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VISIT www.AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 212, No. 15
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, April 9, 2020
Streck Says Downstate Ventilator Grab Stalls By ELIZABETH COOPER
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ational Guard troops will not be taking ventilators from upstate hospitals for use in downstate hospitals hit hard by the coronavirus. In an executive order signed Tuesday, April 7, Gov. Andrew Cuomo back“Someone needs to practice social distancing,” read the caption on Abby Rodd’s Facebook page after Blue’s encounter with a porcupine.
Cooperstown Man’s Father Dies Of C-19 COOPERSTOWN
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rank E. Marra, 101, succumbed to complications of COVID-19 on April 5, 2020. The father of Cooperstown Distillery owner Gene Marra, he was born in New York City at the height of the deadly Spanish Influenza on Sept. 24, 1918. After World War II service in Europe, the elder Marra pursued a career in banking.
tracked on statements made Friday about issuing an executive order to requisition medical supplies, Bill Streck including 20 percent of unused ventilators, and havPlease See STRECK, A10
Newsstand Price $1
Seward Off Ventilator, On Road To Recovery
COUNTY MAY LOSE EQUIVALENT OF 2/3 OF $12M TAX LEVY
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tsego County government stands to lose “7, 8, 9 million dollars” in sales and bed tax revenues and state reimbursements due to the coronavirus lock-down, County Treasurer Allen Ruffle has advised the county board. Type “levy” and “crisis” in the search line on
AllOTSEGO.com
www.
MILFORD
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s with everything since the coronavirus arrived in Otsego County, things moved quickly. When the last edition of this newspaper went to press on Tuesday, March 31, the news was state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, and his wife, Cindy, had been
stricken with COVID-19. It was announced the day Please See SEWARD, A7
3 Healthcare Workers Ill They May Not Be Working At Bassett, Though
PROFILE FROM THE FRONT LINES: BRIAN POKORNY Brian Pokorny, in this photo from spring 2019, poses with his IT brain trust in the basement of 197 Main St., Cooperstown.
By ELIZABETH COOPER COOPERSTOWN
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MORE DETAILS, A9
SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON
ON
Cindy and Jim Seward
AllOTSEGO.com
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
In Crisis, IBM Spotlights IT Director
►3 coronavirus cases have surfaced in the City of Oneonta, Common Council “I got to thinking a bit,” said the was told. By JIM KEVLIN county’s IT director, Brian Pokorny. ►PUBLIC schools will be out “I knew we could put fiber optics in until at least Wednesday, April COOPERSTOWN for cheaper than that, and we would 29, Gov. Cuomo announced. have unlimited bandwidth.” ►HAND SANITIZER is being produced by state Senate few years ago, Otsego County Instead of stringing the wire, candidate Peter Oberacker’s government was planning a “Why can’t we bury it?” he asked lab, Form Tech Solutions, $1.2 million microwave loop Ron Tiderencel, the county highway in Schenevus. – down Route 28, up Route 33 – to superintendent at the time. ►ONEONTA MAYOR HERZIG, connect its Main Street headquarters And so it was. Tiderencel’s named Judy Pangman and with The Meadows and county jail. highway crew dug the ditch from Mark Drnek to chair an economic development task force. ►Fracking was banned statewide in the 2021 state budget. ►ESPN FEATURED All-Star Village owner Marty Patton in a story essential, like a felony arraignon Cooperstown tourism. By LIBBY CUDMORE ment, we’ve got Skype set ►A WOMAN WAS ARRESTED for up in the courtroom,” said allegedly spitting on Bassett COOPERSTOWN District Attorney John Muehl. Hospital employees.
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197 Main to The Meadows, laid a culvert, and a fiber optics company pulled the wire through. Stringing wire was going to cost $700,000; the culvert option ended up costing $30,000. “That project paid for itself in three years on just phone lines alone,” said Pokorny. So should it be any surprise that last week, when IBM announced Please See POKORNY, A6
hree of the 33 incounty people who tested positive in Otsego County are healthcare workers, county PubCOVID lic Health BY THE Director NUMBERS Heidi Bond announced Total Cases for the first 33 time in her Recovered Tuesday, 9 April 7, tally. However, Deaths where they 1 worked and As of 4/7/20 how they became infected with coronavirus is, for now, unknown. Bassett spokeswoman Karen Huxtable-Hooker would not confirm or deny that the individuals were Bassett employees. She cautioned against making that assumption. If the workers are not Bassett employees, they could work for a number of other entities within the Please See CASES, A10
At Courthouse, County’s Wheels Of Justice Grind – Virtually
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ven the courtroom has gone virtual in the age of COVID-19. “If the arraignment is
“An email gets sent around with the information, then the judge, myself and the lawyers can all be present, but nobody has to appear.”
Muehl
Burns
With all cases adjourned until May 15, no one’s appeared virtually yet, but the courts want to be ready. “Arraignments are necessary proceedings,” Muehl said. “For example, if we had a domestic violence case where an order of protection
had to be issued, we could arraign them.” And though a defendant is entitled to a felony hearing, time limits to do so have been suspended. But due to bail reform, Muehl said that he wasn’t seeing many Please See JUSTICE, A2
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
THURSDAY, aPRIL 9, 2020
A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Elm Park UnitEd mEthodist ChUrCh 401 Chestnut Street, Oneonta 607-432-6552
EastEr sUnday onlinE WorshiP
April 12, 10:30 a.m. Visit our website: elmparkumconeonta.org and click on “Find us on Facebook�
Court Suspended, Now Matters Conducted Over Skype JUSTICE/From A1 felony hearings - if an order of protection had to be issued, we could arraign them.� Other appearances have been adjourned, including the sentencing for Gabriel Truitt, found guilty in January of the 2018 arson and murder in death of John Heller, 36, the former Oneonta fireman. Truitt’s sentencing was scheduled for April 3, and although it has been rescheduled for May 8, Muehl has doubts. “I think everything will be adjourned again until June,� he said. Meanwhile, County Court
Judge Burns: Orders Of Protection Spiked ONEONTA
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or some, shelter-in-place isn’t a chance to catch up on reading or spend time with family. For some, it’s a prison. “Before this, we’d have three, maybe four calls a week about filing orders of protection,� said County Court Judge Brian Burns. “But now we’re getting them daily, sometimes multiple calls a day.� With people confined at home and many out of work, Burns said that some feel trapped in a dangerous situation. “Statistically, when there are these kinds of stressful situations, domestic violence increases,� he said. Judge Brian Burns has kept his docket full using teleconferencing. “This morning I had a call with my drug court coordinator and my chief clerk,� he said. “Three weeks ago I would have had no idea how to do that!� Essential matters, including
drug court, juvenile delinquency, neglect and placing a child in foster care are ongoing, though full hearings, including custody hearings, have been suspended. He sympathizes with those whose hearings have been delayed indefinitely.
First united Methodist Church 66 Chestnut street, Oneonta 607-432-4102
Christ ChurCh, EpisCopal 46 River Street, Cooperstown 607-547-9555 ¡ www.christchurchcooperstown.org The Rev’d Dane E. Boston, Rector
All Holy Week and Easter Services online Go to the Online Resources page at: www.christchurchcooperstown.org and visit our YouTube channel: Christ Church, Episcopal
A Reconciling Congregation Welcoming LGBTQIA Rev. Marti Swords-Horrell, Pastor
easter sunday april 12! CALL 607-432-4102 FOR INSTRUCTIONS
go to the scene and try to figure out the issue, but if we can just take it in the call that’s better.� When officers do deem it necessary go on a call, Brenner said, they don’t go into houses or buildings unless absolutely necessary. “When we get a dispatch from 911, they tell us if it’s a possible hot spot,� he said. “We have to be more situationally aware now.� Brenner also said that his officers are writing tickets “four to six weeks out,� to minimize the burden on the court system. The police are also tasked with breaking up large group gatherings. “It’s usually teens or college-age students in the park,� he said. “And they’re all cooperative, we just tell them they have to go.�
The “Red Door� Church (First United Presbyterian) Join us online or by phone!
For info to join us online, go to: XXX GBDFCPPL DPN 5IF3FE%PPS$IVSDI/ To call in, see numbers below service times
8:15 aM - liVe streaM On FaCeBOOK 10 aM - JOin us On ZOOM
“For litigants, it’s terrible,� he said. “But we’re using that time as best we can.� In Cooperstown, Muehl has been using the time to catch up on his own cases. “I’m in the office every day,� he said. “We’ve been working on streamlining things. When everything opens back up, we’ll be more efficient.� “We’re trying to make the best of a terrible situation,� said Burns. “But we’re preparing for however long it takes so that we can keep our branch of the government open.� And when calls come in, Police Chief Doug Brenner has changed the way his officers handle the calls in order to keep themselves and the public safe. “We’re handling a lot of complaints over the phone,� he said. “Before, we used to
Visit us online at www.firstumconeonta.org
.BVOEZ 5IVSTEBZ QN
1*/ &BTUFS 4VOEBZ 4FSWJDF BN
1*/ Church Office: 607-432-7520 5IF Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Walton-Leavitt ďż˝
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHuRCH 39 Walnut Street, Oneonta (Corner of Walnut and Elm streets) www.saintmarysoneonta.org ¡ 607-432-3920
Cooperstown Holy Week Ecumenical Online Services Maundy Thursday - 6 pm, April 9 - hosted by Fly Creek UMC Last Seven Words of Christ - Noon, April 10 - hosted by Christ Church, Episcopal
Holy Saturday, 7 pm, April 11 - hosted by First Baptist & First Presbyterian Ecumenical Easter Sunday Vigil, 9 am, April 12
We Are Open
for information, videos of sermons, services, articles, prayers and more, go to our website: www.SMCCOneonta.org
Links and more information on the churches Facebook pages and websites.
THE CHURCH IS OPEN DAILY: 8 am—4 pm THE FOOD PANTRY IS OPEN Monday, Wednesday & Friday 11 am—3 pm Please call for an appt. At 607.386.2623. THE PARISH OFFICE IS CLOSED but you can leave a message at 607.432.3920.
607-432-3920 Like us on facebook
Private Appo available in o intments or will bring ur showroom samples to yo business or h ouse. ur
Living with COVID-19
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THURSDAY, April 9, 2020
WALKIN’ OFF...
61 South
Main Str eet, One onta · 60 7-353-74 33
what’s fun
THE CORONAVIUS BLAHS
in Otsego County
BEST BETS
Owen Ellsworth and Gabrielle DeCepoli try to keep up with Gracie.
Joined by daughter Mariana, Veronica Pokorny is teaching Clark Sports Center classes over YouTube.
Clark, Y At Home Yoga For The Kids And Dance Parties
AllOTSEGO.life
Ian Austin/
For Sheltering Folks, Strolling A Growing, Safe, Healthy Habit
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By LIBBY CUDMORE
Judi and Jonathan Visnosky take Bailey and Molly out for some much-welcomed fresh air.
helter-in-place is no excuse to be a couch potato. “It feels good to get some exercise,” said Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig. “People are respecting the social distancing, but you can see people and wave hello across the street. And these days, seeing someone smile and wave means a lot!” Herzig, along with many others, have made getting outside every
day a priority under the COVID-19 quarantine. “Exercising is critical for physical and mental health,” said Val Paige, Clark Sports Center director. “I’ve seen a lot of people using our trails and our field to get some exercise in.” Paige recommends a half-hour walk, three times a week, as “a good starting point.” “As long as everyone is social distancing, you ought to be able to get some exercise,” she said. “Get the kids out there too!” It’s also a good way to pass the Please See WALKIN’, A8
SAMARITANS WORK ’ROUND CLOCK TO FILL NEED
Calls Of Desperation Spur Fast-Tracking Better Visor By LIBBY CUDMORE UTICA
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very day, Ivan Potocnik gets calls from people across the state, begging him for help. “The head of nursing
from a hospital on Long Island just broke down crying,” he said. “She was telling me that there’s just not enough personal protective equipment, and it’s contributing to the spread. I wish that was uncommon, but we hear it all the time. “She had heard that we were printing the medical
shields, and was begging me – this person she didn’t even know – for help getting some.” Potocnik, born in Oneonta, raised in Laurens and now lead programmer analyst at SUNY Polytechnic in Utica, has partnered with several Please See VISORS, A8
It’s a futuristic-looking visor, and Oneonta native Ivan Potocnik and three collaborators are giving them away to regional hospitals as fast as their 3D-printers can churn them out.
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f the weather is lousy or you just don’t feel like going outside, there are plenty of low-cost (or free!) online fitness classes, from Zumba and yoga to chair workouts and cardio, from kids to grandparents. • The Clark Sports Center offers Pound classes, chair and at-home workouts and even a series for kids on LIBBY their YouTube channel, CUDMORE all taught by your favorite instructors. www.youtube.com/user/ clarksgym/playlists • Zoe Curtis is offering her Fitness With Zoe Zumba and Pound classes over Zoom. Classes are by donation, RSVP on Facebook for class invite. www.facebook. com/FitnessWithZoeCurtis/ • Oneonta YMCA members can check out a variety of online classes, including Y 360, five-minute 12 Burst exercises and Silver Sneaker workouts for seniors. Check in with your Y membership for full access! www.oneontaymca.org/ • If your kids have been watching movies, obsessively, give them a break from the TV with yoga themed around “Frozen” “Trolls” “Harry Potter” and more from CosmicKids. www.youtube.com/user/ CosmicKidsYoga • Have a party and get fit! Plyojam is offering a 30-day free trial of all their dance-inspired workouts. www.plyojam. com/at-home-workout/ • Planet Fitness is offering a daily class, taught by fitness celebrities and personal trailers, all over Facebook Live. You don’t even need to be a member! 7 p.m. www.planetfitness.com • Barry’s trainers are also offering classes twice a day over Instagram. www.instagram.com/barrys
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL • HOMETOWN ONEONTA
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For 212 Years
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Perspectives
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL
EASTER SUNDAY ARRIVES IN TIME OF CHALLENGE
Resurrection Guides Pastors’ Reflections On Coronavirus Let Emergency’s Lessons Strengthen Our Humanity
dignity of humanity; another act of weaving can bind the spiritual wounds of humanity. When the coronavirus withdraws – and it will, when the mocking crown is removed from humanity and set aside, we will need the seamless garment to bind. How will this experience of the coronavirus change us? …change our relationships to one another? …our relationship with God? What are you going to weave? Father DAVID MICKIEWICZ Pastor St. Mary’s Church, Oneonta
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his disease has not been sent as a punishment from God. The sacred scriptures have shown us repeatedly that God, while not causing an event, can use an event to teach us, to bring us closer to God’s very self that we might experience God’s mercy and compassion. And might this lesson be found in a curious parallel Freeman’s Journal in Matthew’s Pas- Twelve years ago, worshippers gathered forThe traditional Fr. Mickiewicz sion? There are service on shores of Otsego Lake. Not amid COVID-19. two seemingly tunic woven in one piece by a those hardened, unsympathetic unconnected items that are in woman, Jesus’ mother perhaps? soldiers that even they knew some sense bound together. A But what did the seamless enough not to tear it into pieces? crown of thorns woven by garment instinctively speak to One act of weaving mocked the Roman soldiers and a seamless LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Resurrection Means Hope, A Way To Face Challenges
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ust a small virus changes life, leaving joblessness, overwork, distant relation-
ships, and depression in its wake. The Bible is an account of God’s rescue operation that ended in failure of Jesus’ death. But then God pulls off the greatest rescue of all time Rev. Kloshein in the stunning resurrection. Easter is not just a tradition that we observe once a year, but the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes us a people of hope and changes how we respond to the challenges of the day and to each other! He is the only lasting hope! Pastor JACK KLOSHEIN Community Bible Chapel Toddsville Please See PASTORS, A5
IT’S GONNA END!
Trump Undid What Obama Did, Including Pandemic Responders
In 2015, Bill Gates delivered his famous warning that a worldwide pandemic was inevitable, now proved correct in the coronavirus threat sweeping the world. To hear Gates’ original talk, Google “bill gates ted talk.”
To the Editor: Mike Zagata (column, 3/26-27) wants to defend President Trump and pass the blame to others on ending the Pandemic Response Team. This (like everything else President Obama did), Trump has gone out of his way to destroy. Trump has never accepted any responsibility for actions under his control. The Trump administration fired the U.S. Pandemic Response Team in 2018 to cut costs. As editor do as you wish, but readers should be presented something closer to the truth. FRANK WINKLER Andes Editor’s Note: Frank Winkler attached an article about the issue that appeared on March 18 in USA Today. It is excerpted here.
•
Other high-level global health experts headed for the exits even earlier, after the White House dismantled the National Security Council’s global health security office. The demise of that elite WASHINGTON team is now under scrutiny as the Trump administration n May 2018, President struggles to respond to the Donald Trump’s biodecoronavirus pandemic. fense preparedness adTrump viser warned that bristled when a flu pandemic asked about was the country’s his decision No. 1 health to disband the security threat, office at a news and the U.S. was conference in not prepared. the Rose Gar“We know President Trump den on Friday. that it cannot be and John Bolton, “I just think stopped at the then National it’s a nasty border,” Luciana Security adviser. question,” the Borio, director president responded. “And of medical and biodefense preparedness at the National when you say ‘me,’ I didn’t do it. ... I don’t know anySecurity Council, said at a thing about it.” symposium that day. John Bolton, Trump’s Borio left the Trump Please See DECISION, A6 administration in 2019.
►FOR RESULT OF VOTE Wednesday, Nov. 6, on setting in motion the process of creating a county manager job for Otsego County, visit
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Bill Gates: ‘Social Distancing’ May Enable Coronavirus To Level Off By April 30 Editor’s Note: Speaking April 5 on Fox News Sunday, Bill Gates said the coronavirus threat could allow restrictions to be lifted by the end of April. Here’s an excerpt from The Hill’s report:
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icrosoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said Sunday, April 5, that while the coronavirus pandemic was a “nightmare scenario,” continued social distancing measures would likely flatten the virus’s trajectory by the end of April. “If we had kept on going to work, traveling like we were, that curve would never bend until you’d had the majority of people infected,” Gates said on Fox News Sunday. “We’ve had to use quarantine, which is an old thing back from the days of the plague, as our primary tool,” he added. “Fortu-
Managing Editor
Larissa Ryan Business Manager
Thom Rhodes Advertising Consultant
Elizabeth Cooper Correspondent
Ian Austin Photographer
Ivan Potocnik Web Architect
Kathleen Peters Graphics & Production Tom Heitz Consultant
IN MEMORIAM: Mary Joan Kevlin, Co-Publisher, 2006-17 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR Otsego County • Village of Milford • Town of Middlefield Cooperstown Central School District Subscriptions Rates: Otsego County, $69 a year. All other areas, $89 a year. First Class Subscription, $155 a year. Published Thursdays by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: (607) 547-6103. Fax: (607) 547-6080. E-mail: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com Contents © Iron String Press, Inc.
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f we do the social distancing properly, we should be able to get out of this with the death numbers well short of (100,000-240,000).” BILL GATES On Fox News Sunday April 5
nately, if we use that well enough, we should by the end of this month start to see those numbers level off.” Asked by host Chris Wallace about federal projections of between 100,000 and 240,000 eventual deaths
in the U.S., Gates said, “If we do the social distancing properly, we should be able to get out of this with the death numbers well short of that.” “It’s very important that those numbers are out there because a lot of people are still thinking, ‘Hey, isn’t life normal?’ not waking up every day to a completely new reality,” he added. Gates also said National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci was “doing a very good job of saying, ‘The numbers are what count here’” and noted that while there is reason to believe the virus may recur in the fall, that could buy time to develop treatments and eventually a vaccine. “Things won’t go back to truly normal until we have a vaccine that we’ve gotten to basically the entire world,” he added, noting that, as was the case in China, there would likely first be a “partial opening up.”
BE AFRAID, BUT DO IT ANYWAY
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Erna – What’s In A Name?
s it nature? Or is it nurture? My friend is a twin. Her sister is totally her opposite. They look different. My friend is a beautiful woman whom you can tell has been to the best boarding schools, finishing school and universities. Traveled the world, lived in high society. Meanwhile, her twin who grew up with the same parents, in the same room, same school has turned out the opposite. Addicted. Nearer to the dregs of society than the top. Learning that, I began to wonder why I have been afraid? Was I just born this way? Or did
my parents do something that made me this way. Good question? • When I began thinking about this question – I thought back to my French teacher who told me I was a perfectionist. That makes me worry about failing, I thought. That is just me. How I was born. But as I mulled this over, I recalled how I ended up with “Erna” as my first name. My parents had never heard the name “Erna” as far as I know. They wanted to name me ERINA. My Dad was from Ireland. Erina comes from Eire Please See ERNA, A6
ERNA MORGAN McREYNOLDS
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LETTERS TO EDITOR WELCOME • EMAIL THEM TO info@
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5
BOUND VOLUMES Compiled by Tom Heitz and SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library
200 YEARS AGO
Newbern, North Carolina – An alligator, weighing 900 pounds, measuring 12 feet in length, and pronounced to be 33 years old, was recently killed in this vicinity, brought to town, and exhibited as a curiosity. This hideous monster had been assailed…upwards of 100 buck shot were found in his carcass which had hardly penetrated his “coat of mail” and seemed to have caused him no inconvenience. When last discovered, the old offender was basking quietly in the sunshine – and though so often the guilty murderer of calves, lambs, poultry, pigs, and many a faithful dog, was fallen into one of those sweet slumbers that attend the innocent. But the hand of justice, which never spares, stole upon him unperceived, and put a period to his false security and his career of criminality together. His corpse has been dissected, and two lightwood knots and a raccoon were found in his insatiate maw. The remains of such a monster have been deemed worthy of preservation and have been prepared for the distinguished place which will doubtless be allotted them in the Museum of the state’s metropolis. April 10, 1820
175 YEARS AGO
Steamboat Disaster – Loss of Lives: The papers give detailed accounts of a calamitous accident that befell the steamboat Swallow, which left Albany on Monday afternoon, April 4 with nearly 300 passengers on board. At about 8 in the evening, the night being dark and during a snow squall, she ran upon a small island in the Athens channel, situate a short distance from the shore, nearly opposite Hudson, producing a tremendous concussion, and breaking the boat apart in the center, the stern sinking almost immediately, while the bow was thrown up nearly thirty feet, resting high and dry on the island some 20 feet from the water. The consternation among the passengers and the crew was beyond description, some throwing themselves into the water, and others in agony seeking out their companions and friends. The alarm bell was rung, and the steamboats Express and Rochester, which were on their way down the river, and craft from Athens and Hudson, came to relief. Many persons were picked from the water in a state of exhaustion. The loss of life as far as can be ascertained is thirteen. Six of the dead were females from Troy and Albany. April 14, 1845
150 YEARS AGO
On the afternoon of Thursday, April 7, Mrs. Pomeroy, a venerable lady, passed away, closing a highly honorable life of more than four score and six years which were in a great measure spent in this village. There is scarcely a family in our little town, among the older inhabitants at least, to whom
25 YEARS AGO
conference held all day Friday at the Lutheran Church on Grove Street. About 125 delegates from the various Protestant Churches in Otsego County were present and were addressed by prominent clergymen who have kept close in touch with the Inter-Church movement and who believe it to be the only way that the church can accomplish real good. The various meetings throughout the day were timely an interesting. Both pastors and laymen were enthusiastic over the fine send-off that the movement was given. April 14, 1920
75 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Tyler of Middlefield (RD 2) were notified by telephone on Sunday of the death of their son First Lieutenant J. Mahlon Tyler, of the Air Transport Service. The news was sent by their son’s mother-in-law from Dallas, Texas, where she and her daughter reside. April 9, 1995 There were no details except that the tragedy occurred as he was flying over the “hump” between India and China, her name has not been, during four generations, familiarly associated with acts of neighborly kindness and benevolence. one of the most hazardous runs of the entire service. He was a graduate of Cherry Valley High School and of Mrs. Pomeroy’s recollection of past events connected with Cornell University and had been in the service for four this village, and of personal incidents attaching to its early settlers and prominent characters, was remarkable. We have years. Lieutenant Tyler died on his birthday just as his often listened with pleasure to her vivid descriptions of men wife, who is a patient in a Dallas Hospital, became the and things which have passed into history more than 60 years mother of a child the day before. She has yet to learn of ago. Unlike many old people, Mrs. Pomeroy did not lose her her husband’s death, but learned two weeks ago that her hold upon society and the pleasures of social gatherings with own brother was killed in Germany. April 11, 1945 advancing years. She was always pleased when she saw young people in the enjoyment of innocent amusement. In her death we have broken the last link of the chain which connected us with the chain which connected us with the Last Saturday, April 4, was a big day in the history of the period of the foundation of our village. Henceforth, we must Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown. Shortly rely upon history and tradition to keep our memory green. after breakfast, the big move of patients began to the new April 14, 1870 wing of the hospital. It was both an exciting and trying time for both patients and the hospital staff. The new wing consists of four floors of patient facilities, a basement and The United States Supreme Court has decided that the partial sub-basement. Provisions were made for adding two income tax law is unconstitutional as to these two points: additional floors in the future, if needed. 1. The tax to be collected on rents from real estate as it is a April 1970 direct tax and the tax on Municipal and State bonds. On the other questions involved the court is equally divided, and hence the law in these particulars will stand, according to In a rare village shooting on Good Friday, Anthony the opinion of the Department of Justice. It is estimated that Pacherille, 16, a Cooperstown Central School sophomore, only about $15,000,000 per year will now be realized from was transported to Bassett Hospital after allegedly shootthe income tax. April 11, 1895 ing Wesley Lippitt, also 16 and a classmate of Pacherille’s. The first bullet had passed through Lippitt’s upper left arm. He was bandaged at the scene and transported separately to Bassett, where he was treated and released. Oneonta – Tentative plans for opening the Inter-Church April 2010 World movement in Otsego County were discussed at a
50 YEARS AGO
125 YEARS AGO
10 YEARS AGO
100 YEARS AGO
With Churches Closed, Pastors Share Easter Messages When Disease Dissipates, The ‘New Normal’ Awaits
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apers and blogs are bleeding anxiety over the current crisis, and speculation about the “New Normal.” Even when the pandemic is over, we hear, things will never go back to previous versions of business as usual. That’s the way I see Resurrection. What is Resurrection, anyway? Is it simply coming back from the Father Hunter grave, as though I suffered a fatal bout of death but then “got over it”? Is it like reversing the process of dying so we go back to the pre-death status quo? No. When the Risen Jesus leaves his tomb empty, he hasn’t simply regained his old way of being alive. He displays an astounding New Way of life. He walks through walls. He surprises hikers on the road. He lets them recognize him when he breaks bread. Or he keeps them from spotting him when he converses. And there’s a paradox: Jesus
ascends into heaven, promising to return at some undisclosed future date. But at the same time he promises that he will be with them – and with us: Always, even to the end of this age. Countless followers will testify that he has kept his promise to this very day. This resurrection is absolutely NOT going back to the Old Normal. The Risen Christ is with us as the New Normal. That New Normal is his life now, and it is the sign of the life which can and should be our life in the age to come. The great task of this life for us is to get accustomed to the New Normal. The inventor Charles Kettering said his greatest interest was in the future, because that was where he was going to live, so our greatest interest should be in the Resurrection life we now find in Jesus, because that is where we can hope to live eternally. Father KENNETH HUNTER Rector St. James Episcopal Church Oneonta
In Time Of Trial, Listen To Jubilant Cry Of Hope
C
hristians are in the midst of the holiest and longest week of the year: Holy
Week is an Octave – eight days from Palm/Passion Sunday through Easter. Normally I would be hearing confessions on Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday, after having observed Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and then reading the Passion Narrative (this year from Matthew’s Gospel). But there is nothing “normal” about this Rev. Messner Holy Week. The powers of darkness (sin, evil) that Jesus came to overthrow, seem to have gathered strength to shut down all gatherings of the faithful this year. People of faith are clearly not immune from any of the realities of viruses, disappointment, depression, disease and, ultimately, death itself, which infect our earthly home. Jesus calls us to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” Such wisdom tells us (based on medical recommendations in the COVID-19 era) that we should “socially distance” ourselves from one another. Such distancing can
LIFE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
T
The Elephant In The Room
o me, there is no more instructed to make evaluations as important concept in to whether the caller will need The War Against COVID-19 hospital services or can be deferred, than triage. a process that was always done at Merriam-Webster.com defines the emergency room before. this as “the sorting of and allocation This is being done to protect of treatment to patients, and espethe caller from the virus as well cially battle and disaster victims, as to minimize utilization of according to a system of priorities resources. designed to maximize the number • RICHARD of survivors.” In Italy in many cases, the use So far, triage is being used to of a ventilator had to be triaged STERNBERG determine who is taken to, or just between patients who were felt allowed to go to, hospital emergency to have a reasonable chance of rooms. survival and those who didn’t. EMTs in New York City have been Please See STERNBERG, A6
lead to isolation, sadness and feelings of loss. Jesus knew such isolation and sadness. On the night before His crucifixion He prayed to His Father, and ours, that He might escape this suffering and loss. But He submitted to the Father’s will and offered Himself on the Cross, to pay the price for all the diseases of this world, on Good Friday. Our Jewish brothers and sisters are observing their holy festival of freedom, Passover, this week. At the end of the Seder meal in the home, the jubilant cry of hope is given: “Next year in Jerusalem! Next year may all be free!” Christians celebrate that freedom, from all that ails our human family, in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter. Our jubilant cry of hope is, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” Life and love overcome even death itself! In such hope and confident faith, we pray that next year (and much sooner!) we may all be able to gather in our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and homes and, with our immediate and extended families, celebrate God’s good gifts! Next year may all be free! The Rev. PAUL MESSNER Pastor Otsego County Lutheran Parish
Spiritual Truths Promise Reassurance, Confidence
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aster Sunday is the opportunity to be found. Just as Jesus found Mary Magdalene in the Garden on Easter Sunday. Mary went to the Garden, expecting to find the body of a man whom she was to tend. She went there with sadness in her heart, believing that evil had won the day. She went to the tomb to find, but instead she was found, by the risen Lord. Don’t we all want to be found? To be recognized? To matter? These are difficult days we are all living through, and Easter Rev. Barrett Sunday is the perfect opportunity to set aside all the doubts, anxieties and stresses in our current physical world, and turn to spiritual truths for reassurance and confidence. The Rev. SYLVIA BARRETT Pastor Milford United Methodist Church
THE VIEW FROM WEST DAVENPORT
Lessons Of Oil Embargo Forgotten
I
n 1973, the Organization for the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) from the Middle East imposed an oil embargo on the United States. It had a crippling impact on our economy and on our way of life because we didn’t produce enough energy in this country to meet the demand. People waited in line MIKE for hours to buy a few gallons of gasoline and tempers flared. The ZAGATA same impact was felt on heating oil and the petroleum feed stocks used to manufacture nearly everything we used to maintain our lifestyle.
It was not a fun time, and our politicians vowed to never let us be put in that position again. There was a positive side to that crisis in that this event triggered a series of legislative initiatives aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, including getting more miles per gallon of fuel with our automobiles. • Fast forward to today and observe what is happening with the coronavirus. Over 90 percent of the medicines/prePlease See ZAGATA, A6
THURSDAY, aPRIL 9, 2020
A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
In Crisis, County IT Director Brian Pokorny Has Stepped Up POKORNY/From A1 worldwide it was rolling out a novel AI voice-recognition product, “Watson Assistant for Citizens,” that Otsego County and Brian Pokorny mentioned in the press release? IBM quoted Pokorny as saying IBM’s product “will be a great resource for the county’s residents and will help alleviate call-center volume to allow county employees to dedicate efforts elsewhere.” Think Bassett’s Coronavirus Hotline, 607-547-5555, which processed 1,000 calls on the critical weekend of March 13-14. Plus, it’s free for the first 90 days. In IBM’s announcement, Otsego County was listed along with Austin, Texas; Spain’s province of Andalusia, and the Czech Republic and Poland’s ministries of health. Brian Pokorny with wife Linda and family. The Milford mayor Pokorny called the fiber-optics and his wife now have a grandchild. adventure “the highlight of my serving with the Army Reserves in vendors. I ordered 50. career.” He didn’t anticipate the coroDjibouti, with the county board’s “The supply chains: They were navirus and the state of emergency budget committee. running out,” he said. “When I got that requires citizens – and county In early March, “watching the to the office Monday, I got notificarepresentatives, too – to maintain news, I started seeing this stuff going tion from two major vendors: “social distancing.” on – colleges closing, the talk of They were out.” For county government to function, students remotely taking courses,” Because of his fast reaction, people – the county reps, the departhe said. “I thought, we better get however, 40 of the 50 laptops were ment heads, the task forces formed prepared.” en route. to explore healthcare and economic Laptops could make or break a The next week, he tested out impacts – have to talk to each other. communications strategy, so the Zoom at county Rep. Meg Kennedy’s Over the past year, Pokorny had day after Friday, March 13 – when Administration Committee meeting, experimented with Zoom, a videoPresident Trump and Governor connecting elected officials and conference-call product, to connect Cuomo declared emergencies – “the department heads. county Treasurer Allen Ruffles, first thing I did was reach out to our By the county board’s April 1
meeting, he had turned to Facebook Live, connecting the board’s chambers at 197 Main with all 14 reps, from Keith McCarty in East Springfield to Ed Frazier in Unadilla. The board completed its business in near-record time. Pokorny, son of Ronald and Linda Pokorny, was born in Cooperstown and raised there with two brothers and a sister, graduating from Cooperstown Central School in 1988 and SUNY Cobleskill in 1991, majoring in computer science. His dad, now deceased, was a computer science professor at Cobleskill. “We were probably the first kids on the block with a computer in our home,” he recalled. “I started programming when I was 10 years old. I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps.” After Cobleskill, he joined his father’s Cooperstown company, Micro Computer Software – before you could order Dell and Gateway computers over the Internet, you would buy computers retail, and people like Brian would install them for you. “One day, my father said, ‘You should take this Civil Service exam,’” said the son. He doesn’t remember really wanting to work for the county, “but out of respect for my father, I took the test” and was hired. He thought to himself, “I’m going to be out of here in a year, move onto
something better.” But a co-worker, Laurie Dower, challenged him: “No, you’re going to be a lifer. I can tell.” “Twenty-four years later,” said Pokorny, “I’m in it for the long haul.” Along the way, he and wife Linda, living in the Village of Milford, raised two children, Andrew and Jennifer. About 10 years ago, former Milford Mayor Sabine Curry sounded him out about running for office. Six years went by, and she approached him again: “We have a trustee that’s not going to run again.” He served for two years as trustee, and is now in his second term as mayor, and an activist one: investing in the village’s Wilber Park, founding farmers’ market and, last year, paving side streets for the first time in 50 years. He describes himself as shy, but time and again, he gets talked into something and before he knows it he’s fully involved. And that’s happening at the county. “There’s a group of people, and they are team players. They just go and do it.” He praised board chairman Bliss and Vice Chair Kennedy. “The support from them is a rare thing to see,” he said. “It’s not employer, employee. It’s colleagues. We’re all at the table together on the same level, comfortable, getting things done.”
ZAGATA: Lessons Of Oil Embargo Never Learned Erna – Not ‘Erina’ – And ZAGATA/From A5 scription drugs we use and need are made offshore – mainly in China and India. We are again not self-reliant, and are at the mercy of foreign countries, one of which has vowed to overtake us and become the number one world economy. Is that a good thing? No, it isn’t. How did it happen – again? It happened because our politicians let, possibly even encouraged, it to happen. We knowingly entered into trade agreements favoring those countries and decimating our middle class as their jobs were sent offshore. Our President is working to reverse that trend, but not everyone is happy about that. Some in the media actually called him a racist when he imposed, early on, a travel ban with China and other nations known to have the virus. That may have been the single most important step that could have been taken to reduce the impact of the coronavirus on our country.
However, once the current battle with the virus is won, we must not allow ourselves to again be at the mercy of foreign governments when it comes to healthcare and the medicines we need to combat the threats to our health. Are we willing to take the necessary steps to assure that happens? Likely not, unless you demand it of those who represent you in the state and federal legislatures. • Guess what folks! We’re already priming the pump to let it happen again. This time it will be with renewable energy and the batteries it takes to store that energy. Wind and solar energy are only produced when the wind blows and the sun shines, and that’s less than 50 percent of the time in Upstate New York. That means we must be able to capture the energy when it’s available and then store it so it can be available to use when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t
shining. We do that with lithium-ion batteries. Lithium is a rare-earth metal and where do you think it comes from. You guessed it – it comes from foreign countries like China, Russia and the Congo. Do we really want to base our energy security on materials over which we have little control? We did that once back in 1973 and it didn’t work out to our advantage. It’s time to remind our politicians of that and ask them to take the steps now that allow us to convert, over time, to renewable energy sources AND be able to store them for later use based on a technology that we control. Doing otherwise is foolhardy and will, in the long run, prove to be a costly mistake. Mike Zagata, a DEC commissioner in the Pataki Administration and envi-
ronmental executive for Fortune 500 companies, resides in West Davenport.
STERNBERG: Someone Must Make Life, Death Decisions STERNBERG/From A5 We haven’t quite reached that stage in New York, but according to Governor Cuomo we are close. We are running out of ventilators, even with stretching their use to the maximum and adapting BiPAP machines for use in some patients. We are running out of healthcare workers whether due to COVID-19, positive coronavirus tests, or simply plain exhaustion. In my opinion, very soon, if not already, decisions will need to be made regarding the level of care new patients receive. • Traditionally, decisions like this have been made on
the spot by the individual doctor in charge, almost always in a mass trauma situation. The need has rarely come up. While the governor talks about New York State now being one integrated health system, triage is being left up to the individual hospitals and sometimes providers. The decision process should be consistent. Providers have a tough enough time determining the severity of illness and performing the treatment. In November 2015, the state Task Force on Life and the Law issued Ventilation Allocation Guidelines. This clearly and in great detail
laid out guidelines and their rationale. But guidelines work best when there is an order by either the Governor or the Commissioner of Health. I hope, the fact, that clever people have come up with ways to stretch the use of ventilators and other hospital respiratory equipment to satisfy the need. I hope there will be enough medication and other treatments for everybody. I hope there will be enough healthcare professionals to administer and perform necessary care. But it doesn’t seem that there is. It is really unpleasant and no one, especially our political leaders, wants to
LETTER: Pandemic Response Team Scuttled DECISION/From A4 former national security adviser, has defended the decision in recent days. Trump chose Bolton to lead the National Security Council in April 2018. A month later, Bolton nixed the pandemic preparedness office as part of an effort to streamline the agency. “Claims that streamlining NSC structures impaired our nation’s bio defense are false,” Bolton tweeted Saturday. “Global health remained a top NSC priority, and its expert team was critical to effectively handling the 2018-19 Africa Ebola crisis. The angry Left just can’t stop attacking, even in a crisis.” But global health experts say Bolton’s decision left the Trump administration flat-footed
in confronting the virus that has caused nearly 6,400 cases of COVID-19 and killed 108 in the U.S. as of Tuesday evening. “Bolton’s chosen approach to NSC ‘streamlining’ involved decapitating and diluting the White House’s focus on pandemic threats,” Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, wrote in a rebuttal. “He eliminated the senior director position entirely, closed the biodefense directorate, and spread the remaining staff across other parts of the NSC.” Closing the pandemic office “clearly reflected the White House’s misplaced priorities and has proven to be a gross misjudgment,” Konyndyk wrote.
have to order such guidelines, rather than have it just tacitly understood, but I feel it’s necessary for full transparency, to give our doctors, nurses, and other providers guidance to make decisions and to protect themselves, and allow the public to understand what is and may have to be the decision-making process. Richard Sternberg, retired Bassett Hospital orthopedic surgeon, is providing his professional perspective as the coronavirus threat continues. Dr. Sternberg resides in Cooperstown, where he is also a village trustee.
That Made All Difference
ERNA/From A4 – the Gaelic name for Ireland. It means beautiful lady in Gaelic and the Greek origin is goddess of peace. Erna is the feminine version of the German name Ernest – and it means eagle-like. • When I was born, Mom’s nurse was a forceful German woman. She put Erna on my birth certificate. And when my timid parents said, “but we want to call her Erina,” they were overruled. Mom and Dad were intimidated by authority. Fear, I guess? Then came another chance to deal with this awful name. Mom and I went hand in hand to our interview with my kindergarten teacher. We presented my birth certificate. “Ah, ha” said the teacher forcefully – “Erna”. Afraid of Mrs Vincent’s authority, Mom half-whispered “but we call her Jeanie.” My parents avoided that hateful name Erna by using my middle name. Even crooning that Stephen Foster favorite, “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”. Back to fear. My Mom was too afraid to fight an authority figure. And that locked me into that hateful name at school which really meant the rest of my life. Everyone I ever met came through school, authority. I was afraid too. I had learned early to follow rules from my parents’ examples. • Did these two events send me off on a lifetime journey of being afraid? Nurture? For me often with a good outcome
– but afraid nevertheless. When I introduce myself, I have always been afraid people would start laughing at my name. Who had ever heard the name Erna — no lovely cadence like Erina. No romantic meaning but “eagle-like” – which calls to mind some raptor ready to dive and grab small creatures in its talons. No goddess, beautiful lady for me. But I did stick my hand out and boldly announce my name. Doing it anyway paid dividends. People always remembered my name or at least remembered that I was the one with the difficult name. That helped me get interviews — I wasn’t Mary, or Jane or Barbie or Kathy. But a distinctive woman. • When my first editor in London interviewed me, he told me why he chose me from dozens of resumes. First of all because I told him he would be lucky if I agreed to take the job. A novel approach for a straightlaced Brit. But really, he didn’t lose me in the shuffle because of my name which I had been afraid to put on my CV. A German name and an ugly one too. If he laughed when I say “Erna” at my interview I thought maybe I should change my name to Jeanie. Tell him that the names were mixed up. Now I know Erna probably has been a good name – but did you laugh when you heard it? Erna Morgan McReynolds, retired managing director of Morgan Stanley’s Oneonta office, lives in Franklin.
THURSDAY, aPRIL 9, 2020
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7
Out Of Coma, Seward On Road To Recovery SEWARD/From A1 before that the senator was being treated at Albany Medical Center, and Cindy was recuperating at their Milford home. Duncan Davie, Seward’s long-time chief of staff, said the senator was still in ICU Tuesday. He spoke with the senator, and “he struck me as someone who’s gone through a great deal. He’s got a road to recovery that
will take some time.” After the initial report on March 30, the senator, a Milford native who had represented Otsego County in the state Senate since 1985, took a turn for the worse and was placed on a ventilator in Albany Med’s intensive care unit. That wasn’t widely known, until Cindy Seward broke the silence at 8:32 a.m. Saturday, April 4, on the Milford Community Group Facebook page.
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She revealed her husband was in a medically induced coma and had been on a ventilator since 5:30 a.m. that Thursday. “His condition had deteriorated quite rapidly and became dire,” his wife of 46 years reported. “I spoke with the doctor last evening and Jim is responding to nurse commands and his condition is slightly improved. “The next few days are crucial,” she continued “My children and I were able to see him and speak to him once via Webex, thanks to the kindness of the doctors and nurses there.”
That dire report set off a flurry of comments among the Milford group, mostly expressions of prayerful best wishes. After a day of worry among his friends and supporters, who at this point were expecting the worst, stunning good news arrived with Cindy Seward’s next posting at 6:48 p.m. that evening. “I just spoke with my husband,” she wrote, “and needed to share with all of you wonderful people who have sent prayers and love: His ventilator was just removed! Of course, he will still need monitoring, but I thank you all for your outpouring for us!” Which set off another outpouring from around Seward’s nine-county
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THURSDAY, aPRIL 9, 2020
A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
High-Tech Samaritans Churn Out Visors Many Walkin’ Off Social-Distancing Blahs
VISORS/From A3 friends to 3D-print medical shields for healthcare workers who often work 12-hour shifts on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, using the same PPE for multiple patients. The undertaking is too new to even have a product name. Potocnik and his partners call their enterprise, RIST 3D Printing: Creating Medical Shields for Healthcare Workers. And they give their product away. It began like this. Potocnik was contacted by a friend, Shawn Daley in Northborough, Mass., who was working with another friend, Toni Dipalma, Albany, to make the masks and donate them to healthcare workers. The visors – printed from a pattern they found online – are worn by medical professionals as “splatter prevention” against sneezes and other bodily fluids, with a face mask worn underneath. Using a digital file, a 3D printer can print three-dimensional solid objects – in this case, the visors. Potocnik then assembles the pieces. Under normal circumstances, he said, the shield would be used, then thrown away. But with supplies as limited as they are, these masks can be cleaned with soap, water and rubbing alcohol and reused until the plastic fogs. Two shields are included with every visor to extend its life. Potocnik – he is also the web architect who built www.AllOTSEGO.com – purchased his own 3D printer for the project and enlisted a
Utica-area friend, Ryan Quigley -- he provided RIST’s fourth letter. They also started a GoFundMe to help buy materials; of the $5,000 goal, $4,590 has been raised. Three 3D printers have also been donated. Along with Daley and Quigley, Potocnik prints the visor, and attaches the transparent plastic shield. Dipalma works as communications director, fielding calls and taking orders. Potocnik then sanitizes, packages and ships the masks. Seven 3D printers going full-time can produce between 80-100 visors a week. “So far, we’ve distributed 450 visors, with 900 shields,” Potocnik said. “If we could ramp it up, we’d like to distribute 500 a week.” Word quickly got out, and soon cold calls from across the state started coming in. “People have been so grateful, whether we give them five or 100,” he said. “It’s really indicative of the state of affairs.” Many times, he said, it’s a brother or sister of nurses or aides reaching out on their behalf. “The health-care workers are just too busy,” he said. “They work their shift, come home and fall into bed, then get up and do it again.” Visors have been distributed to Bassett Healthcare and ARC Otsego, as well as EMTs with the Davenport Volunteer Fire Department. Potocnik has also distributed visors to Utica-area nursing homes and Oneida Hospital. “I’d like to get more back home,” he said.
WALKIN’/From A3 time, with many working from home or on furlough. “We never did it that much, but there’s nothing else to do, so we walk,” said Gabrielle DeCepoli Cooperstown, who was strolling with her husband Owen Ellsworth and their dog, Gracie. “We walk three, four miles a day.” “We’ve been taking our dog on a walk twice a day,” said Herzig. “Folks who have dogs must appreciate them even more than ever – it gives you a purpose to get outside.” “We used to take our dog, Natasha, for one short walk in the morning and then a good walk later on,” said Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch. “Now we’re walking her four times a day.” She even used a trip to Village Hall – officially closed for business – as a chance to get herself and Natasha of the house. “Our standard walk was a little over a mile,” she said. “Now we’re doing at least two walks that are a mile, plus one that’s two miles or more.” She even plans her walks around the village’s construction projects now underway – those that are still deemed “essential.” “I’ll walk through Doubleday and downtown to
see the progress,” she said. Like Herzig in Oneonta, she sees it not only a chance to get some exercise, but to see her neighbors. “It’s fun to stand across the street and see your friends out walking too,” she said. “Especially when they’re out with their dogs. It’s a way to stay connected, but still maintain that social distancing.” “Without work and mass social interaction, people enjoy these interactions more,” said Ellsworth. “They’re happy to see you.” Those who already walk for their health have added an extra stroll to the day. “We’re so cooped up and we can’t go anywhere,” said Barbara Busch, who lives at Oneonta’s Plains at Parish Homestead with her husband, Doc. Hand in hand, they walk to the corner at Route 205 and Oneida Street, then return to do a loop around the nearby Peaceful Flats mobile home park. “We walk for half an hour,” she said. “It doesn’t matter the weather, there’s always some part of the day when it isn’t raining, and if there isn’t, we just take umbrellas.” For those who want to see more than concrete, there are
plenty of hiking trails open as well. “I’ve done a lot more hiking than I have in a while,” said Jonathan Visnosky, Oneonta. “SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick both have nice trails, and you’re out there alone.” State parks, including Glimmerglass, Robert V. Riddell and Betty & Wilber Davis, are remaining open, although the state parks department does advise maintaining social distancing while hiking and not to take to the trails if you are feeling sick. But people aren’t just walking. “I work 12-hour shifts at Springbrook,” said Jon Dykstra, Oneonta, who spent Saturday morning skateboarding around downtown. “I’ve been skating on and off for the past few years, but now I’m trying to get out for fresh air whenever I can.” Working at a Springbrook residence on Southside, he’s even considered skating to work. “I could if I wanted to,” he said. “Maybe when the weather is nicer.” And Herzig can often be seen biking around the city. “It’s a perfect way to get outside,” he said. “You don’t have to go too fast, you can see people on the sidewalk, but you’re still maintaining that distance.”
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Legal nOtice Notice of LLC Formation of Cookies & Crumbs, LLC, a NY limited liability company (LLC). Arts. of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (NYSS) on 03/18/20. Office: Otsego County. NYSS designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. NYSS shall mail process to: 126 Louie Dickinson Road, Edmeston New York 13335. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalMay.14 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of JUST JUMP SKYDIVING, LLC.
Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 2/10/20. The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon it to: The LLC, 1693 Co. Hwy. 10, Laurens, NY 13796. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act. 6LegalMay.7 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Shove Enterprises LLC. Arts of Org filed with Sec of State of NY (SSNY) on
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March 5, 2020. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall may process to Robert A. Gouldin, Esq., 93 Main Street, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: any lawful purpose. 6LegalApr.23 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Emerald Glen Morris Ny LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 12/26/19. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to 1967 Wehrle Dr #1-086 Buffalo, NY 14221 General Purpose 6LegalApr.16
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Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 47 Chestnut LLC. Arts of Org. filed with the Secretary of State on 03/05/2020. Principal Business and Office Location: 47 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY 13820. The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail process to 47 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalApr.16 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A NY LIMITED LIABILTIY COMPANY
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Richfield Grange, LLC Articles of Organization was filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on February 25, 2020. Office Location: Otsego County SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of the process to 1019 County Highway 25, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity. 6LegalApr.16 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DC Estates LLC Art. of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on
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2/11/2020. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 297 Main St, Suite M6, Oneonta, NY, 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalApr.16
upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to The LLC, 6 Railroad Avenue, Oneonta, New York 13820. Purpose: Any lawful business purpose. 6LegalApr.16
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Notice of Formation of
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC)
Inner Awakening with Janice LLC
Name: JCN Cranes, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on February 14, 2020. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC
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Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/13/2020. Office: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of the process to the LLC, PO Box 513 Morris, NY 13808. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalApr.9
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Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of MICHAEL F. ALLEVATO LLC Art. of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/21/2020. Office location: Otsego County, SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to 810 Mooney Road, Worcester, NY. Purpose: Any lawful purpose permitted under LLC law. 6LegalApr.9 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 1945 County Highway LLC
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Arts. of Org. filed w/ SSNY 2/12/20. Off. in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agt. of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1945 County Hwy. 22, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose: any lawful activity. 6LegalApr.9 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Raldor73 LLC, Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 8/15/19. Off. loc.: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served & shall mail: 101 Cemetery Rd., Fly Creek, NY 13337. Purp.: any lawful purp. 6LegalApr.9
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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
OBITUARIES
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-9
Frank Edward Marra, 101; Succumbs To COVID-19, Leaves Local Suvivors COOPERSTOWN – Born in New York City at the height of the deadly Spanish Influenza on Sept. 24, 1918, Frank Edward Marra succumbed to complications of COVID-19 on April 5, 2020, in White Plains at the age of 101. The son of the late Arthur and Mary Marra, Frank resided for most of his long life in Yonkers, and had winter residences in Boca Grande and Sarasota, Fla. Upon Graduation from City College of New York Business School in 1938, Frank relocated to San Francisco to take a position with
Bank of America. As world events presaged a coming global conflict, Frank returned to New York to join the Army Reserves and was called to active duty on Dec. 8, 1941. following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the previous day. A staff sergeant in the 101st Artillery Division, Frank participated in the Normandy Invasion in June 1944 and was later put in charge of Army Commissary activity while stationed in liberated France and Belgium. Many years later, at his granddaughter’s Cooperstown Central
School graduation party, Frank enthralled listeners as he discussed details of the Battle of the Bulge with Werner A. Schulz – the grandfather of his granddaughter’s boyfriend – who was serving in the Wehrmacht of his native Germany at the time of the famous battle. Following the end of the war, Frank was united in marriage with the love of his life, Cecilia (Genovese) Marra, on Sept. 14, 1946. Following his marriage, Frank returned to San Francisco and his pre-war position with Bank of America.
In 1947, the couple returned to New York where Frank took a position with Chemical Bank as vice Frank Marra president of the bank’s Rockefeller Center branch. Among his many well-known clients at the branch was a young baseball player, Jackie Robinson, and his wife Rachel, with whom he shared a long friendship. In an unusual situation for a career bank vice president,
Frank would leave the branch at closing time to go to a second job at Yonkers Raceway, where he served as operations manager for 35 years. Frank was a very savvy and disciplined investor and was able to provide generously for his family and heirs. He was very proud to let people know that in a life of 101 years he never smoked a cigarette. Frank is survived by two sons, Albert F.Marra and his wife Adrienne Rinaldi Marra of Woodstock, Md., and Eugene V. Marra and his wife Montell D. Marra
of Cooperstown and Sarasota, Fla. He is further survived by his four grandchildren, Andrew, Alexander, Clara and Gabriel Marra, and by three great-grandchildren, Dominic, Maggie and Cecelia. Frank was pre-deceased by his loving wife of 70 years, Cecelia Marra. He was further pre-deceased by his parents and two brothers, Joeseph Marra and Edward Marra, Due to current restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial service and interment will be announced at a later date.
Martha S. Beals, 91; Family Associated With McEwan Hardware COOPERSTOWN – Martha S. Beals, 91, of Cooperstown passed away Sunday afternoon, March 29, 2020, at Bassett Hospital as the result of a recent stroke.
She was born Nov. 12, 1928, in Danby, a daughter of Andrew J. and Marian (Page) Scott. Following her graduation from Ithaca High School, Martha was
Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar. Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.
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employed as a secretary in the dairy department at Cornell University. It was there she met Harlo Peabody Beals, Jr., a native of Cooperstown, and the two were married on Sept. 17, 1949, in Ithaca. Following Harlo’s graduation from Cornell in 1950, Martha devoted her time to raising their family. In 1969 the Beals family moved to Cooperstown when Harlo became a principal in the McEwan Hardware Corp. Martha worked for Arthur T. Peevers at his insurance agency, and later owned the Montgomery Ward Agency while also
working as a bookkeeper and tax preparer on her own as well as for H&R Block. During their years in Cooperstown, Martha attended the First Presbyterian Church and enjoyed playing bridge, both at the Clark Sports Center and The Otesaga. Martha is survived by one son, Stephen L. Beals and Stacy of Cooperstown; one daughter, Susan M. Beals of Cuyler; a daughter-inlaw, Kathie Beals of Parish; two foster daughters, Tina Parks and Dale Hendricks of Cooperstown and Nancy Parshall and her husband, Carl (“Pete”), of Morris; and
13 grandchildren, Gabe Beals; Melanie Bobowski Wadenstein and her husband, Mattias, Jessica Bobowski, Elizabeth Martha Beals Soutar and her husband, Gordon, Sarah Roberts and her husband, Joseph, Kyle Beals and his wife, Brandy, Kory Beals and his wife, Kelly, Laurie Butts and her husband, John, Carrie Warner and Jamie Parson, Jillian LaBadia and her husband, Joey, Neil
Parshall, Christine Gates and her husband, Dan, and Justin Young. Martha also enjoyed her 21 great grandchildren. Martha also has a sister-in-law, Ruth Scott, of Trumansburg, and several nieces and nephews and their children. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, a son, Kevin S. Beals; and a brother, Andrew J. Scott, Jr. A graveside service will be held at a later date in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown. Arrangements are entrusted to the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home.
Mike Clapper, 63; Deputy Familiar Face At Courthouse MARYLAND – Terry “Mike” Clapper, 62, a longtime Otsego County sheriff’s deputy who then served at a courts officer, passed away on Monday, March 30, 2020, at Bassett Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer. Terry was born on March 31, 1957, in Oneonta, the son of Raymond and Joyce (Card) Clapper. He was a lifelong area resident and served a distinguished career with the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department, having held the positions of corrections officer, corrections sergeant and civil deputy. Terry transferred to the New York State courts as a court officer in 2008 and retired in 2020. During his tenure with the
sheriff’s department, Terry was very honored to have a significant role in assisting with the implementation of security within the Otsego County office buildings. Terry was extremely proud that he was able to attend college while raising his children and working full time. He graduated from Herkimer County Community College with an associate degree in criminal justice. He was instrumental in the formation of “Cars in the Park” for classic car enthusiasts in Milford. He loved taking his 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2 to local car shows and he enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Terry helped to maintain
the grounds at Cook Cemetery in West Oneonta. He is survived by his daughters, Catina Hall (Michael) Mike of Maryland Clapper and Misty Cintron of Otego; mother, Joyce Ploutz of Otego; fiancée, JoAnn Furlan and her daughters, Gabriella and Maralina, of Cooperstown; brothers, David (Karen), Raymond (Agnes), Louis (Brenda) and Richard; sisters, Jerilynn and Susan; sister-in-law, Rose; four grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; as well as many aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews, and cousins. Terry was predeceased by his father, Raymond Clapper; former spouse, Shirley Clapper; daughter, Tammy Sue Clapper; sister, Linda (Clapper) Shove; brother-in-law, Gary Shove; and brother, Mark Clapper. A graveside service will be held in Cook Cemetery in West Oneonta. The family will also have a Celebration of Terry’s Life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Terry M. Clapper to Recreational Relief Fund for Cancer Patients, C/O Friends of Bassett. Arrangements are entrusted to the Bookhout Funeral Home.
Julia Fassett, 94, East Springfield, Retired C-V Teacher
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EAST SPRINGFIELD – Julia A. Fassett, 94, a retired Cherry Valley and Fort Plain teacher, died peacefully in her sleep at home on Friday, April 3, 2020. She was born in 1926, in Schenectady, the daughter of Emilo and Rose Parillo Genovesi. On June 24, 1951, she married Kenneth L. Fassett of East Springfield at St. Thomas Church in Cherry Valley. She graduated from Nott Terrace High School in Schenectady. She earned BA and MA degrees from the State University at Albany. Julia taught social studies, Latin and the humanities in Cherry Valley, Averill Park, and for 20 years at Fort Plain Central School.
She retired from teaching in 1985. Julia was a member of the New York State Retired Teachers Association and Upper Montgomery Retired Teachers Association, in which she held positions of secretary and vice president. She was a member of the alumni association of the University of Albany and a member of Psi Gamma sorority. She was a founding member of the Springfield bridge club. Julia was a member of the bereavement committee at St. Mary’s Church, Cooperstown, where she was a member. In her retirement, she volunteered at Bassett Hospital, Hyde Hall and the Cherry Valley Museum.
An avid reader, Julia was a member of the Springfield book discussion club. Her children and grandchildren were her first priority. Her joys also included listening to classical music and attending the opera. Survivors include her husband, Kenneth; sons, Eugene Fassett and daughterin-law Susan of Lima and David Fassett of Cazenovia; daughter, Lisa McDearmon of East Springfield; five grandchildren, Bethany, Brenden and Joshua McDearmon and Hayden and Garrett Fassett. She is also survived by a niece, two nephews and greatnephews and nieces. Julia’s brother, Joseph Genovesi and her son, James Edward Fassett,
predeceased her. James was an engineering student at Clarkson University. A private burial Julia will take Fassett place in the Springfield Cemetery. A Mass of the Resurrection and memorial service will be held when it is safely possible. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the James E. Fassett Scholarship Fund, c/o the Office of Institutional Scholarships, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13676.
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THURSDAY, aPRIL 9, 2020
A-10 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
For Now, Upstate Ventilators Will Stay Here
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STRECK/From A1 ing the National Guard help ensure compliance. Instead, he issued an executive order that hospitals provide an inventory of such equipment and that the state “may shift any such items not currently needed, or needed in the short-term future by a healthcare facility to be transferred to a facility in urgent need.” The deal was brokered over the weekend by the Healthcare Association of New York State, said Bassett Healthcare CEO Bill Streck, who was HANYS director of innovation before returning to the Basset helm. “Before any ventilators are moved from Upstate to downstate a conversation would be had with hospitals to make sure the number submitted today was still an appropriate number,” said Bassett Healthcare CEO Bill Streck said. “We want to make sure that those of
us who are able to help can do so,” he said. “That has to be balanced against the assessment of local and regional needs.” The initial announcement sent shockwaves through Upstate communities that feared the lifesaving equipment wouldn’t be available if local people became ill with the virus. Upstate politicians mounted a surge of opposition to the plan, with Congressman Antonio Delgado, D-19, and Otsego County Assemblymen John Salka and Chris Tague issuing statements decrying the idea. Over the weekend, there were negotiations over how to balance the intense need in New York City and surrounding counties, which account for more than half the 138,000 positive cases, against ensuring there would be enough equipment Upstate as the virus spreads. Cuomo’s compromise “strikes the right balance, said HANYS President
Bea Grause in a prepared statement. “Our hospitals are protecting their local community members while doing everything they can to save lives throughout the state.” Locally, that means that Bassett Healthcare Network and others serving area communities will have enough equipment to meet its needs, at least for now. Otsego County Board of Representatives Chairman Dave Bliss said if state officials called for local ventilators, “Healthcare leaders will inform the board and we will collectively take necessary actions to ensure the levels of service required for the residents of our region.” Institutions that sent equipment downstate would either have equipment returned or be reimbursed. In recent days the state has also gotten ventilators from Oregon, Washington State, California and even China.
Cases Rising, But Local Situation Manageable, Bond Says CASES/From A1 county, or could commute to jobs in Utica, Albany or other places. Huxtable would only say, “Positive cases are based on a person’s county of residence, I believe,” she said. While not revealing where the three worked, Bond said, “No one worked while ill. They worked in the acute care setting.” The local number more than doubled from 16 in last week’s editions to 33 this week. Statewide, the number of cases has soared to nearly 140,000, with about 77,000 of those in New York City. Nine of the 33 in-county cases have recovered. And there have been no
additional deaths since Brenda Utter, 63, of Morris, passed away at Bassett on March 26. Bond said local people should continue to follow precautions to protect themselves and help keep the hospital’s caseload manageable. “I think we are going to see the cases rise,” Bond said. Each time a new case is found, others follow as the sick person’s contacts are tracked, she said. “There is obviously still illness around.” The number of positive cases in Otsego County has been growing slowly but steadily since the first local case was reported March 23. Of Otsego County’s positive cases, 19 sick
patients are managing their illness at home. After the initial burst of calls to Bassett’s 607-547-5555 COVID-19 hotline, numbers dropped off to 250 to 300 on weekdays and about 150 a day on weekends. Of just under 250 callers Monday, 123 were given appointments and were seen at external screening sites Monday. Bassett has tested over 1,000 people in the eightcounty region it serves and continues to see a 10-percent rate of positive readings. Most of those cases can be managed at home, but 16 people are now hospitalized, HuxtableHooker said. Of the 33 confirmed
cases in Otsego County, 16 are close contacts of other known positive cases, but nine have no known source of contact. Of the others, five either worked in or traveled to New York City. The county Health Department has gotten some calls reporting people who are not following precautionary recommendations. “It’s campers at campgrounds or neighbors going here or there,” Bond said. In addition to social distancing and washing hands, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended wearing masks in places where it isn’t possible to stay 6 feet from others. The supermarket might be such a place, she said.
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