The Freeman's Journal 05-14-20

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VISIT www.AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE

Volume 212, No. 20

Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, May 14, 2020

COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND

Newsstand Price $1

GOVERNOR SETS US FREE

(new) Normal Arrives Hospital, Car Dealers, ‘Phase One’ Businesses Opening

By JIM KEVLIN

The Freeman’s Journal

Upstate Companies John Rupert and Derek Beach hang the new (and long-awaited) traffic signal at Main and Chestnut, Cooperstown.

NYSEG crews will illuminate it later this week.

As crews rush toward a Friday deadline on downtown renovations, follow developments on

AllOTSEGO.com Suspect Off, But Richfield Still In Dark www.

RICHFIELD SPRINGS

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early six months after the Dec. 20 crash that injured 10, District Attorney John Muehl has declined to file charges against the driver, Kevin Ritton, who suffered a “medical emergency” while driving on Main Street in Richfield Springs.

AllOTSEGO.com

www.

SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON

AllOTSEGO.com ►LOGGING ACCIDENT kills Unadilla man, 80. ►SQSPCA RESCUES Worcester dog from life-threatening infection. ►ONEONTA’S HALE Transportation protests in D.C.. ►GRADUATIONS LIKELY at Unadilla Drive-In. ►COOPERSTOWN, ONEONTA lady hoopsters named statewide All-Stars. ►ONEONTA OUTLAWS cancel season. ►COUNTY SALES TAX CHECK 26 percent lower than 2019. ►FLY CREEK EMT SQUAD welcomes new ambulance.

By ELIZABETH COOPER

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or Otsego County businesses (and local governments that depend on the sales taxes they generate), it was the week the iceberg cracked.

Just last Wednesday, May 6, the county Board of Representatives heatedly debated a mild resolution nudging Governor Cuomo to “reopen” Otsego County as soon as he could, please.

“Leave it to the professionals,” said county Rep. Jill Basile, D-Oneonta, in arguing against it, supported by fellow Oneonta Democrats Andrew Stammel, Danny Lapin and Clark Oliver.

County The mild resolution passed board Chair13-1, with the sole holdout, man David Peter Oberacker, R-ScheneBliss vus, the state senate candidate, saying, “Let’s put together a structured plan to reopen Otsego County” and send it to the governor.

That prompted response from his Senate opponent, Jim Barber, Schoharie, who that evening issued a press release accusing Oberacker of Please See “NORMAL,” A3 Ben Guenther surveys his Five Star Subaru lot, where 20 of 100 cars have been sold since the pandemic started.

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o new cases in a week in Otsego County.

No hospitalizations at Bassett facilities

either.

At a press conference Tuesday, May 12, in Bassett Hall, Healthcare Network leaders said the region has entered a new phase in the wake of its battle with the coronavirus. The network is already starting to ramp its number of surgeries back up and is looking forward Bassett to achieving a sort of new President Bill normalcy over the next eight to LeCates 10 weeks.

“We have all been through collectively a dramatic change,” Network President/CEO Bill Streck said. “One that was really unimaginable, in truth.”

Governor Cuomo deciding Otsego County and its Mohawk Valley Region can begin Phase 1 of the staged reopening process Friday, May 15, is largely because of the low number of local cases.

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal Otsego County’s last positive case was found Bassett Network CEO Bill Streck tells April 27, about two weeks ago, county Public a press conference the hospital is Please See BASSETT, A3 going back to full service.

Southside Mall Lives, Even Without NY OK

By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA

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f you need a video game, a tennis racket or some office supplies for working from home, Southside Mall still has you covered.

“A lot of our exterior stores are doing curbside pickup,” said Mall Manager Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal Luisa Montanti. “They’ve been open through the whole pandemic, and we’re really proud of them.” well for us in the third and fourth quarter.”

While the mall remains In a surprise to many, on Thursday, shuttered during the shutdown, May 7, Governor Cuomo lifted restrictions Office Max and Harbor on auto dealerships statewide, allowing Freight are considered “esin-person sales – by appointment; sales had sential services,” allowing previously been restricted to online only. customers to come inside But even online-only didn’t stop deterand browse. Vision Works is mined buyers completely. open for essential appointAt Country Club Automotive, Oneonta, ments only, including broken April sales were down 55 percent from last glasses, blurred vision or orPlease See CARS, B4 dering more contact lenses.

Auto Dealers Bullish As Doors Reopen

By LIBBY CUDMORE INDEX

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evin Harris believes that the road trip is due for a resurgence.

“There’s reluctance for people to fly or do cruises,” said the proprietor of Kevin’s Royal Automotive here. “But they still want to travel, and I think that bodes

Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal

Conrad Picou, Panera general manager, delivers a lunch on a silver platter.

Meanwhile, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Petco, Rent-aPlease See MALL, B5

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD Brenton P. Dadey

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A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL

TWO AWARDED: Nicholas Baker, Cooperstown, and Connor Davidson, Hartwick, were awarded honorable mentions in the Redfield Essay Contest at SUNY Oneonta.

Baker won for long research; Davidson won in the short essay catagory.

LOCALS

Two Present At SUNY Research Day

CCS Names Top 4 Scholars

COOPERSTOWN ason Cadwalder, Cooperstown, presented “The Utility of Thickness and Weather Type as a Rain - Snow Divide: A 30-year Case Study at Albany, NY” as part THREE ON LIST: Hailey of SUNY Oneonta’s Student Erway, Cherry Valley, Research and Creative Jennifer Flynn, Cooperstown, Activity Day. and Evan Mendoza, New Jessie Thomas, Cherry Berlin, were named to the Valley, developed an original Dean’s List at Elmira project titled “Factors College for the Winter Contributing to Picky Eating 2020 semester.

Habits Amongst College Students”

Imagine yourself HERE!!!

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he New York State Sportswriters Association today named three CCS Lady Hawkeyes to the girls allstate basketball team.

Cooperstown senior Piper Seamon, the hard-driving guard who was leading the Cooperstown girls to the state championship when play was ended by the coronavirus, reached the highest ranking, named to the third team Class C all-state girls basketball team.

Her Hawkeye teammate Kate Donnelly was named to the 10th team, and Meagan Schuermann was Honorable Mention.

The Class D team had Edmeston’s Madison Bolton

WHEN the state cuts us loose to open... we’ll be ready to cut you loose from your long hair!

Mary, Patty, Frank & Ken

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page for updates!

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3 Lady Hawkeyes NYSSWA All-Stars COOPERSTOWN

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We miss all of you!

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

With horns honking and balloons flying, Cooperstown Central School administrators, teachers and staff rolled through the community this morning to personally advise four students they had been named the top scholars of the Class of 2020. Clockwise from upper left are Meagan Behan, Madison Hurysz, Vivienne Parkhurst and Nora Jensen.

WHEELER LAUDED: Cayla Wheeler, Edmeston, was initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society, at SUNY Oswego.

Cooperstown senior Piper Seamon was a third team Class C all-state selection

making the 6th squad.

CV-S’s Joleen Lusk was also named to the 6th team.

VOLPE WINS: Marlena Volpe, Burlington Flats, has been awarded the $3,500 “Evelyn C. and Rumsey C. Billings Memorial Endowed Scholarship” to attend Alfred State. She will graduate with the Edmeston Central School class of 2020.

Thank You nurses for all that you do!

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We salute you!

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A sincere thank you to all of the nurses, healthcare professionals and essential workers in our area!

Thanks for all that you do!

“Our family is committed to providing you with a personal as well as professional level of service and still maintain affordability” --John & Kathleen Pietrobono

thank you to all of the HealtHCare worKers and essential worKers during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Your dedication is reflected in everything you do.

We look forward to being able to see you in person and thank you properly!

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Thank you.

Bassett Healthcare Network salutes the dedicated women and men caring for our family, friends, and neighbors during this great time of need and always.

Experience Counts Our hearts and prayers to all medical staff and other people working on the front lines to fight the COVID-19 crisis

Our business is customer satisfaction.

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Honoring the nurses, physicians, advanced practice clinicians, therapists, aides, environmental care and food service workers, non-clinical professionals, volunteers, administrators and many more who continue to serve selflessly and tirelessly.

Your compassion and commitment to patient care brings invaluable service to our communities.

A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, A.O. Fox Tri-Town Campus, At Home Care, Bassett Medical Center, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, First Community Care of Bassett, Fox Nursing Home, Little Falls Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, Regional Health Clinics, School-Based Health Centers, & Valley Health Services

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-3

Suddenly, Otsego County Opening Up

“NORMAL”/From A1 ignoring “the science.”

A week later, the debate sounds quaint, because: • At noon, Thursday, May 7, the New York State Automobile Dealers Association issued a press release: The governor had agreed that all auto dealerships statewide could open, as long as they followed a list of social-distancing precautions. “We’re back in business,” declared Country Club Automotive’s Tom HOMETOWN ONEONTA & The Freeman’s Journal screenshot Armao. (And auto dealers Holding its May 6 meeting via Zoom, the Otsego County Board of are the largest generator of Representatives hotly debated a mild nudge to Governor Cuomo toward sales tax in the county.) reopening. In less than a week, events had outstripped the discussion.

• In his daily briefing local concerts, arts shows didn’t use that metaphor.

Monday, May 11, Governor capacity, and testing going forward. and fairs will have been We’d do like South Cuomo surprised many by “We met all seven,” said cancelled, and schools and Korea, he said: A flare-up announcing three of the Bliss, and he urged owners colleges won’t open until there was met with rapid state’s 10 economic develof Phase One businesses September. response, tracing and interopment regions, Otsego – factories, construction In an interview, Coopersvention. “It was extraordiCounty’s Mohawk Valley firms, stores wanting to town Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh narily effective.” among them, qualified for do curbside pickup among Kuch, who has been For his part, Bliss said the a Phase One reopening this them – to “certify” on listening in on the daily county’s COVID-19 Task coming Friday, May 15. forward.ny.gov that they calls with the Governor’s Force – County Treasurer Allen • Tuesday, May 12, regional representative, said, Ruffles, chair; Public Health Bassett Healthcare President/ meet parameters.

That means their plans “It still won’t be what we Director Heidi Bond, County CEO Bill Streck announced to reopen would include think is ‘out of it.’”

Attorney Ellen Coccoma the Cooperstown hospital social distancing, masks, Social distancing and other and county Rep. Meg is again offering its full hand-sanitizers and other measures will be with us for Kennedy, the deputy chair menu of medical services, measures to protect workers. an uncertain time into the – did what they had to do. after restricting itself since And three more “phases” future.

“It’s not bam, bam, By last week, the county the governor’s March 13 are planned before all back to normal,” she said. had met five of the seven emergency declaration for Empire State business and If the Mohawk Valley parameters, but by week’s the pandemic that never region slips back and infesend, it only had 16 of the arrived. (Only four COVID- institutions can be operational again, although under tations return, “we stop right 17 required “tracers.” Over 19 victims died locally in the “new normal” structures: there,” she said.

“We have the weekend, Bond hired course of the crisis.)

• PHASE TWO, effective to do it again” – i.e., starting another three or four. The “It’s exciting,” said Al Friday, May 29, covering living up to the “metrics” task force will continue to Rubin, Otsego County professional services, for a probationary period. do what it must, he implied.

Chamber board chair as finance and insurance, all At Streck’s press conferHe observed that the events built up momentum. retail and real estate. ence, he, Bassett Hospital governor’s Un-PAUSE “Now is the time for inno• PHASE THREE, President Bill LeCates, Dr. program is structured so vation and creativity.” effective Friday, June 12, Charles Hyman, the infecthat, if localities fail, they Otsego County was back covering restaurants, hotels tious disease specialist, Dr. can take the blame; if they in BID-ness. and other food services and Steven Heneghan, chief succeed, the governor can The Mohawk Valley, accommodations. clinical officer, all undertake the credit.

Finger Lakes and Southern • PHASE FOUR, scored the need for people Nonetheless, he said, Tier economic development effective Friday, June 26, to maintain discipline.

“This is the light at the end districts were only permitted covering arts, entertainment, But Heneghan was firm: of the tunnel.” Then paused. to open up once they recreation and education, If we fall off the wagon, we “In the middle of tunnel. We reached seven “metrics” although by then most can get back on, although he still have a long way to go.” of low infestation, hospital

With ‘Be Careful,’ Bassett Turns Away From COVID BASSETT/From A1 Health Director Heidi Bond said. There have been a total of 62 positive cases and four deaths since mid-March, when the emergency began.

Four people have died.

Bond praised the community for its careful adherence to the protocols.

“I just think the public has been doing a great job doing the social distancing and everything that’s needed to be done,” she said. “We have to keep doing what we need to do to keep transmission numbers low.”

The COVID crisis has taken a tough financial toll on Bassett, Streck said. In April, there was a 40- to 50-percent decline in the number of patient visits, as patients opted to stay home out of concern they might contract the virus at the hospital. Additionally, all non-emergency surgeries had been put on hold.

Because business was brisk in the first part of the year, before the COVID crisis began, the hospital is only down a total of 15 percent in patient visits, but it won’t be clear how that has affected the hospital financially for another few months, Streck said.

“That’s still tens of millions of dollars,” Streck said. Federal grants are helping, but they don’t fill the gap, he said.

The network has already begun surgeries for issues that could be delayed for a period, such as non-aggressive cancer surgeries or ones to address chronic pain.

Bassett has also been authorized to perform outpatient elective surgeries.

There has been an uptick in emergency room visits, which doctors said could

mean that patients had delayed coming to the hospital, but now staff is anticipating that more people will start coming to the hospital for regular care.

“People should not hesitate to seek the care they need,” said Dr. Steve Heneghan, chief clinical officer.

New safety precautions are being implemented at the hospital to protect patients and staff alike.

All patients entering Bassett facilities will have their temperatures taken.

If they are found to have a fever, they will be diverted and assessed to determine if they might have the virus.

“We will address them effectively and kindly to make sure that they are cared for in the right sequence and separated from the broader population if required,” Streck said.

Masks will be worn by all patients and staff during visits, and changes to waiting areas may be implemented to better allow for distancing. Additionally, patients undergoing surgeries will be tested for the virus to ensure that they and all those they come into contact with at the hospital are safe.

Bassett has begun doing antibody tests on patients who have a doctor’s order, and many people have expressed an interest in being tested, said Dr. Charles Hyman, senior attending physician in Infectious Diseases.

It isn’t yet known whether exposure to the virus brings immunity, however.

“Until we know more, social distancing, good hand hygiene and adherence to other recommended precautions remain the best methods of preventing COVID-19,” Hyman said.

Thank You nurses for all that you do!

Thank You Nurses!

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A special thanks to all of our nurses and healthcare workers for your commitment to our community.

For 212 Years

YOU ARE OUR HEROES!

With Great Appreciation to all of those on the Front Lines of Healthcare

Thank you to all the front-line heroes!

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Thank you to Nurses and Healthcare workers everywhere!

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Happy National Nurses Month!

Thank you to all essential workers on the front lines. You are appreciated! #WeAreEssential #NYTough

Helios Care Nurses Care for Our Community, EVERY DAY!

THANk YOu fOR All YOu DO!

Serving the Central New York counties of Otsego, Delaware, Chenango and Schoharie since 1937

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May all the care and kindness that you give to others come back to warm your heart.

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Thank you to all the nurses and other heroes working the front-lines for our health and safety!

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Perspectives

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL EDITORIALS

It Takes A Village, Indeed

Medical Challenge Met; W Now, The Economic One

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sked whether “fear” is warranted in the Otsego County community as the coronavirus threat retreats, Bassett Hospital President Bill LeCates suggested two words he deems more appropriate than fear: “vigilance” and “surveillance.”

He was speaking at the Tuesday, May 12, press conference, which Bassett Healthcare President/CEO Bill Streck characterized as setting the stage for “what

life is going to be for the immediate future.”

Dr. Steve Heneghan, Clinical Services director, held up South Korea as an example for Otsego County to follow. When a flareup occurred there after an

initial quelling of the virus, the Koreans reacted with a “rapid response, tracing and intervention.”

“It was extraordinarily effective,” he said.

“Bassett did a good job,” Streck allowed. “But I don’t want to overstate what we did.”

He was saying: It’s what the community did – all of us: you, you and you – that turned the tide: the social distancing, the masks, the hand sanitizer, avoiding crowds.

Labor Department Failures Have New Yorkers In Tears

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filled out online forms, and are still waiting to receive essential benefits that they deserve.

Many of these individuals have drained their savings and have bills that are piling up. They want to get back to work, but in the interim, they should not be left feeling desperate and helpless because of the state’s failed response.

While the state has reportedly spent nearly $88 million on high-end firm Deloitte to overhaul the DOL call system and for 200 employees from the firm, desperate, unemployed New Yorkers still cannot get through or have legitimate filings stuck in the system.

• I have joined with members of the Senate Republican Conference in calling for the following immediate steps to be taken: • The governor must streamline application certifications and allow applicants to “certify” upon application, while still providing appropriate safeguards to help ensure that benefits only go to eligible New Yorkers; • In addition to the 3,000 employees currently working phones, the DOL must Please See SEWARD, A6

For 212 Years

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James C. Kevlin Editor & Publisher

Tara Barnwell

Advertising Director & General Manager

Libby Cudmore

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 MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, NY Press Association 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

and lots of orders,” said Bill.

Word got around and, all of a sudden, “a whole bunch Former of people came in, Cooperstown mayor volunteers,” friends Carol B. Waller of Carol who had didn’t feel right the helped her out over weekend of May 2-3. the years.

“What we’re doing Tuesday, May 5, They sat down works,” said LeCates, her husband Bill in the shop at 207 nailing it. He call it “a rushed her to the Main St. and began success and a caution.” hospital. It was filling orders.

• atrial fibrillation, an Carol Waller “There were 40 If maintaining social irregular heartbeat corsages,” said Bill. distancing, using masks and that can lead to stroke or “And there were women, hand sanitizer, and avoiding heart attack. sitting there, making bows.” gatherings keeps the virus Meanwhile, Mother’s Day By the time Carol was at bay, fine. But, unfortuwas coming up in a few days. released the day before nately, as the COVID-19 Carol had closed down Mother’s Day, the orders tide is going out, the tide of her Mohican Flowers due to were done, Bill had deliveconomic travail is coming coronavirus, but she and Bill ered them, and the former in, unavoidably. decided to open up for the mayor could settle peaceCooperstown Dreams commemorative day. fully into recuperation.

Please See EDITORIAL, A4 “We had tons of flowers It takes a village.

FOILING THE FOE

VIEW FROM ALBANY

ealth concerns and economic issues continue to plague New York State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a number of complex matters that will continue to receive attention, both in the short term and for weeks and months down the road.

One particularly troubling issue that needs to be resolved, and resolved quickly, is the breakdown of the state Department of Labor’s JIM unemployment SEWARD benefit system.

At a time when individuals and families need the state to come through for them, they are instead left hurting and in the dark.

Many people have been waiting weeks, even months, for essential unemployment benefits to feed their families and maintain some semblance of a normal life.

The inability of the Department of Labor to process these claims is nothing short of a disaster.

This is a crisis we cannot tolerate any longer.

• Every day my office hears from constituents, many in tears, who have no idea where to turn. They have made hundreds of calls to the Department of Labor,

hen trouble strikes, small towns step up.

Here’s a screen shot of Governor Cuomo’s new Regional Monitoring Dashboard as of Monday, May 11. For up-to-date data, visit https://forward.ny.gov/regional-monitoring-dashboard

Otsego County’s Region Must Maintain ‘Metrics,’ Or Risk Losing All The Progress That’s Been Made Editor’s Note: For anyone concerned about the reopening of New York State, be assured by this “Metrics to Guide Reopening” on Governor Cuomo’s NY FORWARD website (forward.ny.gov). The un-PAUSE, which begins Friday, May 15, in Otsego County, follows “the science,” and if our Mohawk Valley Economic Region fails to maintain the metrics, the PAUSE could be reimposed.

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t is imperative that we use data and good public health principles to reopen. To that end, state and local officials will monitor four core factors to determine if a region can reopen.

The loosening of restrictions in New York State will be considered on a regional basis, based on the following criteria. These criteria are designed to allow phased re-openings to begin in each region only if: • The infection rate is sufficiently low; • The health care system has the capacity to absorb a potential resurgence in new cases; • Diagnostic testing capacity is sufficiently high to detect and isolate new cases; and • Robust contact-tracing capacity is in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.

1. MONITORING NEW INFECTOINS The first key to reopening is continuing to control the rate of transmission of COVID-19, which limits infections and ensures that healthcare facilities are not overwhelmed. The rate of reproduction over time (Rt) measures how many people a virus carrier infects. At New York State’s high point, experts believe that the

For anything you may want to know about the un-PAUSE, including how to certify your business to reopen, visit the NY FORWARD site, forward.ny.gov

state had an Rt of more than 3, meaning every carrier was infecting three more people, spreading exponentially, and leading to an epidemic we could not control. NY PAUSE succeeded in lowering our rate of transmission to below one – not just slowing the rate of spread but achieving a decline in new cases. ►Metric #1/Decline in Hospitalizations: The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends that reopening be dependent on a downward trajectory of hospitalizations and infections over a 14-day period.

The CDC also recognizes the need to tailor the application of these criteria to local circumstances (e.g., metropolitan areas that have suffered severe COVID outbreaks, rural and suburban areas where outbreaks have not occurred or have been mild).

Accordingly, before a phased reopening begins, a region must experi-

ence a sustained decline in total net hospitalizations – the total number of people in the hospital each day, calculated on a three-day rolling average – over the course of a 14-day period.

Alternatively, regions that have seen few COVID cases overall will satisfy this metric if the daily net increase in total hospitalizations (measured on a three-day rolling average) has never exceeded 15. ►Metric #2/Decline in Deaths Another important metric for monitoring the infection rate is the number of daily deaths.

Before reopening, a region must experience a sustained decline in the three-day rolling average of daily hospital deaths over the course of a 14-day period.

Alternatively, regions that have seen few COVID cases overall will satisfy this metric if the three-day rolling average of daily new hospital deaths has never exceeded 5. ►Metric #3/New Hospitalizations In addition to monitoring the decline in disease trajectory, it’s important to monitor the absolute level of infection in each region.

This is because it’s possible for a region that has seen a high level of infections – for example, New York City – to see a sustained decline in hospitalizations and deaths over a 14day period, while still having an underlying infection rate that is too high to allow for a safe phased re-opening.

One reliable metric for evaluating the level of infection is the number of new hospitalizations occurring each day. Accordingly, a phased re-opening for each region will be conditioned on the occurrence of fewer than two new Please See METRICS, A6

AllOTSEGO.com • MORE LETTERS, A6

LETTERS TO EDITOR WELCOME • EMAIL THEM TO info@

THURSDAY, May 14, 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

It is said that the death of Tamaahmaah, King of the Sandwich Islands, has caused so much dissension among his successors and officers, as to threaten a revolution and civil war. The old King left upwards of $150,000 dollars in specie. The death of this venerable Indian Prince at the present time, is a cause of serious regret among the friends of Christianity in this community. He was very favorably disposed towards the propagation of Christianity among his subjects and their consequent civilization; and last fall, it will be recollected, an interesting Mission family, from New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, sailed from Boston for Owyhee, accompanied by several natives who have been educated at the Cornwall School, in Connecticut.

(Ed. Note: Among the missionary party was Betsey Stockton, then a young woman of African and Caucasian descent.

Although Betsey was the daughter of a slave mother who belonged to the Stocktons, she was raised within the family and considered to be a Stockton. Betsey’s father has never been identified. Betsey received an extraordinary education within the Stockton family whose library was among the largest private collection in early America. In 1826-1827, having returned from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), Betsey resided in Cooperstown as a teacher with a Stockton-related family.)

May 15, 1820

175 YEARS AGO

Affairs at Washington seem steady-handed and without excitement. The new reign appears to inspire general confidence throughout the country, nothing doubting that every relation of the great Republic will be looked to with care and molded for the honor and prosperity of the whole Union. The aspect of things in Texas there among the people, is clearly favorable to annexation, and it is believed that no foreign influence will be effective in controlling the action of the Texan Congress at its June meeting.

May 12, 1845

150 YEARS AGO

Local – We took a trip around the lake last week in the little steamer “Mary Boden,” on the invitation of the “Commodore.” This is no “half-fledged bantling” but a fully developed steamboat. Small it may be in size, but complete in its appointments with engine and boiler, pilot house, cabin and locker (not Davy Jones’s), all in the regular way. The boat, with a party of about 20, including a delegation from the Cooperstown Band, left the anchorage at about half past eleven on Thursday last. After running a

25 YEARS AGO

75 YEARS AGO

EM 3c Stuart O. Howe, age 19, whose wife Ruth Howe, lives in Portlandville, helped take a new yet unidentified cruiser into battle for the first time against the Japanese according to a delayed dispatch from the Pacific. Her guns sent two Japanese bombers crashing into the sea not far from Japan. The Captain of the newly baptized cruiser spoke from his station on the bridge to the men at their battle stations. The planes of returning U.S. airmen speckled the sky as they maneuvered for landings. The Captain’s words were proud: “Objective realized….losses of task aircraft light….damage to the enemy severe.”

May 16, 1945 May 12, 1995 few times back and forth in front of the village, we made the tour of the lake, returning to the moorings a little after two o’clock. Thus was successfully inaugurated the first steamboat on Otsego Lake.

May 10, 1870

125 YEARS AGO

Constance Fenimore Woolson’s Grave – In the English Protestant Cemetery and but a few feet distant from the tombstone of the poet Shelley, lies a marble slab over the grave of the well-known authoress. The inscription on the stone is: “Constance Fenimore Woolson 1894.” No laudatory epitaph of high-sounding words is required, for her writings and a beautiful life have reared for her a most fitting monument, which will outlast bronze and marble, which are perishable.” It was the hope and expectation of Miss Woolson to spend the closing years of her life in Cooperstown.

May 16, 1895

100 YEARS AGO

F. William Gruby was released from the county jail on Friday night after a son paid the alternative fine of $25.

Gruby was adjudged in contempt of court by Justice of the Peace Vanderwerker and was given the choice of paying a $25 fine or being a guest of Sheriff B.F. Van Zandt for a month. Gruby was hailed before the Justice for his failure to provide recompense to various families to whom his

VIEW FROM WEST DAVENPORT

I

The Case For Reopening

s there a need to reopen our economy and reopen it now? The nearly 20 million, or 16 percent of the workforce, unemployed Americans aren’t asking that governors reopen it – they’re demanding it.

Americans want to return to work.

What about the risk, you say? It would appear they would be safer at work than those in nursing homes forced by Governor Cuomo to cohabitate with people known to have the coronavirus. It would seem, according to the Governor’s own discovery, they would be safer than the elderly confined to their homes.

MIKE The elite media, who said we ZAGATA have to sacrifice the economy to win the war against the virus, have succeeded in the shutting down our economy even though the virus will likely be with us for several more months. Is the real goal to destroy the virus or destroy the economy?

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Unemployment in April soared to 14.7 percent – the highest rate since the government started keeping records in 1948 – while employers shed 20.5 million more jobs after losing 870,000 in March. The labor-market bleeding is even worse than those numbers suggest, since 6.4 million workers left the workforce.

“Much of the media continue to treat the economic destruction as a sideshow and present a false choice between saving lives and jobs. But this is the fastest jobs collapse in modern history. The Great

children had been farmed out by Miss Hazel Foster, Otsego County Agent for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

May 19, 1920

Depression drove millions of Americans into poverty and caused many suicides, and there’s a substantial risk this could happen again.”

How do we address the question of risk?

Well, there’s risk in everything we do.

However, there are, based upon what we know about the virus, steps we can take to minimize it. (There is no such thing as zero risk – it doesn’t exist, so stop beating a dead horse).

• We know the elderly, and those with serious underlying medical conditions, have greater risk – so keep them at home under close observation (as proven in New York City, merely staying confined at home doesn’t guarantee safety).

• We now have the ability to rapidly test for the virus, so set up a procedure for testing workers.

• We now know that young people, especially children, are at low risk – so reopen schools and thereby allow the children’s parents to return to work.

Our hospitals are now better prepared and have the ability to handle patient surges caused by temporary flare-ups.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “They know the virus will be with us for a long time unless there’s a vaccine, so we have to learn to live with it and have a functioning economy.”

Please See ZAGATA, A6

H

50 YEARS AGO

Thomas Troeger of Cooperstown, a senior at the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, has been called as assistant minister of the New Hartford Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Troeger, a graduate of Cooperstown Central School and Yale University, will graduate from Colgate-Rochester later this month. He has worked as student assistant during his seminary career at several churches in the Rochester area.

He is married to the former Merle M. Butler of Whitesboro.

The Rev. Richard Manzelmann has announced that ordination ceremonies are scheduled for June 14 at the New Hartford church.

May 13, 1970

10 YEARS AGO

A door to a window on 19th century Cooperstown history opened the other day for Roverta Russaw of Morristown, Tennessee, great, great, granddaughter of Joseph Thomas “Joe Tom” Husbands. According to Village Historian Hugh MacDougall, Joe Tom “was a well-liked and somewhat nostalgically remembered character.” Joe Tom was born into slavery in 1808, the property of Joseph Dottin Husbands, the British Colonial Secretary in Bridgetown, Barbados. He was brought to Hartwick from New Jersey in 1815. For 60 years he served his Cooperstown and area neighbors as a handyman, gardener, cook, boatman, fisherman, hunter, tour guide, story teller, musician and entertainer. He was also the Christ Church sexton. His descendant, Roverta Russaw was shown around the village

by Hugh and Eleanor MacDougall.

May 13, 2010

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

The Case For Caution

ow would you personally quantify 333,000 COVID-19 cases; 250,000 remain an acceptable number of COVID active, 56,000 are recovered, and 26,563 deaths? Would you personally are dead. The fatality/case ratio is 8 percent. go on record saying 200-300 New York We should be doubling down on efforts to citizens dying every day for the next month stop this from going any farther. is acceptable? Would 10 or more Then there is the conventional people dying every hour for the next wisdom of the acceptability of 30 days be okay with you? one death in 1,000 across our Would 6,000 additional deaths not population, but that ignores the keep you awake at night? That’s the reality of the 26,563 dead – and track we’re already on, and reopentheir families and friends – ing is only going to make it worse. being cruelly written off as Let’s face facts. As a nation we acceptable statistics. Millions have done a terrible job with the of New Yorkers from all corners COVID-19 pandemic. Our response of the state have been affected.

LARRY has literally been the worst of any Patients, families, medical staffs, BENNETT country. We have more cases than friends, and co-workers have the next five nations combined, been devastated. and more deaths than the next three nations It’s been horrible, both economically and combined. The federal government, under socially. We are sick of being cooped up. the inept Trump Administration, has heaped We want to go back to work, be paid, and disastrous decision-making on top of a meet our financial obligations. We want medical tragedy. to visit friends and families. We want to Let’s also face the fact that New York go see a movie, attend a sports game, or State is in the worst shape of any state. worship in our church. We want to attend We were hit hardest and first, for reasons memorial services for family, friends, and mostly related to international travel and neighbors who have died. population density. We have suffered the We all deeply desire the news to move most, even as our state government has on to something other than COVID deaths. acted more decisively than the federal That desire means reopening plans now government. lead the news around the nation. It is underDespite this, one third of American standable why people long to reopen. deaths have been in New York. With only We’re seeing a flattening of the growth 6 per cent of the U.S. population – 20 of new cases. (That’s not remotely the same million out of 330 million, New York has as no new cases.) Experts say there need to had 34 percent of all U.S. deaths – 26,563 be 14 days without ANY new cases being of 78,000. As of May 9, New York had Please See BENNETT, A6

EDITORIAL: County Needs Bassett-Like Plan For Economic Revival EDITORIAL/From A4 Park, the Hall of Fame Induction and Glimmerglass Opera, three of the big drivers of our 13-week summertime boom – it makes the other nine months possible – are cancelled.

Equally devastating is SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College sending their students home – 6,000 kids no longer injecting dollars into the county’s economy.

Staggering.

Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, who listens in to the daily telephone briefings from

the Governor’s Office, says we should expect Phase Four – the opening of arts, entertainment, recreation and education – to arrive by the end of July.

But, “it still won’t be what we think is ‘out of it,’” she said.

• So the medical reality is: Don’t succumb to fear, but maintain “vigilance” and “surveillance.” If the coronavirus flares up again, we can attack it anew with “rapid response, tracing and intervention.”

The challenge is the economy. Remember, our

poverty rate in 2017 was 16.1 percent, 3 percent higher than the 13.1 national rate. In 2018, the Trump economy pushed the national rate down to 11.8.

That was in relative good times. In bad? It’s time to act.

The medical threat is largely past. The economic crisis is just beginning, and it’s less than two weeks from Memorial Day. Two tasks forces are workHOMETOWN ONEONTA ing – in Cooperstown and in Oneonta – on economicBassett Hospital President Bill LeCates, left, and Bill Streck, president/CEO of the eight-county revival plans, but will a Bassett Healthcare Network, outlined what a committee structure be able post-coronavirus hospital will be like. to react quickly enough,

raise money quickly enough, start making regional ad buys quickly enough to make any difference this year?

Bassett’s response to the unprecedented challenge was everything the public might wish it to be.

Certainly, it seems, county business and government leaders would benefit in turning to Bassett’s model for focus and guidance as the second plague – the economic one – arrives in force.

We need a Bassett-like plan, not for the medical challenge; for everything else.

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

MVRED Region Must Follow The Rules – Or Go Back To PAUSE METRICS/From A4 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents (measured on a three-day rolling average).

2. HEALTHCARE CAPACITY This pandemic has made clear that having enough hospital capacity is critical.

Upon the recommendations of public health experts, every region must have the healthcare capacity to handle a potential second surge in cases – regions must have at least 30 percent of their total hospital and ICU beds available at all times. ►Metric #4/Hospital Bed Capacity In addition to ensuring that disease progression is contained, guidance from both the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) require that regional health system capacity remain sufficient to absorb a potential resurgence of new cases. Phased re-openings will therefore be

conditioned on the hospital bed capacity in each region.

Regions must have at least 30 percent of their total hospital beds available before a phased re-open can begin. ►Metric #5/ICU Bed Capacity Nearly 30 percent of hospitalizations for COVID-19 ultimately require critical care. It is therefore critical that regional health care systems not only maintain sufficient bed capacity for a potential resurgence in cases, but also achieve sufficient capacity for ICU beds specifically.

Accordingly, regions must have at least 30 percent of their ICU beds available before a phased re-opening can begin.

In addition, to ensure nurses and doctors have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need, every hospital must also have at least 90 days of PPE stockpiled.

The state is working with the hospitals, nursing homes, and

other facilities to develop a timeline to build a robust stockpile.

We can’t afford to risk another scramble for PPE while medical personnel are left under-protected.

3. TESTING, CONTACT TRACING The key to controlling the virus is aggressive testing and tracing, so that hotspots can quickly and effectively be isolated. New York has worked hard to scale up testing at rates higher than any state or country in the world.

Hospitalization rates are important, but testing identifies the full rate of spread.

Regions can watch that rate move, and adjust their reopening strategies as needed. Widespread testing is also key to effective contact tracing. This allows health officials to identify asymptomatic carriers, who are spreading the virus undetected, and isolate them before they infect others. ►Metric #6/Diagnostic Testing

Widespread diagnostic testing is a key lynchpin on which our ability to contain the spread of the virus depends. Testing is critical to identifying new infections, isolating them, and tracing their contacts.

Phased re-openings will depend on the ability of each region to achieve 30 tests per 1,000 people per month, consistent with the recommendation of Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

New York scaled up testing at rates higher than any state or country in the world. The state is committed to continuing to rapidly expand our capacity statewide to help all regions meet this threshold. ►Metric #7/Tracing Capacity The CDC and WHO also recommend that robust contact tracing programs be in place before local governments consider easing restrictions.

Contact tracing helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 by rapidly interviewing positive patients; identifying their close contacts; interviewing and alerting those contacts to the risk of infection; and instructing those contacts to quarantine or isolate for 14 days, to be sure they don’t spread COVID-19 to others.

The state Department of Health (DOH) has partnered with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and Vital Strategies to recruit and train an army of contact tracers to meet the needs of each region statewide, including from State, City and County Health Departments.

In collaboration with these partners, DOH has established region-specific thresholds for the number of contact tracers required, based on the characteristics within each region.

BENNETT: Opening Too Soon Will Cause Deaths SEWARD: Labor Department BENNETT/From A5 confirmed in any area before reopening. Let’s take that advice.

Reopening prematurely creates inevitable surges in viral infections.

In parts of Florida and Georgia with partial reopening there are already reports of jumps in the number of COVID-19 cases. These will be followed by an utterly predictable increase in deaths. Let’s stick with the most careful and conservative plans the experts offer.

The economic issues here are difficult, and are also often unfair.

Many people have been able to collect

unemployment, but reopening can also be used as a political tool to keep poor people from collecting that unemployment.

For hourly and front-line workers, it can also mean work sick or lose their jobs. Small businesses can be caught in webs of conflict over staffing, health issues, insurance, and unemployment.

Meanwhile, for white collar workers and managers it can still be possible to work remotely and safely. They are also more likely than front-line workers to have better health insurance, even to the extent of finding it easier to be tested.

Reopening should not be done on the backs of working people for the benefit of owners and shareholders.

The U.S. could have been the nation best prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead we were the worst.

Unlike 12 weeks ago, we now know what we face and we need to do this right.

Reopening must be done carefully, with monitoring, and in a way that protects everyone. Anything less will result in death sentences.

Larry Bennett, retired Brewery Ommegang creative director who is active in local causes, lives in East Merideth.

Is Letting New Yorkers Down

SEWARD/From A4 collaborate with other state agencies to train thousands more of the state’s workforce, who are staying at home, to rapidly field calls and help New Yorkers file to receive benefits immediately; • New York State Comptroller DiNapoli, who oversees payments, contracts, and finances in the state, should be empowered to provide emergency oversight and assistance to DOL; leeway to open and make their own risk calculations.

ZAGATA/From A5 • Comptroller DiNapoli It appears Americans believe they are smart enough Does that seem unreasonable when contrasted with should conduct an immeto take precautions and social distance, and businesses the alternative – both sickness and economic collapse? diate, fast-track audit of that knowingly endanger their employees face potential Remember, economic collapse has its own set of healththe DOL’s procedures liability. related issues with suicide being one of them. and administration of the Mike Zagata, a DEC commissioner in the Pataki program; and It seems that Americans have decided that both sickAdministration and former environmental executive for ness and economic shutdown is not the option they wish • A state legislative joint Fortune 500 companies, lives in West Davenport. committee should conduct to pursue. Governors are being forced by their citizens to adopt policies that give those citizens and businesses the an immediate review and investigation into DOL’s failed handling of unemployLETTERS ment benefits throughout the pandemic.

• Earlier, I joined with other legislators in a bipartisan To the Editor: rediscover their beautiful village.

Let’s offer free parking this year so effort calling for an audit Here are my thoughts concerning Mindful of the old-fashioned days, everyone can explore our village with by the state Comptroller paid parking this year on Main Street, they can shop locally with unrushed all it has to offer. and a state Legislative Joint Cooperstown: personal service, bump into old I agree and understand the need to Committee investigation I have faith that something positive friends, socialize in a relaxed environcharge for parking to generate income into the state Department of can unexpectedly evolve from this ment, while walking Main Street and for our village from tourism. However, Labor’s handling of unemvery uncertain, frightening and sad parking easily.

I’m personally so very disappointed ployment benefit applicahealth crisis. New social guidelines, But, sadly, paying to park! in the decision regarding paid meter tions in the wake of the event cancellations and uncertain Imagine visiting a local store to parking this particular summer and circumstances afford our local friends, purchase an item, or just say “hi” with no year ahead. neighbors and residents a unique pressure to put money in a parking meter DIANE GAMBLE summer opportunity to reconnect and or move your vehicle after two hours.

Cooperstown

ZAGATA: What The Option: Sickness AND Collapse?

Insisting On Paid Parking A Missed Opportunity For Village

coronavirus pandemic.

The findings of the comptroller and the joint legislative committees need to be made public to ensure that not only has the issue been addressed, but also that the state can put in place the necessary procedures to resolve those issues so that moving forward such missteps can be avoided.

It is imperative that given the dire warnings that another wave of COVID-19 infections is a real possibility that we are prepared in the future.

As we prepare to re-open our economy, I continue to support a commonsense regional approach. Local officials and business owners are hard at work structuring plans that take into account the specifics of their communities that they know and understand.

The governor’s office and Empire State Development need to take these carefully developed proposals as we move forward. Health and public safety guidelines also must be implemented as we make this transition.

State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, has represented Otsego County in Albany for 35 years.

The

job scene b scene

Careers begin here!

Careers Begin Here!

ETR Oneonta Job Corps Academy is looking for energetic and motivated teachers to work with students between the ages of 16 – 24.

To place effective employment ads, call 607-547-6103

A recognized strength that puts ETR above other workforce development providers is the lasting relationships we establish with each student; and our individualized approach to helping our students achieve their academic, career training, and employment goals.

If you have a passion for teaching and are looking for a job that is rewarding, then this is the job for you!

Seeking on-call or substitute positions in the following areas:

Education/ Experience:

PRODUCTION ASSEMBLER NEEDED

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Come be a part of a family-owned business that has been employing in the greater Oneonts area for 59 years.

• One shift only • Weekends off • On a major bus route • Family-friendly hours • Benefits, 401k plan Conact Jerri at 607-432-1930 ext. 103 For more info and to apply, find us on the web at: wwwastrocom-electronics.com/Astrocom/ employment-opportunities.html

Master’s degree • Valid NYS Teaching Certification • One year instructional experience with youth. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and proficiency required. • Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record; and Must pass post offer background check and drug screen.

Benefits :

Medical, Vision and Dental • 401K Retirement • Employer Paid Life Insurance Paid Sick and Vacation time • Paid Holidays $10,000 Sign on Incentive for Instructors w/ valid NYS Certification at time of hire.

Additional Eligibility Requirements May Apply.

Salary range $43,000.00- $47,500.00 and are based on certification status and experience.

all appliCants must pass a post-offer BaCkground CHeCk and drug sCreen.

ETR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and herein reiterates its policy of equal opportunity for all qualified individuals without distinction or discrimination because of race, color, religion, marital status, political affiliation or belief, sex, age, national origin or veteran status

Email resumes to Oneonta.HR@etrky.com Or Fax 607-431-1519 or Call 607-431-1457 Amanda Reeder HR Specialist Our address is 21 Homer Folks Ave, Oneonta NY 13820

Come Work for Oneonta Job Corps Academy!

Do you enjoy working with young adults and wish to inspire people for success? Are you looking for a career opportunity with benefits and retirement?

Job Corps is the nation’s largest career technical training and educational program for young people ages 16-24. Established in 1964, Job Corps serves approximately 60,000 young people each year.

We are a national, primarily residential training program, who attracts eligible young adults to teach them the skills they need to become employable and independent, and place them into meaningful jobs or further education.

OPEN POSITIONS: Cafeteria Dishwashers- (2) full time Cafeteria Cook assistant- full time Dorm Counselors- over night & weekenDs- full time reCreation speCialist- evenings & weekenDs- full time outreaCh & aDmission Counselors- full time traDe substitute instruCtors- on-Call for meDiCal traDes, ConstruCtion traDes, automotive traDes aCaDemiC substitute instruCtors- math, reaDing, english, sCienCe

BENEfITS: meDiCal, vision anD Dental • 401k retirement employer paiD life insuranCe • paiD siCk anD vaCation time paiD holiDays all appliCants must pass a post-offer baCkground CheCk and drug sCreen.

ETR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and herein reiterates its policy of equal opportunity for all qualified individuals without distinction or discrimination because of race, color, religion, marital status, political affiliation or belief, sex, age, national origin or veteran status

Email resumes to Oneonta.HR@etrky.com Or Fax 607-431-1519 or Call 607-431-1457 Amanda Reeder HR Specialist Our address is 21 Homer Folks Ave, Oneonta NY 13820

Living with COVID-19

P

THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

PAGE B-1

uzzlin’ The Time Away

what’s fun

in Otsego County

BEST BETS

George the Hyde Hall Cat is offering video tours on the museum’s Facebook page.

A Cat’s Eye Tour, Poems & Puzzles, And Many Birds

E

How To Keep Alumni Engaged In Shutdown? That’s A Puzzler

By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA

S

ince April, Laura Lincoln, director of SUNY Oneonta’s Office of Alumni Engagement, found she was getting a lot of calls from alumni with a puzzling question.

“People kept calling us and asking us if we had a jigsaw puzzle,” she said.

“It’s amazing how many

►TO ORDER SUNY Oneonta puzzle, follow the link at http://reddragonoutfitters. oneonta.edu/

requests we’ve had, but it makes sense – everyone’s looking for a way to stay busy at home.”

She reached out to Tracy Dolan, Red Dragon Outfitters’ business manager, and found that, although they didn’t have a puzzle for sale, the two departments could partner to create one.

Please See PUZZLE, B2

SUNY Oneonta’s Alumni Engagement staff that helped develop the jigsaw puzzle includes, clockwise from upper left, Jonah Roberts, graphic design and social media specialist; Laura Lincoln, director; Danielle Tonner, associate director; Office Assistant Jennifer Oates; Red Dragon Mascot; Michelle Hansen, coordinator, affinity programs and reunion; Adrienne Martini, writer; Administrative Assistant Stacy Robinson, and Abigail Hurley, coordinator of recent alumni and student programs.

From Pandemic, ‘Tender, Funny’ Paintings Big paintings?

Ashley Norwood Cooper’s next painting will be 10 feet tall.

changing a light bulb. I’ll need a big ladder to paint it, though!”

COOPERSTOWN The planned painting is one of many the artist, who he blank canvas is gaining a reputation well stretches nearly to the beyond Otsego County, has top of Ashley been doing while ►FOR MORE Norwood Cooper’s in quarantine since of the Coopersstudio, more than March. “My paintings town painter’s 10 feet tall. have always been art, Google “I did a painting about people at “ashley cooper called ‘The Girl’s home,” she said. art” Room,’ which had “It fits, now, because women playing it’s the only place we’re allowed to be. And guitar and doing art,” she said. “I think this is going Cooperstown in winter – or a to be similar, with women Please See PAINTING, B2

By LIBBY CUDMORE

T AllOTSEGO.life

Ian Austin/

ven though Hyde Hall isn’t open, you can still take a tour – from a the ground up! George, the Hyde Hall cat, leads you through the house, or see their beautiful Vapor Lamps and other period lighting with a video tour – complete with demonstrations! www.facebook. com/HydeHall1817/ • If jigsaw puzzles aren’t your scene, try a word search or puzzle! The Farmers’ Museum has puzzles built around the General Store, the henhouse and other attractions in the Historic Village.

LIBBY https://www.facebook.

CUDMORE com/farmersmuseum/ • Poet Bruce Bennett, author of “Another Day in Just Our Town: Poems New And Selected, 2000-2016” will read from his work at the Bright Hill Press & Literary Center’s annual Word Thursday reading series. 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 14, www. facebook.com/brighthp/.

• You may be stuck inside, but you can still learn about “Birds From Near & Far” with Gail and Nelson DuBois, who will share stories from their travels.

Sponsored by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, registration required.

7:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, www.facebook. com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety.

• Use this time in quarantine to clean house! The annual Hartwick Clean Sweep will accept yard trash and scrap metal free of charge; tires for a small fee. Participants wear masks & stay in cars while volunteers unload. Hartwick residents only. 8 a.m.

- 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, Town Hall, Hartwick. (607) 547-8070.

• There’s still time to read Chanelle Benz’s “The Gone Dead” ahead of the meeting of the Huntington Memorial Library’s Virtual Book Club! 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, https:// www.facebook.com/hmloneonta/

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL • HOMETOWN ONEONTA

AllOTSEGO.com, WHERE OTSEGO COUNTY GOES FOR BREAKING NEWS

VISIT www.

A huge THANK YOU to all nurses, healthcare workers and essential workers... and to everyone who has brought our community through Coronavirus!

Five Star Subaru

331 Chestnut Street • Oneonta

wedosubaru.com

B-2

AllOTSEGO.life

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020

Sheltered, Cooperstown Artist Finds Inspiration In Family, Nature PAINTING/From B1 May snowstorm! – is a great place to get work done.� “Easter Eggs,� for example, shows a family gathered around a TV with the breaking news of the virus, with magnified coronaviruses hidden throughout the scene.

Jon Hansen

“My son Gil came up with the title,� she said. “They were hidden, like Easter eggs.�

Another Easter egg to look for – the cats in her paintings. In “The Girl’s Room,� the feline is seated next to the guitar player, in “Easter Egg,� there’s one

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killing a mouse. “Bruegel� – the Flemish Renaissance painter – “had this painting of children ice skating, but in the foreground you see all these birds around a trap,� she said. “It’s foreboding, it symbolizes plagues, and in this case, we’re like the mouse.�

Cooper’s most recent show at the Volta Art Fair was written about in the New York Times. “Tender and funny, the works stopped me in my tracks,� wrote Times Art Critic Jill Steinhauer. “COVID-19 hit right after I got back,� Cooper said. “I painted obsessively.

Someone asked, ‘Aren’t you depressed?’ and I said ‘No, I am painting’.�

She has not only used the quarantine to create more of her paintings, but to share them as well. “There’s no way to show in galleries,� she said. “But I saw that some galleries were putting their paintings in the windows so people who walked by could see them.�

On Saturday, May 2,

Cooper held a Drive-By, Walk-By Exhibit in front of her Lake Street home, inviting people to see six of her most recent works without fear of a crowded gallery in which to spread the virus.

The show was a hit. “I decided to do it about 12 hours before I put out the paintings,� she said. “But it was a great day, and a lot of people came!�

Cooper, who has lived with her family in Cooperstown since 2002, is no stranger to painting in isolation. In 2014, she painted a series called “Deployment� that showed her family’s life – built around the iPad that she used to communicate with her husband, Dr. Shelby Cooper, when the Navy a lieutenant commander was deployed to Afghanistan for nine months. “This brings it all back,� she said. “We’re all communicating over the Internet again.�

These days, the family is pitching in with her. “My kids are my studio assis-

“The Girls Room,� part of her show at Zinc Contemporary in Seattle, has inspired her next painting, tentatively titled “Change�

See portfolio ashleynorwoodcooper.com/

tants,� she said. “Trent is helping me stretch canvases, Gil is helping me build panels.�

And she noted that although she paints figures, she doesn’t use her family as models – not directly, anyway. “I paint all from memory,� she said. “So it’s not like they’re really modeling for me. But the kids in my paintings tended

to be a lot younger 10 years ago!�

With her planned show at Zinc Contemporary in Seattle likely cancelled, she hopes to have another drive-by show at the end of the summer. In the meantime, she’s prepping for her next push of paintings, including “Change.� “I’ve spent a week just priming the surface of this canvas!� she said.

Jigsaw Puzzle Keeps Sheltered Alums In Touch PUZZLE/From B1 “Even working remotely, we were able to work together,�

Lincoln said. “That’s what’s so amazing to me.�

With graphic designer Jonah Roberts, the two began planning what the puzzle would look like. “We were looking for photos that would instill nostalgia and pride for our alumni, but would also give them a sense of what the campus

NOTICE:

ANNuAl mEETINg ANd budgET vOTE Notice is hereby given that the annual Meeting and Budget Vote typically held each year on the third Tuesday in May is hereby postponed until June 9, 2020.

This year’s budget vote and board seat election are taking place via absentee balloting only.

The Districts in the ONC BOCES region are planning to mail absentee ballots to voters in the district based on previous year voter lists. If you have not received a ballot by June 1st, please contact the school district clerk for a ballot.

HOMETOWN ONEONTA

looks like today, especially since they can’t come see it,� she said. “We had a lot of photos to choose from.�

The photos also had to be easy to take apart and put back together again. “We wanted the puzzle to be challenging, but not so difficult that it couldn’t be accomplished.

They selected four photos – the campus quad, Red Dragon Drive, the Hunt Union pond and the Welcome Center. “The Welcome Center is the newest building, and many of our alumni haven’t seen it,� she said. “People keep asking, ‘What’s that building?’ And with the Hunt Union, everyone has memories of those goldfish. It’s iconic.�

Those four photos were put together by the graphic design team, which sent it to Maryland Screen Printers in Baltimore, which turned it into the 18- by 24-inch, 500piece jigsaw puzzle. “It’s amazing that it only took two weeks to produce,�

Lincoln said.

On May 5, SUNY Oneonta sent an email to all alumni announcing that preorders were available, and within two hours, 20 people had ordered one.

The initial pre-order was 100, but that was quickly exceeded, and 250 more were ordered. The puzzles will be mailed to customers by the end of May. The puzzle is just one piece of an effort to keep alumni engaged with the campus while the campus is closed under COVID19 quarantine, Lincoln said. “We’re implementing a lot of virtual programs to keep our alumni engaged while we’re all at home,� she said. “We want to keep them connected to the school so that they continue to have pride in SUNY Oneonta.�

Other activities include the Red Dragon (virtual) Marathon, which challenges

alumni to run or walk 26.2 miles between May 1 and July 4, uploading weekly results to the school’s website and submitting race-bib photos on entering the final stretch.

Also featured is a virtual reception for the 1889 Society, the college’s top donors, featuring a live Zoom conversation with President Barbara Jean Morris and members of the campus community to honor the college’s most generous donors. (Oneonta Normal School, a teachers’ college, was founded in 1889.) “We’ve been getting a lot of comments about the puzzle,� she said. “People are really proud of the campus.�

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THURSDAY, may 14, 2020

OBITUARIES

AllOTSEGO.life

B-3

Theresa J. Weideck, 36; Beloved Social Worker

UNADILLA – Theresa J. Wiedeck, 36, a social worker, died aftter a long illness on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Theresa was born in Oneonta on May 14, 1983, to her parents John and Sharon Wiedeck of Wells Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal Bridge, where she was The state fire marshal’s truck rests against the raised. front steps of the Richfield Springs post office She graduated from after a crash that injured 10 last December.

Unatego High School in 2001 and SUNY Cortland in 2005.

Professionally, Theresa spent her years in social work. For those who knew detail the medical event, Theresa, and there are many,

By LIBBY CUDMORE citing HIPAA laws.

RICHFIELD SPRINGS Around 4 p.m. that day, Ritton’s truck was headed ayor Robin east on Main Street when WEST ONEONTA Moshier still it suddenly accelerated, – Robert E. Matus, 71, an remembers the smashing into one vehicle eminent veterinarian and a sound of the accident. in the vicinity of Richfield founder of the Veterinary “My office was in the back, Springs Central School, then but you could hear the car a second vehicle at Lake and Cancer Society, passed away at home on April 28, 2020. going down the road, hitting Main, next to the village’s He was born Dec. 17, things,” she said. “I had no landmark clock. idea what it was. But by It continued, still at a high 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio, the the end of the night, we all speed, crushing a white car son of Robert S. and Martha A. (Golya) Matus. knew.” in front of the post office, Bob graduated from On Dec. 20, 10 people pushing it into a blue car Purdue University with a were injured when a state behind it. It then veered to Doctorate of Veterinary fire marshal, identified as the right and ran into the Medicine in 1977.

Kevin Ritton, the secretary building’s concrete front of the Otsego County steps, coming to a stop, Emergency Services, experi- according to Sheriff Richard enced a “medical event” and J. Devlin, Jr.. crashed his truck into four One of the victims, a cars before coming to rest on woman, was right outside the steps of the post office. of James Jordan Architects, The investigation was where Moshier works. “We closed Monday afternoon, brought her inside and out of ONEONTA – Geraldine Colwhen District Attorney the cold,” she said. burn (known as Geri or JayJay) John Muehl declined to file 911 dispatched 8-10 was born Jan. 28, 1951, in charges. ambulances to the scene; Brooklyn. Geraldine passed at 69 years of age at home in “There was no evidence five of the injured were Oneonta, with her daughter, or criminality or intent,” transported to Bassett said Muehl. “Therefore, the Hospital, three were sent to Jennifer, and her dog Luna by investigation is closed.”

Utica hospitals and one was her side on May 9, 2020. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Muehl was unable to flown to Albany Med.

‘Medical Event’ Caused Richfield Springs Crash

M

as a kind, compassionate, selfless soul who valued family, friends, faith, education, and always lending a helping hand. Theresa loved to bring joy to others in any way possible with her quick wit and sass. Much like her father, many will remember her for her laugh and as her mother taught her, compassion for others.

She is survived by her life partner of almost 20 years, Curtis F. Underwood.

Her mother, Sharon Wiedeck, and wonderful sisters Moriah Ross and Suzannah

Wiedeck.

Her nieces and nephews: Pehlyn, Lenohn, Mariama, Ethan, and Arianna.

Theresa Her cousin Wiedeck and close friend, Jerianna Brown, and her soon-to-be baby boy, as well as other aunts, uncles and cousins. Theresa adored her life partner’s parents Scott and Charyll Underwood,

and sisters Emily and Dorothy Underwood, as well as many, many friends and colleagues.

There will be no viewing or funeral at her request.

Instead a Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held in honor of Theresa at a later date.

Donations in Theresa’s memory can be made to The Catskill Center for Independence, 6104 State Highway 23, Oneonta, NY 13820.

Arrangements are enstrusted to the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home.

Robert E. Matus, 71, DVM;Veterinary Cancer Society Founder He was the head of the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic at the Animal Medical Center in Columbia, Mo., from 1982 until 1992. He was a diplomat of the ACVIM from 1982 until his death and a founding member of the Veterinary Cancer Society.

Bob went to Indiana University on a diving scholarship and worked as a diving coach at

Purdue University to pay for his veterinary education.

Swimming was always an important part of his life. He was Robert also an avid Matus fisherman.

Bob is survived by his wife, Mary and his

children, Jesse and Laura.

He will be terribly missed.

There are no calling hours or services at this time.

Expressions of sympathy or to sign the online guestbook, visit, www. lhpfuneralhome.com Arrangements are with Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz St., Oneonta.

IN MEMORIAM

cancer on Jan. 1 and had a courageous battle.

Geraldine grew up in New York City, but always loved the country and the home she got in the woods of Decatur with her late husband, Whitney Colburn. Geri was a lover of writing, listening to music,

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.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821 www.grummonsfuneralhome.com

Geraldine Colburn, 69 Jan. 29, 1951 - May 9, 2020

dancing, cooking and enterGeraldine was predetaining. She loved to make ceased by her mother, people laugh and feed them Angelina Riola; her brother, with all her delicious Gerard Riola; her home-cooked Italian sister, Connie Riola; meals. and her husband, In recent years, Whitney Colburn. she loved long walks She leaves behind with her dog Luna. her daughter, Jennifer When people think Mannion (partner of Geri, they think Vincent Garufi), as of her laughter, her well as grandchildren warm hugs and her who loved her dearly: way of listening and Alex Mannion and accepting everyone Christina Mannion.

Geraldine as she shared her She also leaves Colburn love, food and cockbehind an adopted tails. daughter, Alanah

William A. Bonnel, 56 COOPERSTOWN – William A. Bonnel, who was a faithful long-time employee of Reiss Moving & Storage in Hartwick Seminary, passed away late Friday afternoon, May 8, 2020, at Robinson Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Stamford after a valiant battle with cancer.

He was 56.

A native of New Jersey, Bill was born Dec. 19, 1963, the only child of William C. and Nancy Jean (Jackson) Bonnel. The Bonnels moved to the Cooperstown area when Bill was young, and he attended Cooperstown Central School, graduating with

Dec. 19, 1963 - May 8, 2020 the Class of 1983. He later received a degree in automotive technology.

For many years, Bill was employed by Reiss Moving & Storage in Hartwick Seminary as the maintenance man in the warehouse. A “jack of all trades,” he could always be counted on to be there, where he especially enjoyed greeting people getting their cars washed. A quiet man blessed with a great memory, he will be sorely missed by Howard, Doris and Frances, and all those whose lives he touched.

Bill is survived by his son, John Lloyd Parshall of Forestport, and a granddaughter,

Alexis Anderson, as well as his good friends Howard and Doris Reiss and Frances Breslin.

He was predeceased by his father, William C. Bonnel, who died Oct. 3, 1976, and his mother, Nancy Jean Bonnel, who died March 26, 2006.

While there will be no services, please remember the times you spent with Bill, smile, and know that he is now at peace.

Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Cooley, who helped Jennifer in the last few weeks with her care. She also leaves behind two nieces, Michele Riola and Janice Dalton (husband Scott), and their two daughters, Kaitlyn and Ashley Dalton.

Geri touched the lives of everyone who met her, and she leaves behind childhood lifelong friends Beverly Farran (husband George) and Denise Moley (husband Brian), as well as many others lives she has touched. She will be dearly missed by her dog, Luna.

Due to the current times and Geraldine’s wishes there will be no funeral. There will be a Celebration of Life when we are all allowed to gather and celebrate this amazing woman’s life and contribution to this world. Please let Jennifer know if you would like to be included. We are hoping this will be during the summer.

Geraldine was only in hospice care for a little over a week, but they were priceless in their help with Jennifer’s care and making her last eight days as comfortable as possible. We ask, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Helios Care, 297 River Street Service Road, suite 1, Oneonta, NY 13820; www. helioscare.org To sign the online guestbook, visit, www.lhpfuneralhome.com; the website of Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz St., Oneonta.

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THURSDAY, May 14, 2020

B-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Even With Social Distancing, Car Dealers Happy To Have Customers In Showrooms

Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Stefan Segeken, Country Club Motors, cleans a car ahead of a test drive.

The car will also be cleaned afterwards, and a steering wheel protector put in place.

1. Closing costs must be repaid if loan is paid off within three years of closing. Some restrictions may apply. Stated rate is with A+ credit tier your rate may vary. Loan approval based on credit worthiness. Call 877-642-7328 for details about credit costs and terms.

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the customers.”

Additionally, when a customer test-drives a car, the car is disinfected before and after, and a disposable steering wheel cover is used. “We’re not looking for people to come down and test drive three or four cars,” said Armao.

At Five Star, Guenther said that when a customer made an appointment to

JU

Tom Armao, Country Club Motors, explains the changes they’ve made to protect customers

test-drive a car, a salesperson would retrieve it, then sanitize and let it sit for a few days before the customer could take their drive.

He also said that technicians would let a car sit for two days before working on it, and then sit for another two days before the customer picks it up, sanitizing before both interactions. “There’s a lot more waiting time,” he said.

“We want to make this convenient,” said Gunther.

“But still have everyone’s best interest in mind.”

Similar protocols for social distancing and sanitizing are in place at Royal Ford, but Harris stresses that he will not require customers to wear a mask.

Armao, Harris and Guenther all see their dealerships as essential services.

“We’re hoping we can help people who need a car,” said Guenther. “But my priority is to do so in the safest manner possible, so we don’t create a burden on our medical workers.”

IN

CARS/From A1 April. “It’s better than what I thought it would be,” said Tom Armao, proprietor.

Many customers had leases that expired in March, or needed more work than the car was worth.

“We’ve been busy,” said Ben Guenther, Five Star Subaru. “We had 100 cars on the lot, and now we’re down to about 85.

The problem is going to be getting inventory, now with the factories shut down.”

Five Star, Country Club and Royal Ford had been selling cars online for years, but online sales took away the best part – getting to take it out for a spin.

“When you’re buying a new car, it’s low risk to not be able to test it,” said Armao. “But we like it better when we can take a test drive.”

“Online sales are a small percent of our business,” said Harris. “What we eliminated was the person who had a Saturday off and wanted to swing in to look at a few cars. But would you buy a car without seeing it first?”

Financing and trade-in values were handled online or over the phone, and cars could either be delivered, or picked up quickly in person.

“We put out a long table in the center of the room so we could sign contracts and maintain social distancing,” said Armao.

“We’ve put new tools in place to make it easier for the customer to buy a vehicle online,” said Guenther. “They can get a lot further along before they need to come in. But it’s easier to talk to a person, so our salespeople could work by phone too.”

But as the dealerships reopen, new protocols are in place to protect the buyers and salespeople.

“Masks are where our personalities can come out,” said Armao. “We’ve spread out the chairs so we’re able to maintain social distancing in our waiting room, and put up plexiglass barriers between our customer service representatives and

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in OtsegO COunty _________

THURSDAY, may 14, 2020

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA B-5

_______ what’s fun

Some Corporate Stores Spurn Curbside Service, But Montanti Looks To Future MALL/From A1 Center, AT&T and Gamestop have all been opened for curbside pickup only.

Plus, the mall’s restaurants – Five Guys, Perrucci’s Pizza, Applebee’s, Panera Bread and Mt. Fuji –are also offering curbside pickup or delivery.

Expanding curbside retail offerings is part of Phase One of the state’s Un-PAUSE guidelines, which go into effect on Friday, May 15.

Montanti reached out to the mall’s interior stores, including anchors JC Penney and TJ Maxx, guidelines from corporate have not advised them to reopen on Friday, May 15, as allowed by Governor Cuomo’s approval of Phase One openings in Otsego County.

“It’s not our decision,” she said. “It has to come from their corporate headquarters.”

The interior stores will likely reopen

Legal

Legal

Legal nOtice *NOTICE OF ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION OF MEMBERS FOR THE UNATEGO CENTRAL SCHOOL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the Annual Budget Hearing of the inhabitants of the Unatego Central School, qualified to vote at school meetings in said District, will be held as a video conference which the public may log on to June 1, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. where the proposed school district budget for the 20202021 school year shall be presented.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual District Budget Vote and Election of Members to the Board of Education for those qualified to vote in said District, will be held by absentee ballot only, on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, by order of the Governor of the State of New York in Executive Order 202.26.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for school purposes may be obtained by any taxpayer in the District at the District Office during the fourteen days immediately preceding the vote except Saturday, Sunday, or holidays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. They may also be obtained from the school district’s website at https:// www.unatego.org.

Petitions nominating candidates for the office of Member of the Board of Education must be filed in writing with the Clerk of the District between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. not later than May 11, 2020. The following vacancies are to be filled: a) A three-year term ending June 30, 2023 currently held

by Byron McMichael

b) A three-year term ending June 30, 2023 currently held

by Cindy O’Hara c) A three-year term ending June 30, 2023 currently held

by David Clapper Candidates do not run for a specific seat but rather all vacant seats are “at large”, meaning that each nominee is eligible for every vacancy, rather than only for a specific seat. Each petition must be addressed to the District Clerk, be signed by at least one (1) qualified voter of the District, and shall state the name and physical residence (911 address) of the candidate and physical address (911 address) of the signer.

The candidate must meet all of the other requirements to run for the board.

These include being qualified voters and having lived in the district continuously for one year prior to the election.

Any petition shall be rejected by the Board of Education if the purpose of the proposition is not within the powers of the voters, or where the expenditure of money is required for the proposition and such proposition fails to include the necessary specific appropriation. The individuals receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to the vacancies.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that all eligible voters are entitled to an absentee ballot. You are an eligible voter if you are 1) a U.S. citizen, 2) eighteen years of age or older, 3) a resident of the school district for at least 30 days before the vote, 4) and not otherwise disqualified to vote by law.

The District Clerk shall mail absentee ballots to all registered voters in the District as indicated by the Otsego and Delaware County Board of Elections as well as all eligible voters who voted in the last School Board election. Absentee ballots must be received in the office of the District Clerk of the District not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote. If you do not receive an absentee ballot by June 1, 2020 and are an eligible voter, please

in OtsegO COunty

under Phase Two, Montanti believes, which allows retail stores to open for customers to come inside – as long as they’re wearing masks and maintaining social distancing guidelines.

“As those stores begin to open, we will make plans to open the mall, following all of the CDC guidelines,” she said.

That directive will likely come from the state on June 1, provided that the Mohawk Valley – of which Otsego County is a part – does not experience a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“We are hopeful that we can maintain the standards,” said Montanti. “We have to do our part for the community.”

Phase Three would allow the restaurants to reopen for dine-in customers, and Phase Four – anticipated to be July 1 – will allow the movie theater to reopen.

Legal

contact Sheila Nolan, District Clerk at 607-988-5038.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that any person who is in actual military service, and by reason of such military service is absent from the school district on the day of registration or election; or is discharged from such military service within 30 days of an election; or a spouse, parent, child or dependent of a military voter, and accompanying or being with such voter, if a qualified voter of the State of New York and a resident of the same school district as such military voter may register as a school district voter by contacting the District Clerk at 607-988-5038 to receive an absentee ballot.

A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued shall be available for public inspection during regular office hours, which are between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. until the date of election. Any qualified voter may, upon examination of such list, file a written challenge of qualifications of any person whose name appears on such list stating the reason for the challenge.

Such list shall be posted in a conspicuous place during the election, and any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the absentee ballot or a person on such list, by making this challenge and the reasons for the challenge known to the inspectors of election before the close of the polls.

Dated: May 6, 2020 Sheila Nolan, Clerk of the Board of Education 2LegalMay.28 Legal nOtice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION City School District City of Oneonta, New York PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Public Hearing of the qualified voters of the Oneonta City School District, Otsego County,

Legal

►Thursday, May 14

►Friday, May 15

RABIES CLINIC – 9 a.m. Noon. Free rabies vaccination for cats, dogs, ferrets. Scheduling for 30-minute intervals to follow social distancing.

First come, first serve.

Susquehanna SPCA, Rt. 28, Cooperstown. 607-547-4230 or visit sqspca.org/sqspca-offering-free-weekly-rabies-clinics-on-first-come-first-servedbasis/ MORNING PROGRAM – 10 a.m. Join library staff each morning for books, songs, & fingerplays to keep kids 2-5 entertained. Huntington Memorial Library, Oneonta. www. facebook.com/hmloneonta/

STORYTIME – 10:30 a.m.

Hop online with the kids for fun interactive storytime with Miss Anne at the Harris Memorial Library.

BIRD PRESENTATION – 7:30 p.m. Join DelawareOtsego Audubon Society online for ‘Birds From Near & Far’ with Gail and Nelson DuBois sharing stories from their travels. Registration required.

Visit https://www.facebook. com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety/ for info.

LEGALS

New York, will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom conference platform pursuant to Section 2017 (4) (5) of the Education Law of the State of New York, for the presentation of the budget document.

NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and a vote will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 by absentee ballot.

To adopt the annual budget of the Oneonta City School District for the fiscal year 2020-2021 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable real property of the District, To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education, each to three (3) year terms, commencing on July 1, 2020 and expiring on June 30, 2023, to succeed Amy Burnsworth and Dan Butterman, whose terms expire on June 30, 2020.

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to the Education Law of the State of New York.

Voting at said Annual Election will be by use of absentee ballot.

ALL VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE BY Absentee Ballot Petitions for self-nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education to fill two (2) expired terms of three (3) years shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at the District Office, no later than May 11, 2020.

Each petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District, and must contain the eligibility of the candidate to be verified by the District.

NOTICE, is also given that any person, otherwise qualified to vote, who is currently registered for any general election, pursuant to Section 352 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote without further registration pursuant to Section 2014 of

Legal

the Education Law. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School has fixed May 26, 2020 as the date on which the Board of Registration of said school district will prepare a register for each school election district for the Annual City School District Election to be held June 9, 2020. If you have not received an absentee ballot and are 18 years of age, and have resided in the District for more than 30 days please contact the District Clerk to have a ballot provided to you.

Reggie Ranieri McGuinness: rmcguinness@oneontacsd. org / 607-433-8230 ext. 1300.

At such time, any person who has not permanently registered by May 26, 2020 or who did not register for the general election held on November 5, 2019 or who is permanently registered, but at the time of such registration resided in a school election district other than the one in which he or she presently resides or has not voted in an intervening election, must in order to be entitled to vote at said election, contact the District Clerk to request a ballot.

During the period of seven days immediately preceding the date of the public hearing to be held on May 27, 2020, a copy of the proposed budget will be available on the District website for any resident of the Oneonta City School District. www.oneontacsd. org Please email or phone the District Clerk if you would like this information provided to you.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District shall provide for absentee ballots for the election of Board of Education member, the school budget and any other referenda stated in this notice.

Applications for absentee ballots for said annual election are available upon request to the District Clerk by phone or email. Completed

Legal

applications are to be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Education at said address no letter than June 2, 2020 if mailed. Absentee ballots are to be submitted no later than 3:30 p.m. on June 9, 2020 the day of said election, to the address of the Clerk of the Board of Education.

A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots have been issued will be available by requesting a copy of the list, please call or email the District Clerk.

Any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the ballot of any person on such list, by making his/her challenge and reasons therefore known to the District Clerk.

Any person who is in actual military service, and by reason of such military service is absent from the school district on the day of registration or election; or is discharged from such military service within 30 days of an election; or a spouse, parent, child or dependent of a military voter, and accompanying or being with such voter, if a qualified voter of the State of New York and a resident of the same school district as such military voter may register as a school district voter by contacting the District Clerk.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that any other proposition not requiring official notice in the call of the Annual Meeting may be voted upon at said election, subject to the provisions of Section 2035 of the Education Law, provided a proposition is filed with the District Clerk on or before May 11, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. prevailing time; said proposition must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District:.

The School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, or any proposition that fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition.

PROPOSITION 1-

►Saturday, May 16 SHOP LOCAL BUSINESSES

Legal

CAPITAL PROJECT PROPOSITION Shall the March 31, 2020 bond resolution authorizing a School District Improvement Program in and for the City School District of the City of Oneonta, Otsego County, New York, including repaving of the Riverside Elementary School parking lot, repaving the bus garage parking lot, removal of underground storage tanks at the Greater Plains, Valleyview and Riverside Elementary Schools, and the construction of other improvements to School District buildings and facilities, including site work, as well as original furnishings, equipment, machinery, apparatus, and other improvements, at a maximum cost of $681,209; authorizing the issuance of $481,209 bonds and the expenditure of $200,000 available monies; providing for a tax levy therefor in annual installments; pledging the District’s faith and credit for debt service; delegating powers with respect to bonds and notes; and providing for an estoppel procedure, be approved?

SEQRA Status: The capital project has been determined to be a Type II Action pursuant to 6 NYCRR Part 617.5(c)(1)(2) and (10) of the regulations promulgated pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which, as such, will not have any adverse impact on the environment.

PROPOSITION II PURCHASE OF SCHOOL BUSES Shall the May 11, 2020 bond resolution authorizing the purchase of school buses for the City School District of the City of Oneonta, at a maximum cost of $253,471; authorizing the issuance of up to $253,471 bonds (five year maximum maturity); providing for a tax levy therefor in annual installments; pledging the District’s faith and credit for debt service; delegating powers with respect to bonds and notes; and providing for an estoppel procedure, be approved?

– Support local businesses during these difficult times.

Visit supportotsego.com for list of local businesses online.

BIRD COUNT – All Day. Get out, while maintaining social distance, to see how many different birds you can spot to report to the DelawareOtsego Audubon society. All experience levels welcome.

Visit https://www.facebook. com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety/ for info.

CLEAN SWEEP – 8 a.m.

- 2 p.m. Annual event for Hartwick residents to dispose of yard trash, scrap metal free of charge. Electronics not accepted. Small fee for tire disposal. Wear masks & stay in cars while volunteers unload items. Pick up, $10/load.

Hartwick residents only. Drop off at Town Hall, Hartwick.

607-547-8070 or visit https:// www.facebook.com/TownofHartwick/ for info.

Legal

Dated: May 11, 2020 Oneonta, New York

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE ONEONTA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT:

Regina Ranieri McGuinness Regina Ranieri McGuinness, District Clerk 2LegalMay.21 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION of Victoria Tarbell, Mental Health Counseling, PLLC, Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 1/29/20.

Off. loc.: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom proc. may be served & shall mail 50 Dietz St., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Purp.: any lawful.

6LegalMay.28 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Name of LLC: UAS Oneonta Property, LLC; Date of Filing: 3/20/2020; Office of the LLC: Otsego Co.; The NY Secretary of State (NYSS) has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served. The NYSS may mail a copy of any process to the LLC at P.O. Box 155, Robesonia, PA 19551; Purpose of LLC: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.28 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Live Wire Trucking LLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 1/28/20.

Location: Otsego County SSNY desg. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. Mail process to 4 Garden St., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.21

Legal

Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION of TREFF SALES, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/10/2020.

Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 204 Roundhouse Rd., Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalMay.21 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION of PERSEPOLIS PROPERTIES, LLC A Limited Liability Company.

Articles of Organization were filed with the New York State Secretary of State on February 12, 2020.

The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County.

The Secretary of State has been designated as the 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 him/her to: Shehnaz Irani, 5981 State Highway 7, Oneonta, New York 13820.

The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.

6LegalMay.21 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

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Contact Larissa at 607-547-6103 or ads@allotsego.com and she can get you started.

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