THE ‘OTHER’
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Volume 207, No. 38
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Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, September 24, 2015
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
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ADVOCATE RIPS LAND TRUST
Brookwood Park Back To Square 1 Cheryl Clough photo
Cooperstown’s Justin Wolfe pursues Oneonta Blue’s T.J. O’Connor in a Junior Division game Sunday, Sept. 20, at Oneonta’s Sixth Ward Field. This was the second weekend of the Greater Oneonta Youth Football Association season.
County Loses 300 Jobs From August-August
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tsego County lost 300 jobs between August 2014 and August 2015, according to the state Department of Labor just-released monthly report. Last August, the county had 27,300 jobs; this August, it had dropped to 27,000 even. No other particulars were broken out for Otsego County. New York City saw the largest increase, 2.3 percent, from 4,098,000 to 4,192,000. Overall, Upstate employment was down. BYE, BYE KV LINES:
The state Public Service Commission’s trial staff has recommended eliminating the Edic-to-Fraser 765 Kv line that would parallel the existing one through western Otsego County. The PSC must now act on the recommendation. OCCA HONOREES: The
OCCA will honor 15-year board member Martha Clarvoe and Five Star Subaru proprietor Ben Guenther at its annual meeting in midNovember.
GOP Backs O’Brien Vs. Incumbent Democrats For Sharratt For Top Hartwick Post HARTWICK
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Former Brookwood caretaker Pat Thorpe expressed disappointment at the Otsego Land Trust, fearing it is using the sale of 11 acres as a “cash cow for their other purposes, however worthy.” The trust denied that’s the case.
artwick Fire Chief Bob O’Brien has the Republican endorsement to run for Hartwick town supervisor in the Nov. 3 general election. Town Board member Juli Sharratt has the Democratic nod. But two-term incumbent David Butler could still appear on the ballot – if the Conservative Party chooses him; a decision is required by Friday, Sept. 25. The Tuesday, Sept. 22, decisions by the Republican Town Committee for O’Brien and the Democratic County Committee for Sharratt were the latest turn in a series Please See PRIMARY, A3
Book Reflects Lifelong Love Of Hops Plant Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
By JIM KEVLIN FLY CREEK
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or Otsego Councilman Sandler’s full statement on Brookwood, got to WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
ith the month-end A written statement by Coundeadline looming for cilman Bennett Sandler, endorsed the Otsego Land Trust’s by the board, didn’t discount a RFP for 22-acre Brookwood town park completely, but called Gardens, both versions of plans the Land Trust “the most qualito create a public park on Otsego Supervisor Geddes-Atwell fied and capable organization to listens as Councilman Sandler Lake’s shores are now off the reads statement into the record. steward Brookwood Point into table. the future.” Despite an alarm raised by If the burden of Brookwood became too “onerformer Brookwood caretaker Patricia Thorpe, the ous” for the Land Trust, the town would “carefully Otsego Town Board Monday, Sept. 21, followed the explore” a collaboration, the statement said. suit of the Village of Cooperstown trustee in rejectIn comments before the vote – unanimous, exing the park idea. Please See BROOKWOOD, A6
By JIM KEVLIN MILFORD
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n 1966, Al Bullard, freshly arrived at the Cooperstown Graduate ProThe Freeman’s Journal gram, had never Al Bullard and his seen a hop, or hops plant. a hops-related structure, or any associated tools of the beer-making trade in his native southern Pennsylvania, territory he had traversed with his antiques-seeking dad. Please See HOPS BOOK, A7
Mother, Daughter Struggling ‘Out Of Darkness’ Mayor Miller’s Family Finds Allies In Record Suicide Walk the Darkness Walk” in Oneonta’s Sixth Ward no doubt have asked the same question of themselves. ONEONTA “They are not alone,” said the mayor’s daughter Fable Booker, ndi Miller asks the queswho walked alongside her mothtions many of Mayor Dick er as the solemn marchers circled Miller’s friends do: “How from the Moose Lodge at 87 did I miss the signs? How did I not Mayor Miller West Broadway, up Duane Street, know?” east on River Street to Wilcox, Most if not all of the more than 200 then back to the lodge’s picnic grounds. people in the Saturday, Sept. 19, “Out of Please See SURVIVORS, A7 By JIM KEVLIN
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Daughter Fable comforts her mother, former Mayor Miller’s wife Andi, after the “Out of the Darkness” Walk. Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD