MEDALLION
STILL OUT THERE! •F
IA L
The Freeman’s Journal
Nick Sharratt, foreground, with pals Dan Ralston and Joaquim Landry, scrape ice at the Badger Park rink, expecting warm Tuesday, Jan. 26, followed by a freeze that evening, would create a mirror-like surface.
Trustees OK ‘Think Rink’ Volunteerism COOPERSTOWN
A
t the volunteers’ request, the Village Board has given permission for the Think Rink Advocates to man the skate shack, flood the rink and otherwise assist village employees at Badger Park. The trustees acted after Think Rink volunteers led by John Odell and Colette Tangel, spoke at Village Board Monday, Jan. 25. Permission to actually operate village snow-removal equipment was delayed so the matter could be checked with the vilage’s insurance carrier. FUTURE IS TODAY: Village offices now have the technology to accept water and sewer bill payments by phone or credit card. SAY THANKS: The nomination deadline for the Otsego County Office for the Aging annual recognition awards is Monday, Feb. 1. Nominees are volunteers 60 and over who have contributed to wellbeing of the senior community. For form, call 547-4232.
E WIL
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
DG
Volume 208, No. 4
NEW
1808 BY
VISIT THE
OUNDED
JU
R
IN
Cooperstown’s Newspaper
O M C O PE
YOU CAN WIN $500, SEE PAGE B3
For 208 Years
WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, January 28, 2016
Newsstand Price $1
NO STREETS ADDED THIS YEAR
Consultant Will Chart Paid Parking’s Future
Bassett, Otesaga, Even Garage May Be Among Issues
Long-time paid-parking foe Joan Clark told trustees Monday, Jan. 25, she had asked businesspeople to join her in expressing their disapproval, but they replied, “What’s the point?” Behind her are Cooperstown Chamber Executive Director Matt Hazzard and his assistant, Hannah Bergene.
By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN
I
nstead of adding Pay & Display machines to new streets this year, the Village Board Monday, Jan. 25, voted to extend the on-street paid parking season from Labor Day Weekend to TO REVIEW details of Columbus the Village of CooDay Weekperstown’s proposed end. parking study, see After link at running into www.AllOTSEGO.com opposition last year when trying to expand paid parking on residential streets beyond the business district, the trustees also voted to fund a $15,000-$20,000 study to help them decide what to do next. In an interview, Trustee Cindy Falk, who chairs the Streets Committee, said the goal is two-fold: “There are clearly two interrelated issues: One has to do with paid parking and revenue; the other seems to be that, it seems, we have a shortage of parking.” The trustees voted to issue an RFP (request for proposals) from parking consultants. A “pre-bid meeting” is planned Feb. 22 at Village Hall to clarify any questions about what’s Please See STUDY, A3
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
Chamber Survey Fails To Convince By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN
C
ooperstown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Matt Hazzard went before the Village Board Monday, Jan. 5, with survey results show-
ing 68 percent of respondents believe extending paid parking to Columbus Day would damage their businesses. But by the time the trustees were through they not only had picked apart Hazzard’s data, but pointedly told him that businesspeople are only one of their constituencies, and, in itself, not one
Democrats Nominate Mayor, Trustees Katz, Maxson, Sternberg Running
that’s dependably pro-business. After soliciting trustees’ views one by one on expanding the paid-parking season, Mayor Jeff Katz spoke last, and pointed out that the downtown hotel proposed last summer would have brought customers downtown, “but every business that spoke was opposed Please See SURVEY, A3
Public Outcry Preserves 76 Fair St. From Razing By LIBBY CUDMORE
COOPERSTOWN
S
aying the Village of Cooperstown “is much different than it was four years ago,” Mayor Jeff Katz accepted the Democratic nomination for a third term at the party’s official caucus Tuesday, Jan. 26, in the Village Hall meeting room. Since the Republicans missed the caucus Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal filing deadline, Katz will run unopposed, as Trustee candidates Sternberg and will incumbent Trustees Bruce Maxson and Maxson and Mayor Katz fill out Please See ELECTIONS, A3 forms making candidacies official.
COOPERSTOWN
C
iting public outcry against the destrucThe Freeman’s Journal tion of one of the appears the razing of oldest houses on Fair Street, It 76 Fair St. is off. Teresa Drerup, Altonview of the village’s Historic Architects, Tuesday, Jan. 26, withdrew the demolition Preservation & ArchitecPlease See RAZING, A3 application from the agenda
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD We are your Brighton Headquarters!
and for him…
w/$100 same day Brighton purchase
for her…
25% OFF
all Pendleton shirts
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Fine Crafts Leather Jewelry Games 88 Main St, Cooperstown • 607-547-4403 • riverwoodgift.com Sun-Thurs 9:30 am to 7 pm • Fri & Sat 9 am to 9 pm