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Wish Book 2016 Is for you!/INSIDE THIS EDITION Oneon ta A You Hrea NEW Ca ave a r O Choic Buyers, Sales nly 20 minut e! • e
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Volume 9, No. 8
City of The Hills
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch Complimentary
Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, November 25, 2016
Mall Banishes Grinch
Holiday spirits inspired Southside Mall manager Luisa Montanti to let retail staffers spend Thanksgiving with family.
Except Anchors, All Stores Closed On Thanksgiving By LIBBY CUDMORE
L
uisa Montanti, manager of the Southside Mall, wasn’t sure what to expect when she announced the mall will be closed on Thanksgiving.
Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
WHAT NOW?
Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Sharon Wheeler, Oneonta organizer of the Marine Corps League’s Toys for Tots program, puts together a collection box in Southside Mall. So far, 136 families have asked for help; last year that rose to 464. Drop off toys or call 427-6862 to donate.
“I saw that the Mall of America wasn’t going to be open on Thanksgiving,� she said. “And I thought, ‘If they can close, why can’t we take that stance?’� But within 24 hours, over 16,000 peoPlease See DAY OFF, A7
90 Grieving Progressives Meet, Chart Future By JIM KEVLIN
SIGN OF THE SEASON
COOPERSTOWN
B
County Plans Budget Airing Next Monday COOPERSTOWN
T
he public hearing on the proposed 2017 Otsego County budget will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, at the County Office Building. The hearing will follow a 3 p.m. work session by the full county Board of Representatives. The $1.6 million budget includes a $11.4 million local tax levy, up 0.4 percent from this year. Taxes are expected to be stable. NEXT, VISION: The city’s
“Authentic Oneonta� Downtown Revitalization Initiative will approve a vision statement at its next meeting, 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Foothills. Public welcome. LIBRARY UPGRADE;
Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the Huntington Library’s Overlook Room will be closed for renovations, including flooring and new furniture, as of Monday, Nov. 28. AVIATION’S IMPACT:
The deadline for the GOHS’ Sally Mullen Essay Competition for middle and high school students has been extended to Dec. 9. This year’s topic: “Aviation in Oneonta and Otsego County.� Details, e-mail Larry Guzy at guzylt@gmail.com.
Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
The high point of Oneonta’s Santa Parade Saturday, Nov. 19, was – what else? – the arrival of St. Nick himself on, not a sleigh, but a wagon drawn by Upstate percherons driven by Seth Finch of Fleischmanns/MORE PHOTOS, A3
Hartwick Renovations Awaken Memories Of Departed Mayor By LIBBY CUDMORE
W
hen Vinne Avanzato, co-owner of Stella Luna Ristorante, was recovering from his car accident, former Mayor Dick Miller made sure he
ack from three days campaigning for Hillary Clinton in Florida, a distressed Melinda Hardin, the Democratic activist, began inviting local “progressives� she knows from here, Oneonta and beyond, to a campaign post mortem at her Main Street home. “The rule is, if you get Deb Marcus 30 percent of the people you’ve invited you’re doing well,� said Hardin. “That’s not what happened.� As more and more people said yes – 20, and 40, and 50 – and many of those asked to invite friends, she realized her and husband Lou Allstadt’s home couldn’t accommodate the crowd. “When it got as big as it got,� Hardin said, “I got worried.� Scouting around, she was able to line up the First Please See STRATEGY, A3
‘NY Gives Day’ To Assist Needy Non-Profits Here
didn’t miss out on his beloved Hartwick College games. “He took me in my wheelchair to basketball games,� he said. “Afterwards, he’d take me to dinner at my own restaurant. He was real. I still miss the hell out of Please See MILLER, A7
By LIBBY CUDMORE
S
helter pets, theater, Oneonta history and a Christmas party for kids with a parent in prison.
Move over, Black Friday – “NY Gives Day� on Tuesday, Nov. 29, is the new destination for holiday shoppers. “There are other days for Please See GIVING, A3
HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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