BEAMS FROM SIDNEY STAPLE IN WATER PARKS/SEE B1
HOMETOWN ONEONTA E!
E FR Volume 8, No. 6
City of The Hills
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, November 13, 2015
Complimentary
AllOTSEGO.com Nader, Nicosia Favor Residency Requirement TIE-BREAKING OSTERHOUDT-BACK WARD 4 VOTE DUE. FOLLOW STORY ON www.
Former mayor John Nader presides over ad hoc committee on charter revision. Others, from left, are Council members Melissa Nicosia, Russ Southard and Maureen Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA Hennessy.
Southard Backs Waiver As City Charter Panel Convenes By LIBBY CUDMORE
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hairman John Nader began the first meeting of Mayor Herzig’s ad hoc committee to review the city charter by going through the Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Oscar (Leo Frascatore) tries to loosen up Felix (Joe Casassa) in OHS’ Blue & Gold Guild production of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” which runs Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 12-15, at Belden Auditorium/DETAILS ON B1
Council Closes ’16 Budget Gap
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ommon Council Monday, Nov. 9, approved a tentative 2016 budget of $15,026,050, a 2 percent or $308,540 increase over the current year. That includes $395,000 from a special reserve fund that will be used to buy two ambulances. It also assumed the Town of Oneonta will agree to a $1.2 million fire-protection contract. The town now pays $900,000. STAMMEL IN: Democrat Andrew Stammel’s election over Republican Janet Hurley Quackenbush in the District 4 county representative seat for the Town of Oneonta was affirmed when absentee ballots were counted Tuesday, Nov. 10. OFO GIVING TREE: Opportunities for Otsego is accepting handmade hats, scarves and mittens/gloves for adults and children, with distribution beginning Nov. 30 at its 3 West Broadway lobby. Info at 433-8055 or swest@ofoinc.org
document, page by page, to see what initial questions would emerge. At the section dealing with the city manager’s EDITORIAL: Finance director lacks qualifications to be city manager/A4
qualifications, however, the pages flipping slowed down. On requiring the city manager to live in the city, Common Council member Russ Southard, Sixth Ward, said, “It’s come up before Please See STUDY, A7
26 Layoffs At County 7 Parttimers, 19 Fulltimers To Lose Jobs
FOR HEROISM, GRATITUDE
Oneonta’s Three-D sisters, Delilah, Dahlia and Dannah Levinson, watch as the color guard, Gary Ballard (Navy), Bernie White (Air Force), Steve Fargo (Marines) and Jim Williams (Navy) march up Neahwa Park’s Veterans Memorial Walkway Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans’ Day commemorations. The rifle detail is Tony Moore, Wayne Gregory and Harry Martin, behind/MORE PHOTOS, A3
By DON MATHISEN
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he $9.2 million gap in Otsego County’s proposed 2016 budget is closed. It took the layoffs of 19 full-time and 7 part-time county employees, slashing some services and raising property taxes by about $100,000 total, the maximum allowed under the state property tax cap. The layoffs, Crowell agreed on Friday, Nov. 6, by the county board’s Budget Review Committee and county Treasurer Dan Crowell, followed six weeks of discussion. “I can’t remember a year where everyone loved everything that was in the budget,” said Crowell, who Please See LAYOFFS, A6
Alexandra Fassler On Brink Of Big Time
Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Salvation Army Marches
As Bell Ringing Starts, Veterans Share Stories
And when she arrived in New York City in 2009, she once again found herself the center hen she was 9, Alexanof a bridal campaign, this time dra Fassler performed in modeling for a billboard proBy LIBBY CUDMORE a bridal show run by her moting David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding” TV show on the SAVE THE DATE: Desti- mom, Oneonta House of Brides ittens and hand proprietor Paula Fassler. WE Network. “It was the first nation Oneonta is planning warmers are the “I loved doing it, and she told professional job I booked,” she networking between busiobvious choice to said. “I called my mom; we nesses at its annual meeting me that if I could commit to doing keep warm while you’re out it every year, she would write it couldn’t believe it!” Wednesday, Jan. 13. Alexandra Fassler into the show,” said Alexandra. Please See BIG TIME, A7 there ringing bells for the GRIFFEY ON LIST: The Hall of Fame ballot released this week included 15 new names, including Ken Griffey Jr.
By LIBBY CUDMORE
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Salvation Army Christmas kettle, but a trash bag? “You put a plastic bag over top of your clothes, then put a sweatshirt or a coat over Please See ARMY, A7
HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD