Oct. 2, it appeared a sizeable majority of the Otsego County Board of Representatives would support a resolution endorsing “Alternate M,” the TALLY ON Constitution Pipeline CONSTITUTION route along I-88. PIPELINE However, county AYES Rep. John Kosmer, Clark D-Otego, said he Frazier expected “10 to 600” McCarty Koren pipeline opponents to attend the county Lindberg Powers board’s monthly Rowinski meeting on Oct. 3, when the resolution Schwerd was due to be acted Stuligross NAYS on. The impact of Kosmer such input, if it materialized, could not be Murphy Rosenthal predicted. Rothenberger Questioned over UNDECIDED the past few days, nine of the 14 county Koutnik reps said they supDETAILS of port the pro-AlterWednesday, nate-M resolution, Oct. 3, board which was drafted at meeting, althe request of Linda lotsego.com Rowinski, D-Oneonta, with the support of the board chair, Kathy Clark, R-Otego. However, Pauline Koren, R-Milford, who said she supports the resolution – “economically, we need to do something for the county” – was Please See PIPELINE, A6
HOMETOWN ONEONTA, THE LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER IN OTSEGO COUNTY, 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD SATURDAY – SUNDAY, OCT. 6 – 7, 10 AM – 5 PM w Tractors • Classic & Ne r Pulls • Kiddie Tracto Both Days! • Barbecue – hibit • Farm Toy Ex ore! • And Much M
Visit FarmersMuseum.org for information and full schedule.
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$12 Adults, $10.50 Seniors, $6 Juniors, Children 6 & under and NYSHA Members are FREE.