STILL ORIGINAL AFTER
30 Years
GRANDMOM DANCED IN ORIGINAL ‘NUTCRACKER’/B1
HOMETOWN ONEONTA E!
E FR Volume 10, No. 09
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch Complimentary
Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, December 8, 2017
ENTREPRENEUR TRANSFORMED ONEONTA
City of The Hills Hartwick’s President
To Emcee Session On County Management
H
artwick College President Margaret L. Drugovich has agreed to emcee “County Manager vs. County Executive,” where local governance expert Dr. Gerald Benjamin will detail management options available to Otsego County. The session will be at 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at Springbrook’s new Family Engagement Please See DRUGOVICH, A6
Bettiol, Legacy Praised By JIM KEVLIN ONEONTA
J
aci Bettiol woke up at 3 the other morning and wrote down this sentence, encapsulating her view of her dad, Eugene A.
Gene Bettiol
Bettiol Sr., who passed away Saturday, Dec. 2, at Albany Medical Center: “He lived as if he was going to live forever; going full force each day without slowing down. No one could convince him to stop and smell the roses. There were simply too many opportunities awaiting his vision. And there is something inspirational Please See BETTIOL, A7
COMMON COUNCIL UNANIMOUS Parker Fish/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
In City Parks
Former Oneonta Mayor Kim Muller accepts the chairmanship of the Otsego County Democratic Committee at a Thursday, Nov. 30, meeting at Cooperstown Village Hall. She succeeds Richard Abbate, Cooperstown.
SUNY Student May Have Died From Drug Mix
THE
KIDS OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADE Kylin Daniels, 6, of Davenport prepares to lead the Santa Parade down Main Street, Oneonta, Saturday, Dec. 2.
ONEONTA
P
reliminary results have revealed that “multiple drugs,” including amphetamines and benzodiazepines, were found in Daniel W. Michaels’ system as city police investigate the death of the 18-year-old SUNY Oneonta student. On Saturday, Dec. 2, at 12:05 a.m., police received a call for assistance at an apartment at 34 Academy St. Before police could arrive, Michaels was driven to Fox Hospital,where he went into cardiac arrest and died. No foul play is suspected. For updates, go to
AllOTSEGO.com
www.
TREE LIGHTING: Oneonta’s Christmas Tree will be lit at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 in Muller Plaza, with music, sleigh rides and visits with Santa to follow.
Troy DeMulder, 3 months, was all smiles. At right Avienne Bergeron and other youngsters wait in anticipation/MORE PHOTOS, A3
Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
CATHOLIC BISHOP IN ONEONTA
378 Parishioners On Hand To Rededicated St. Mary’s
GIVE BLOOD: The American Red Cross is planned a blood drive 1 - 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, in the Foothills’ Atrium, sponsored by Hometown Oneonta. To make a reservation, call 1-800-733-2767 or go to redcrossblood.org
ONEONTA
KLUGO, PART III: Common Council Dec. 5 agreed to seek a $250,000 grant so Chip Klugo, redeveloper of Bresee’s and 1 Deitz, can begin work turning the former Stevens Hardware into apartments.
tanding in the newly renovated sanctuary of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the past few days, Father David Miskiewizc can admire
By LIBBY CUDMORE
S
something no priest or parishioner had seen before. Light. “There was frosted glass covering the stained glass,” he said. “We replaced it with clear glass and cleaned the windows, and when the sun comes pouring in, it throws all these colors all Please See CHURCH, A8
No Smoking, No Chewing, No ‘Vaping’ By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
I
n an effort to curb litter and improve the overall health of the community, Common Council Tuesday, Dec. 5, banned all tobacco use – smoking, chewing and vaping – from public parks, including Muller Plaza. “Getting rid of second-hand smoke creates a healthier environment and reduces litter,” said Mayor Gary Herzig. “But it also communicates role-modeling to our young people, and that’s good for all of us.” “A lot of communities are doing this,” said Please See BAN, A7
Danny Lapin Worked, And It Happened By JIM KEVLIN ONEONTA
D
anny Lapin sees global warming as a threat, DANNY for sure, but also as LAPIN an economic-development op- District 13 portunity. “Global warming is something we can turn in our favor,” said the newly elected member Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA of the Otsego County Board of RepresentaDanny Lapin at his soon-to-be tives for District 13, Wards 5-6 in the City of natural habitat: The Otsego County Please See LAPIN, A5 government complex.
HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD