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Volume 213, No. 19
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
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Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, May 13, 2021
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Otsego preps for hiring new administrator By GREG KLEIN
Otsego County’s legislators began an in-depth look at crafting the county The Town of Hartwick administrator position at a special all will hold its 2021 Clean board workshop Monday, May 10. Sweep event from 8 a.m. to The 14 board members listened 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at and asked questions during a twoHartwick Town Hall, at 103 hour meeting as County Attorney Town Drive in the hamlet of Ellen Coccoma reiterated to them the Hartwick.The event is part of details of the local law they passed Hartwick Appreciation Day. in 2019 to establish the position and Residents will be able to several experts on local governments dispose of their old house that are using a county administrator furniture, scrap metal and gave their tips and suggestions. yard trash. the first load of “This is going to be a work in trash will be $20 with additional loads being $10. Call Town Clerk Andrea Vazquez at 607-293-8123 to make arrangements. Pickups are for Hartwick residents only with proof of residency required.
progress,” Coccoma said. “We’re going to probably impliment things now, then as we see how it works out, you may end up saying, ‘we need to change that.’” A county manager, executive Bliss or administrator had been proposed to Otsego County by individuals and good government groups for more than three decades.
The county’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee studied the prospect for two years, finally drafting a proposal to create a day-to-day manager who answers to the board. The administrator position passed in a November 2019 local law, with only three representatives against the plan. Steven Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, Pat Cummings, NYSAC’s council, and Nick Mazza, who served as a county administrator for more than 20 years in Livingston County, gave their insights and took questions from the legislators.
Acquario said the county administrator position has had staying power in counties that have adopted it. “It’s probably about 95%,” he said. “So it works. It’s good and it is quite helpful.” Cummings, who worked in Schenectady Couty when it switched to a county administrator, said the board will delegate some authority, and in return, will gain a lot more time to focus on big-picture matters. “This is the benefit of a county administrator,” he said. “They are there every day, and you are delegating See OTSEGO, Page A3
Kick ball battle
Hearing scheduled on apartments The Board of Trustees of the Village of Cooperstown will have a public hearing at 7 p.m., Monday, May 24, at 22 Main St.to discuss a proposed special use permit for a 13 unit multi-family residence at 10 Chestnut St. The plans for the project are on file in the village office and can be viewed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Public comments can also be provided by email to jutter@cooperstownny.org. INSIDE ►No hitters: Unatego’s Couperthwait shuts down UV/GMU; Cooperstown staff blanks Herkimer. Page B3. ►SOFTBALL SHOWDOWN: Hawkeye bats top Oneonta pitching. Page B3. ►BUDGET VOTES: School systems to hold elections Tuesday, May 18. Page A6. ►ROBBERS SENTENCED: Two men are sentenced to prison for their series of robberies in and around Oneonta last year. Page A6.
Korey Rowe/The Freeman’s Journal
Yuliah Johnson, a senior at Oneonta High School, drives a kick ball during a game with her classmates on the turf Friday, May 7.
Tourism promoter: Focus different for 2021 By GREG KLEIN
Otsego County’s tourism efforts are being refocused on outdoor activities, fall weddings and vaccinated out-of-state residents, according to a presentation given to the Otsego County Board of Representatives at its May meeting. Follow Breaking News On Cassandra Harrington, executive director of Destination Marketing OTSEGO.com Corporation, said her three-staff ►Return Performance: member nonprofit is making every Jeff Idelson will return to the Na- effort to lure tourism dollars into the tional Baseball Hall of Fame and region this year and beyond. Musuem as interim president. Harrington addressed the Repre►COURT NEWS: Oneonta man sentatives at their meeting, which sentenced to 180 days in jail was held via Zoom, because of the for possession of pornographic coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesmaterial involving a minor. . day, May 5. ►61 and counting: She said the group is looking to Otsego County announces increase late summer and fall touranother death from the coronaism in an effort to boost 2021 bed virus pandemic. tax money. Harrington said her group, which was spun off from the county in 2014 and added Schoharie County
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A screen capture from the Otsego County Board of Representative’s meeting Wednesday, May 5, shows a new website being designed by Destination Marketing Corporation for outdoor activities.
as a client two years ago, has shifted to a virtual campaign, allowing it to add several promotional categories and “pages” to its promotional materials. DMC is launching an outdoor activities website that culls informa-
tion and links to all the other county locations for hiking, boating, fishing, winter sports and more. Those sites include state parks, Otsego 2000’s Otsego Outdoors website, information about playgrounds, camp sites, hotels and more.
It will launch seasonal campaigns, too: around baseball for the summer, around the leaves and craft food and beverages in the fall, and around outdoor activities in the winter. Harrington said the area tourism businesses are still smarting from Dreams Park cancellations and some are closing up their accommodations for the year rather than adjusting to rentals of stays less than a week at a time. She said there are certain segments of the tourism economy that are doing better than others, including outdoor activities. She said fall weddings have been spiking as 15 months of pent-up demand overflows into the fall calendar. Harrington said her group has been continuing its efforts and ad buys despite knowing that its own budget will take a big hit when 2020 bed tax money – there was none, because of the pandemic – is figured into the three-year average that See TOURISM, Page A3
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD