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Volume 213, No. 25
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND FOVL to hold book sale starting Saturday Cooperstown’s Friends of the Village Library will hold its annual book sale at 22 Main St. in Cooperstown, beginning Saturday, June 26. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, through Sunday, July 4. Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, July 4, all books are $5 per bag for people who bring their own bags.
OLA to hold annual holiday boat parade The annual holiday boat parade, sponsored by the Otsego Lake Association, will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 3. This year’s theme is “Here Comes the Sun,” based on a song by The Beatles. As with the 2020 parade, because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no judging or awards. Contact Wayne Bunn at bunnwayne@gmail.com or 518-542-6630 for more information. INSIDE ►HAll REVISIONS: New state guidelines allow induction to forgo tickets for lawn seating. Page A3. ►LAKE SPORT: Under the guidance of a former OIympian, rowing becomes a popular Otsego Lake activity. Page A7. ►TENNIS FAULT: Section IV doesn’t hold tennis tournament, leaving an OHS senior without a chance at a third title. Page A7. ►New in TOWN: Reporter Kevin Limiti discusses moving Upstate from Brooklyn. Page A4. Follow Breaking News On
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►RECOVERED SAFELY: A 14-yearold Roseboom girl was found safe Saturday, days after she was reported missing. ►PRIMARY RESULTS: See the results of New York’s primary election day, which was held Tuesday, June 22. ►Hurray for HENRY: The Horvaths, Otsego County’s father and son climbers, reach the peak of Denali on Father’s Day. ►NONPROFIT HELP: The Scriven Foundation and the New York Council on Nonprofits announce 2021 mini-grants to local charities.
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Defense rests in Robinson murder trial Dylan Robinson, then 15, accused of killing father in Worcester robbery plot By KEVIN LIMITI COOPERSTOWN — The second day of the Dylan Robinson trial at the Otsego County Courthouse ended Tuesday, June 22, with jury deliberations, after the prosecution rested and the defense chose not to submit any evidence. Robinson is accused of allegedly killing his father, Kenneth Robinson, and burning his house after a failed
robbery attempt. He is charged with second-degree murder, burglary and attempted robbery in the first degree and third-degree arson. A verdict in the trial was expected Wednesday after deadline. Go to www.allotsego.com for the latest updates. Tuesday morning testimony began with Cory Robinson, 14, who testified that he remembered the night of Oct. 10, 2019 “because that’s the
day my dad died.” Cory Robinson, 12 at the time, said he was awoken by gunshots in the house. He said that armed people came in his home wearing blue bandanas and he recognized two of them as his brother Dylan Robinson and Alexander Borggreen. Someone pointed a gun at him and asked for his phone, so he gave it to them. Afterwards, he and his brother, Aiden, were told to put pillows up
to their faces and walked a short distance from the house. They were told to walk back and found their home in flames. He found Kenneth Robinson’s body when he came back to the house. “When I took the pillow off, I saw my dad,” Cory Robinson said. After this testimony, the prosecution rested. With defense attorney Thomas See ROBINSON, Page A12
Oneonta celebrates Juneteenth Saturday Day of Black emancipation becomes Federal holiday By KEVIN LIMITI ONEONTA – More than 100 people gathered at Neahwa Park on Saturday, June 19, to celebrate Juneteenth, a day that celebrates AfricanAmerican emancipation. There was additional cause for celebration Saturday since President Joe Biden signed a law this week making Juneteenth a national holiday. With a DJ spinning music the entire time, it wasn’t unusual to see spontaneous dancing. Free hamburgers, hotdogs and beverages were also provided. There was face painting, a raffle and artwork. The event appeared to attract a diverse group of people, both in terms of ethnicity and age. It was very much a family centric event. Joanne Fisher, assistant secretary for the Oneonta NAACP, said celebrating Juneteenth in Oneonta for the second year in a row is a great idea because it helps people learn about each other and for Black Americans to reclaim parts of their history that
Kevin Limiti/The Freeman’s Journal
From left, Bruce Evans, Beverly Ivey and Valerie Denis dance in front of the stage in Neahwa Park during a Juneteenth celebration Saturday, June 19.
are often forgotten or were untaught in schools. “I think it’s the only way we’re gonna bridge the gap and learn each other’s value,” Fisher said. “History hasn’t told us everything.”
Fisher, originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, said she was not taught about slavery and Juneteenth in her school, and therefore she didn’t get a chance to learn about her own history.
Anita Hopson set up a tent to display old items brought from her grandparents that originated mainly in West Africa. Some of the items included a jumping broom, used traditionally in marriages, sand paintings and others. “I’m proud to have my family history,” Hopson said. She said she appreciated being given the chance to show these things to people who “don’t look like me.” The Otsego Pride Alliance had a table at the event in which they put up photos of Black trans and LGBTQ members who were killed in violence across the country. They said they were there to support the Black community and promote equality. Bertram Knight showcased some of his photographs, which he said were meant to convey the beauty of Black bodies. “All the images are representations of black beauty,” Knight said, who was “looking for different ways See CELEBRATE, Page A3
AllOtsego people: Coop group to take on biking challenge By GREG KLEIN A group of Otsego County residents have been training for the ride of their lives in the Leadville 100 MTB. The annual “race across the sky” in the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado, is considered one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. Whether people do the ultramarathon or the mountain bike race, the competitors are embarking on a challenge that breaks even top athletes. However, that knowledge isn’t going to stop Worcester native Chad Althiser and Cooperstown natives Ryan Miosek and Matt Grady, who have all qualified for the mid-August race and are all training under Althiser’s guidance. “We grew up in the woods around here, so it makes sense our attempts
to continue to be athletes would be outside,” Miosek said. “And even going back to our days as college athletes playing soccer, if you think about it, we were training to be endurance athletes,” Grady said. The trio qualified for the Leadville by finishing a 100-mile race. Anyone who finished in a qualifying time of eight hours or less would get a chip to place in the Leadville lottery. “All three of us won a spot,” Grady said. “We were kind of competing against ourselves,” Grady said. “It is a fun thing. It is a personal thing. It is euphoric.” The trio has mostly been training Greg Klein/The Freeman’s Journal for Leadville, but Grady and his From left, Matt Grady, Gavin Grady, Kara Grady and Kristina family, including his 11-year-old McElhinney celebrate after completing the 2020 Wildlands son Gavin and wife Kara, See BIKING, Page A3 Adventure Challenge.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
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ALUTE TO THE 2021 CLARK SCHOLARS
Jane Forbes Clark, The Clark Foundation president, has announced 188 students in 12 area school districts and ONC BOCES have been awarded first-year scholarships totalling $742,600. The scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement,
citizenship qualities and service to their communities and schools. The Clark Foundation anticipates providing over $4.1 million in scholarships for the coming year which includes these awardees and students presently attending institutions that are eleigible for grant renewals. Since the program’s founding in 1961, close to 14,800 students have participated in the program.
CHERRY VALLEY-SPRINGFIELD
Henry Davis Wager William James Weldon Caroline June Whitaker Brayden Francis White Addison Elizabeth Yastrzemski Laurel K. Zaengle
Marissa Ann Abbruzzese Brady Matthew Benson Zoe Elizabeth Climenhaga Mia Frances Thompkins Horvath Jaelyn Rose Jaquay Allison Kate Lennebacker Sarah Elise Lewis Andrew Ward Oram Dylan M. Smith
Emily Elizabeth Lincoln Kate Frances Morano Jacob Ronald Spoor Matthew Carl Wendler MOUNT MARKHAM CENTRAL Michael James Abbatiello Aidan Ainslie Jennah Barrtt Marleigh Case Logan D. Clark Madison Veronica Deak Mackenzie Maree Doyle Lauren Elizabeth Entwistle Alexis Sky Fitch Kaitlyn Anne Fitch Sarah Marie Foster Cassandra Catherine Gates Hayleigh Lyn Gates Chelsea Marie Hayes Emily Mae Howard Madelyn Landgren Hayden Elisjah Larmon Katie Taylor Livingston Madison Jane Lockwood Katherine Loomis Kayla Marie Lottermann Madison Jo Marsh Matthew Carmen Maugeri Emily Laura McClave Jacob McKenzie Morgan McGuire Merritt Brianna Marie Morgan Chelsea Wynn Osborn Olivia Jade Ostrander Joseph Robert Sanzo Melanie Kathleen Sterling Jordan Marie Treen Chad Alan Tucker Stepheny Anne Vriesema Delia Kaydence Wilton
EDMESTON CENTRAL Sydney Marie Bateman Isabel LeeAnne Brown Madison Elizabeth Cole Jacob Robert Cormier Gregory Michael DeVries Kennedy Rose Kapp Logan Danielle Lund Joshua Robert Lewis Martin Madilynne Rae Smith
COOPERSTOWN CENTRAL Fiona Tulip Bailey Josephine Alice Bertram Alexander Cooper Bohler Edward Vaughn Boulet Jennifer Corinne Burch Juliet E. Cunnington Carly Angelia Erway Mikael Blake Foutch-Carkees Jason Anthony Furnari Sam John Grigoli Alexander Pomeroy Hage Kendall John Haney Alexander Gregory Hascup Ellie Joanne Hotaling Ray Michael Jastremski Hovis Molly Ancilla Hughes Phoebe L. Jones Anna K. Lambert Isaac N. Landry Colette Ruth Leinhart Edward Spencer Lewis Faith Vivian Logue Lucian Olearczyk Lytel Lauren Ellen Martin Julia Marie McCrea Abigail Sarah Miller Reilly Rose Mooney Stuart A.I. Nelson Emma Grace Panzarella Marisa L. Phillips Alexander N. Poulson Ian Patrick Quinn Mason Scott Raffo Erin Elizabeth Rock Stephanie Nicole Rudloff Miguel Xekee Sagario Nathaniel Cooper Savoie Joseph Joshua Senchyshyn Maya A. Stevens Sydnie Alexandria Aijun Streek Lindsey G. Trosset Christopher Scott Ubner
GILBERTSVILLE-MOUNT UPTON Gavin Bonczkowski Apolonia Nina Drapaniotis Maya Curtis Farwell Emily D. Hammond Olivia Grace Held Kyle Jacob Meyers Zan Eric Sansoucie Theodore Charles Sharkey LAURENS CENTRAL Stephen Michael Albright Kyle Zachery Davis Lexis N. Davis Faith Mei Gaglia Jonah James Mathieson Rylie James Nemitz Kassidy Paige Qua Emily Rose Stanley Skyler Paige White
MILFORD CENTRAL Adrianna Domenica Greiner Avery C. Leonard Hailey Jade Maison Mackenzie Mary O’Connor Alexis Rae Stanford Tia Brook Vagliardo Benjamin E. Webster Lawson Thomas Williams
Katherine Cheyenne Kodz Samantha Rose O’Connor Amy Lyne Seamon Damon Joseph Thomson Brady Charles Young
SCHENEVUS CENTRAL Andrew Robert Hamilton Kandence Ann Hoag Cassandra L. Snyder Nolan Nathan Sweeney Claire Analiese Warner WORCESTER CENTRAL Lily Peyton Conroe Michael Anthony Countryman Isaiah Eric Haley Casandra M. Haughn Jenna Alexis Morell Miriam Frances Odell Maya Jane Powers Delimar Marie Vega-Haley
OWEN D. YOUNG CENTRAL Christian Andreev Lynzee Danielle Bissell Emma Nicole Sorensen RICHFIELD SPRINGS CENTRAL Cole J. Bobnick Sydney N. Burdick Ronica Erica Clarke Brooke Irene Connolly Dylan John Dyn
MORRIS CENTRAL Baylie E. Boglioli Daphne P. Fraser Erin Nicole Herring
OTSEGO OCCUPATIONAL CENTER Gareth J. Austin Louis Timothy Banks Michaela Mea Bateman Jasmine K. Bondies Shayne Christian Chase Mackenzie Angeline Conklin Naomi Rebekah Cook Molly Katherine Forbes Ronin James Gould Jourdyn Alexis Gray Quinn E. Hansen Megan S. Hughes Justin Iannelli Nila J. Jackson Autumn Rae Jones Riley Elizabeth Jubar John Maximilian Kennedy Tritny Elizabeth Knapp Lillian Grace Lighthall Maximilian Adam Madej William Wyatt Moody Emma Caroline Ough Cole Gerald Platt Abigail D. Pleuss Hunter Van Poniros Morgan Gabriella Rossignol Sara Danyelle Sluiter Chloe R. Thalheimer Kaitlyn Marie Wellman
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THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-3
Loosened COVID rules allows Hall to open induction to more fans STAFF REPORT COOPERSTOWN — Following last week’s announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that lifted significant COVID-19 restrictions, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Monday, June 21, that tickets will not be needed for free lawn seating for the Wednesday, Sept. 8, induction ceremony. The ceremony was rescheduled from its traditional last Sunday
in July to an event at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8, on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in the town of Middlefield. The event will celebrate the inductions of Class of 2020 members Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker and will be broadcast live exclusively on MLB
Network. Since 1992, the event has been held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, with estimated crowds approaching and surpassing 50,000 at five of the last six ceremonies, from 2014 to 2019. The second-largest crowd on record – an estimated 55,000 people – attended the Hall of Fame’s last induction, July 21, 2019. Last year’s cancellation, because
of the coronavirus pandemic, marked the first time the Hall of Fame did not hold an induction in the Cooperstown area since 1960. The Hall of Fame’s annual awards presentation will remain an indoor, television-only event, taking place Saturday, July 24, with the Award Winners or their representatives being invited to return to Cooperstown to be recognized at the induction ceremony. The presentation will honor the 2021 Ford C. Frick Award
winner for broadcasting excellence, Al Michaels, and the 2020 Frick Award winner, Ken Harrelson; the 2021 Baseball Writers’ Association of America Career Excellence Award winner, Dick Kaegel, and the 2020 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner, Nick Cafardo; and the 2020 Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner, David Montgomery. Go to baseballhall.org for more information.
Kevin Limiti/The Freeman’s Journal
From left, Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig speaks with Poletta Louis and Joanne Fisher at Neahwa Park during a Juneteenth event Saturday, June 19.
Herzig: Juneteenth should be a day of celebration CELEBRATION/Continued from Page A1 to highlight and elevate differences in our communities.” Aaron Smith, who moved to Oneonta from Alabama in January, said he was happy Juneteenth was being celebrated here. “It’s good for me to be able to get out and celebrate Juneteenth,” Smith said. “(It) feels good to be learning about the community and celebrating our newest holiday.” Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig spoke before the entertainment began, quipping that it was nice to be out without masks. However, Herzig said the last year was one of “needless tragedy, but one of reckoning and one of change.” Herzig said the city of Oneonta recently “took a hard look in the mirror,” which was necessary for the community to become “better and better every year.” Juneteenth is “a day for us to pause, a day for us to catch our breath and a day to celebrate,” Herzig said.
“Slavery may have ended, but its legacy has not,” Herzig said. Herzig said it is only “through the richness of Black art and Black culture” that others can have a semblance of understanding the experience of Black Americans. Herzig said he hoped the eventual artists lofts on Dietz Street would become the home of artists of color. “Black culture has enriched our lives,” Herzig said. “We are so much better because of the African-American culture.” Some of the entertainment included college students performing stepping dances, Jonathan Brown making a speech about how white supremacy not only hurts black people but also white people and the song “Speechless” from the new “Aladin” movie, performed by Ajare Malcolm. Brown’s speech ended on a note that seemed to encapsulate the entire event. “Be truthful to our human experience,” Brown said. “Before we’re any race, we’re human.”
An endurance race is being planned locally BIKING/from Page A1 participated in a family event in Maine. “As a family, we have come together, Gavin and Kara and I, as a team,” he said. “It is not easy, and we have complicated our relationship at times, but we are also having a lot of fun. We’ve been doing stuff outside as a family. That’s the really cool thing.” “He’s been out there doing it and all I have been doing is training,” Miosek said. Grady said neither group could have the fun and success they are having without the help of Althiser and also Mike Reynolds of Woodland Cycles in Milford. Grady said he and Otsego Land Trust Outreach Coordinator Marcie Foster are working on an endurance race for the local foothills, perhaps centered around Panther Mountain, near Fly Creek, which features great views of Canadarago Lake. Bringing their new passion home to Otsego would dovetail nicely with the county’s push to market its outdoors. Otsego 2000 and the OLT have teamed up to present all of the outdoor activities on otsegooutdoors.
YARD SALE Sat., 6/26, 8:30am-1:30pm
80 Beaver, Cooperstown Rocking Chair 32” Sharp flat-screen TV Victorian Side Chairs Household goods: china (Limoges), towels, electric heater, and more.
org/ and the company that markets Otsego County’s tourism efforts, Destination Marketing, has stepped up its promotions of outdoor activities in its ads and at www.thisiscooperstown.
The
com/. “They have been pushing the outdoors here lately and it is a great thing,” Miosek said.
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If you or a loved one are experiencing interpersonal violence there is help. The Violence Intervention Program is fully operational and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 607.432.4855.
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Perspectives
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL OUR VIEW
OPINIONS
Move forward on Upstate life intrigues newcomer to region I graduated from CUNY The weirdest towns and cities. coffee and read a book outhousing in Cooperstown Brooklyn just as the corona- thing about moving New York City, side the Green Toad Book One would like to believe that Cooperstown, once referred to as “America’s Favorite Hometown,” is a thriving, dynamic community. A walk down Main Street in July or August, with crowds of people swarming the streets and shops, would suggest that it is indeed as billed. The same walk in January or February, with darkened, shuttered store fronts and empty parking spaces, would offer a very different impression. When the remarkable increase in the country’s taste for baseball and its memorabilia in the late ’80s and ’90s dramatically altered Cooperstown’s Main Street, with baseballthemed shops largely established and managed by non-local proprietors replacing the mixed-use, community-based businesses run by local residents for 200 years, Cooperstown’s business district turned a very unfortunate corner. With the advent of the “Cooperstown” baseball camps, located in Hartwick and Oneonta, people began to buy, convert and even build area housing to cash in on an extremely lucrative weekly summer rental market. That housing is in many cases owned by non-local, absentee landlords who make enough of a killing in the summer to allow them to sit vacant for the long off-season months. In a few years, the availability of housing in and around the Village became as hopeless as a Main Street parking space in summer. As Cooperstown essentially transformed from a community of locals to a community of tourists and profiteers, where local needs could not be fulfilled in the business district and the village proper and housing opportunities evaporated, so did the village population. From a 20th-century high of 2,909 residents in 1930, the population of Cooperstown has dropped by nearly 40% to 1,738 during the 90 years since. This loss is not the result of people of means deserting the stately homes of Cooperstown, which are still largely occupied. To the contrary, it is professional and working people who have been squeezed out with an average loss of over 7% of this group in each decade since the baseball angle went into overdrive and spearheaded the complete decimation of rental housing across the county. These are not statistics that suggest a thriving community; Cooperstown residents and their elected officials on the Village Board of Trustees grew increasingly alarmed. In 2007 the Trustees commissioned a study by the Notre Dame School of Architecture to lay out a plan for addressing the Village’s challenges and, in 2016, created the Village of Cooperstown Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Revitalization Strategy. During the public engagement process, residents stated that “one of the biggest challenges facing Cooperstown residents is the lack of market-rate workforce housing, year-round rental properties, and housing for seniors.” Both the Notre Dame study and the Comprehensive Plan concurred: the near absence of year-long rental housing for professional and working people was a root cause of the Village’s discontent. The Notre Dame study posited that “if the housing problem is properly addressed, the retail problem will also begin to be addressed.There is no solution to the problem of wellbuilt, comfortable and affordable housing in a desirable place short of small dwelling units and developer subsidy.” It went on to declare that the Village must “create housing in Cooperstown that can be afforded by nurses, teachers, tradesmen and women, museum employees, small-business owners and others, in the form of cottages, bungalow courts, row-houses and carriage houses within a mixed-use walkable network of streets and blocks near both Main Street and Bassett Hospital.” Let us pause here to consider how all this is relevant to this particular moment in time. There is currently a proposal before the Village Trustees to construct a 13-unit, state-of -the-art “green” apartment building at 10 Chestnut Street See EDITORIAL, Page A5 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
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The Freeman’s Journal welcomes letters to the editor that reflect the writer’s thoughts on an article or other item appearing in the paper. They must include the writer’s name, address, email and telephone/mobile number; the opinions expressed must be the writer’s own. Hostile, offensive, factually incorrect or excessively inflammatory content will not be published. The length must be no more than 250 words. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit letters for clarity and space. Please send letters to: info@allotsego.com.
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Editorial Board Elinor Vincent, Michael Moffat, Tara Barnwell, Greg Klein OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR Otsego County • Village of Cooperstown • Village of Milford 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 Contents © Iron String Press, Inc.
virus pandemic was starting. After spending a year stringing for local Brooklyn publications and covering Black Lives Matter protests, I was ready to embrace a different lifestyle when I was offered a position as staff reporter for the Freeman’s Journal. I’m not a sentimental person when it comes to where I live. I lived for three years in Flatbush Brooklyn, which was neither hipster nor trendy. Instead, I spent my nights huddled up alone in my apartment watching anime and listening to the countless amounts of gunshots and firecrackers all night. Compare that to moving to Oneonta, where the only thing that broke the silence was the freight train rolling past Neahwa Park and the occasional drunken college students chattering outside.
to Oneonta though Los Angeles and was the fact that Washington D.C. everybody seemed have no shortage to be happy, a forof journalists, all eign concept in the of them competcity, apparently. ing for the same It seems like positions and most New York stories. City residents fled KEVIN LIMITI In the end, my to Long Island, decision to work my home region, which I for a local paper, one which never liked, and New Jersey. had been around for literal I chose to go Upstate. I guess centuries, seemed like a no I’m just a singular experibrainer, because I was comence in that growing trend. mitted to the importance of But it was really the job local journalism. that made me come here. Loneliness is a bigger isThere was nothing I wanted sue than anything else I’ve to do more than journalism, faced so far. In an effort to and I was finally being meet people, feel alive and given a way to make that be happy, I’ve done things tricky career choice of I’ve never expected that I mine work. would do: I took pictures at One thing I’ve learned a burlesque show, I’ve gone is that some of the most to Main Street and played impactful work you can do guitar, I’ve eaten cold as a journalist is in small cheese pizza at Tino’s, drank
Store and somehow I’ve had random conversations with complete strangers about nothing in particular. You can’t really do that in Brooklyn. Well, yeah you can, but it would be a fruitless endeavor. Nobody is interested in you personally. In New York City, you’re a cog in the machine. You’re just one tiny spec among millions of other tiny specs. You may love the city, but it is unrequited. The city will never love you back. Oneonta might be strange, different, even bizarre, at least from the perspective of a Long Island kid who moved to Brooklyn, but I can’t believe that the City of the Hills doesn’t care about me. It just doesn’t have that vibe. For that, I’m grateful.
With renewable energy, details are key New York state passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019. The law will propel New York towards a climate change friendly economy that will rely much less on burning fossil fuels for energy by 2050. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan is ambitious. It calls for an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, and 70% renewable energy by 2030. In 2020, New York derived approximately 0.1% of its electricity from petroleum, 1% from coal, 36% from natural gas, 30% from nuclear, 26% hydroelectric, 5% wind and solar and 2% biomass. The shut down of the Indian Point nuclear plant on the Hudson River, completed in April 2021, decreases carbon-free nuclear power to 20% of the state total and increases greenhouse gas emitting natural gas to 46%, with two new natural gas plants in Orange and Dutchess Counties now operating.
This doesn’t make sense if carbonfree electricity is the goal. All electricity WAYNE MELLOR generating sources have a nameplate capacity that defines its maximal output and a capacity factor that accounts for the various efficiencies of the source, downtime needed for maintenance, or with renewables, the percent of time on average that the sun shines and the wind blows. Nuclear has a capacity factor of 90%, combined cycle natural gas about 50%, hydro 40%, solar in the northeast about 18% (5% in winter), on shore wind 30%, off shore wind 50% and the burning of petroleum distillates and older natural gas plants, less than 15%. The higher and more consistent the capacity factor, the better the source for
“base load” generation, the bulwark of consistent power on the grid. For generations, New York has relied on nuclear, the massive hydropower plants at Robert Moses Niagara and Massena and pumped hydro storage facilities at Lewiston and Gilboa to balance out the base-load for the state’s electricity needs. The building of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind off Long Island began in 2021. This will greatly increase renewable production and may eventually replace up to a third of the state’s natural gas electricity generation with sufficient battery storage and a proven 50% capacity factor. However, there is a catch for solar and wind on land. It takes up to 30 acres of land here to produce one megawatt of solar power in winter. The equivalent acreage for wind is 85. Replacing Indian Point requires either 60,000 acres of solar panels or a wind farm stretching about 170,000 acres.
Meeting the CLCPA goals of a 70% renewable portfolio of electrical energy sources will require vast amounts of land for additional “on-shore” solar and wind installations. Additionally huge amounts of power storage will need to be available 24/7 when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind stops blowing. At this time there is no plan or proven battery backup system to dispatch enough energy to power the grid over a period of days. At best it is a few hours presently. Otsego County and other rural areas with cheaper land will continue to see large wind and solar development proposals like the recent West Laurens solar farm. It is incumbent on our towns to recognize this and have land use laws in place to protect the economic and environmental interests of our local communities with an eye to carbon free electricity. Wayne Mellor is the board chair of Sustainable Otsego.
Moving horror stories bring back memories Moving? Whether you have changed countries or states or cities or streets you probably have some stories? Hearing a tale from a friend brought to mind some of the terrors. One of the scariest moves I made was back to upstate New York after years working in cities — first in New Zealand, then London and, finally, in Manhattan. It was a frightening move from my big-time journalism job at NBC to work with my husband to start a business and to become a financial advisor. My friends worried I would regret abandoning that career to move from city life to country life. We could make this work. We had to buy a house upstate and simultaneously sell our house in New Jersey. Most everything we owned had to go to upstate New York, except for some things I needed for my last few months working in Manhattan, when I would share an apartment near Carnegie Hall. The day of the closing in New Jersey arrived. I thought I had everything organized. What I didn’t want to move, I had put out on the sidewalk marked “free” and it had evaporated. I had arranged for all of the utilities to be changed to the new owner. We couldn’t afford a fancy moving company, so I had rented a van. I had hired two strong teenagers to meet me at the house to fill the van. After the buyers arrived for a final inspection and I would still have three hours left before the closing to shower and pack my toiletries. Nothing went right. Up before 5 a.m., then the long march to the rental
place. Closed. There were no cell phones back then. I had to find a pay phone. Finally, an hour, later someone showed up. They took me to my “van” which was a “semi” without the ERNA MORGAN power steering and McREYNOLDS brakes I ordered. I mounted some steps to climb into the cab. The attendant asked if I knew how to double clutch? I had never heard of that. But I had no choice. After stalling a few times and grinding gears, I drove off in my small tractor trailer. The realtor and the buyers arrived an hour early. After plenty of finger jabbing and shouting and threats to call the deal off, they left nearly four hours later — 15 minutes before the closing. I ran to shower but the bathroom was dark; they hadn’t switched on the power. Now I panicked. In England, you could cancel a sale up until the last minute. Without the sale, no new life. Old life thrown away already. I had to drive my semi to the closing. I couldn’t see behind me. Imagine backing up blindly into a New Jersey street? My solution — honk the horn and go as fast as I could. I made it to the high rise where the closing was being held and pulled up to the doorman to hand over the keys and leave the truck. “Lady, we ain’t got no valet parking here. You park it”. Parallel park on a curved driveway? Terrified
for our financial future, I did it. The receptionist at the lawyer’s office stopped me outside the conference room. The buyer was brandishing a gun. He accused the realtor of stealing his deposit. He didn’t trust banks and only used cash. His postal money order had a stamp which said Buffalo, not Hoboken where he had bought it. Then he broke out of the conference room, revolver in hand and waved it at me. Somehow, we all survived. With my check in hand, I mounted my truck. I drove into Manhattan in teeming rain the during rush hour. Parked on a narrow side street to unload furnishings and clothes for the next six months. How would I ever escape Manhattan through a downpour in rush hour traffic? Shaking I made it across the George Washington bridge to head north. I couldn’t slow down because I didn’t know how to down shift climbing those Catskill mountains. If I had stalled I had no idea how to start that truck mid-mountain. But I made it. I thought my hands had been superglued to the steering wheel when I arrived. But even after that hair-raising, frightful day, worse lay ahead. A new career. The humiliation of going from NBC at 30 Rock to a small office in a small unknown city. My image of myself as a gift to journalism, gone. My great salary, gone. No business. No income. Starting a business meant struggling every hour, every day to pay our new mortgage; 30 years later I feel afraid still. From what source could I, could anyone, pull up the courage to do that?
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LETTERS TO EDITOR WELCOME • EMAIL THEM TO info@
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5
BOUND VOLUMES Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library
210 YEARS AGO
We are informed that Walter Rodgers, the boy wounded on board the frigate, and who behaved with so much firmness, has been appointed a midshipman in the Navy of the United States. To Farmers—The clear profit in the produce of a farm is nearly all that can give it a certain value, and all that can ever make a farmer wealthy. If he derives no more from the produce of his farm than the mere worth of the labor bestowed on it, his situation is but little better than that of the daily laborer who works for his substance. It is well known that farms in this state do not average more than a third of the clear profit which is in general derived from the same number of acres in Great Britain; and it is equally certain that farms here, are upon an average, of better soil than those of that country. June 22, 1811
185 YEARS AGO
Monument to General Washington – Mr. Samuel Betts of Unadilla, is now engaged in making a tour of this county to collect subscriptions in aid of the erection of a national monument at the seat of government in memory of General George Washington, the Father of his Country. Mr. Betts’ instructions are to call upon every white inhabitant and to receive no subscription over $1. We hope and trust our citizens will all readily contribute their mites in support of an object which is to redound to the glory of the Republic, and to do credit to the munificence and taste of the present age. June 27, 1836
160 YEARS AGO
Col. John H. Prentiss departed this life on Wednesday morning last, after an illness of about three months. Col. Prentiss was born in Worcester, Mass., April 17, 1784. In 1808 he was foreman in the office of the N.Y.
Evening Post; and, on October 8 in that year he came to Cooperstown and established this paper, which he continued to edit and publish—with the exception of a single year —until January, 1849, a period of over forty years. (Editor’s note: Contrary to the above, Prentiss was not the founding editor. The first editor’s name was William Andrews. Andrews was dismissed from the editorship in March 1809 by William Cooper and Prentiss then became editor) We are glad to notice, in the organization of the new regiments of the regular army, the promotion of several worthy officers. J.G. Foster, Captain of Engineers at Fort Sumter, is made a Major in the Eleventh Infantry; Capt. Abner Doubleday of the First Artillery, also of “Sumter,” a Major in the Seventeenth Infantry; and First Lieut. Adam J. Slemmer, of the First Artillery, of Fort Pickens, Major in the Sixteenth Infantry. June 28, 1861
135 YEARS AGO
Useful hints for farmers – For the best egg production in heavy fowls, oats are as good feed as any. They give bulk, while the nutriment they contain is of the kind which goes to make eggs rather than fat. Horses are not fully matured until six years of age, nor do they arrive at their full strength until eight years old. Immature animals are often overtaxed and their future usefulness injured. While feasting on strawberries it is well to be looking ahead a little for the crop next year. All the buds for fruit must be in the plant this season, and therefore early planting and good care are necessary now in order to ensure a full crop. There is little to be gained by turning under a crop of timothy as green manure, Its roots do not run so deeply as those of clover, and the crop, even when used a green manure, does not ameliorate the subsoil. It is more valuable for a hay crop for market than either clover or any other grass. June 26, 1886
60 YEARS AGO
85 YEARS AGO
The plate glass window, exactly half an inch thick, at the right of the entrance to Lippitt Brothers jewelry store in this village was smashed at an early hour on Monday morning. Then, through an opening large enough to reach the hand, jewelry to the value of about $900 was stolen. M.E. Lippitt, one of the proprietors of the store, described the loot as consisting of seven ladies’ diamond rings, eight wrist watches, both men’s and women’s styles, and several pieces of antique jewelry including cameos, earrings, bracelets, etc. June 24, 1936
35 YEARS AGO
Two gaming booths were shut down by the Cooperstown police at the village fire department’s annual carnival at Lake Front Park two weekends ago because they constituted gambling according to June 21, 1961 Michael Crippen, the village chief of police. Several firemen were upset by the shutdown since they have been running the wheel uninterrupted at their annual carnival for about 27 years. Personal – The first baseball game of the season will be played on Tuesday next, July The gaming wheel brings in the majority of the money for the department’s general fund 4, with Richfield. The morning game will according to Richard Whiteman, fire be at Cooperstown. The first issue of department president. the Glimmerglass Daily will appear on June 25, 1986 Saturday. The indications are that the subscription list will be even larger than last year. Rowan D. Spraker and A. Paul Cooke will constitute the reportorial staff Bassett Healthcare resident Frederick this season. Professor Clarence M. Bahr of Reynolds, M.D., is the recipient of the 2001 New York and some young men, who have E. Donnall Thomas Outstanding Research been camping on the river near the pump Presentation Award. Dr. Reynolds’ research house, started today on a canoe trip down on the use of melatonin as a treatment for the Susquehanna to Chesapeake Bay. They multi-organ dysfunction syndrome may lead will make observations en route with the to an effective treatment for this often fatal intention of publishing a guidebook. condition, according to Dr. Anne Nafziger, June 28, 1911 chair of the E. Donnall Thomas Resident Research Committee. June 22, 2001
110 YEARS AGO
20 YEARS AGO
LETTERS
Critical race theory isn’t being taught in K-12 schools; debate is a distraction Protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, no one is advocating teaching critical race theory at CCS or any other K-12 school for that matter. Discrimination and prejudice based upon race and class is a documented feature of American history. They say that those who ignore history are bound to repeat it. Our country can ill afford to repeat the sins of our past, so we’d better start educating our children now.
Critical race theory in schools is a false flag being raised by right-wing media to inflame viewers, and it’s obviously working. Here’s hoping that our school board is wise enough not to react to fear mongering. “Critical Race Theory is a framework for viewing U.S. legal history that is widely discussed in law school classes, and has occasionally been used to guide anti-racism training in universities, businesses and
government agencies. But it has never been used, anywhere in the country, to shape the development of curriculum in K-12 schools. Treating it as a threat to public education is not only disingenuous, it is creating an atmosphere of panic that will discourage instruction in Black history, indigenous history and the history of race and immigration in the United States. Culturally responsive pedagogy is not
Critical Race Theory.Treating it as such will have profoundly destructive consequences. Do not give in to the hysteria,” Dr. Mark Naison, professor of African American studies and history, Fordham University. Michael Stein, Cooperstown
We should remember the purpose of schools, stick to the mission they represent Often when we ask ourselves a question, it brings up another question. You might ask, “what is a school?” Merriam-Webster offers that it is; “an organization that provides instruction: such as … an institution for the teaching of children.” Okay, so why do we have these institutions known as schools? For as long as there have been humans, there has been the need for the young to learn. Some learning is instinctive. Some learning is necessary for survival. Each civilization had its own reasons beyond that for children to learn. It may have been to perpetuate the culture. It may have been to reinforce the religion or other beliefs. It may have been to go beyond just basic survival and learn how to enhance life. For the sake of this essay, I am going to begin by looking at the first European settlers to this country. One of the primary motivating forces that drove the early settlers to face the dangers and unknown of the ocean voyage to the “New World” was that of religion. They wanted to be free to follow their respective religions and not be forced to follow a different system. The Bible was the guiding document for most and once they were on North American soil, they could focus on teaching their children Biblical lessons as they saw fit. But when
the settlers came to Plymouth, the adults had agreed on the Mayflower Compact to guide them in structuring their society. It was important that the next generation knew about it and followed it. In 1642 in Massachusetts, a law was passed to have children attend schools to be sure they learned “religion and laws of the commonwealth.” In 1647, the Old Deluder Satan Act was passed to address “families’ negligence to educate their children in the home.” For the next 150 years, parents and some organized schools provided the education for the children of our society. The organized schools were still set up to teach children to obey with no questions asked, to memorize what they were told to and to learn to read for the basic purpose of studying the Bible. The individual colonies and areas within the colonies often set up their own guidelines. Thomas Jefferson, in Virginia, felt that education should be for all children, regardless of the wealth of the parents. In New York City in 1787, the African Free School was established to teach freed slaves. One can find several other examples throughout the colonies. Following the Revolutionary War and with the establishment of the Constitution, one of the founding fathers, John Jay,
stressed that the Constitution must be read, studied and then taught to the next generations. This was much like the needs put forth in the Massachusetts law of 1642. It is important to note here however, that the founding fathers did not feel it was the federal government’s role. There were limited roles assigned to the federal government and education of children was not one of them. The 10th Amendment made that clear. The winning of the Revolutionary War and the establishment of the Constitution did not suddenly make all the thirteen colonies, now states, the same. For example, there were vast differences between Massachusetts and Georgia. But they were all made up of people with the same basic needs. And, for the most part, there was a shared desire to teach children things that addressed goodness, truth and untruth. The McGuffy Reader and the New England Primer were examples of books used in many schools throughout the country to achieve this end. As the economies of the states evolved, there was a need to have literate working people to help maintain these economies. Each state responded to this need in their own way to meet their specific needs. Churches, and in particular
the Catholic church established their own schools to help further general studies and the study of the church doctrines. In 1920, the Smith-Towner Bill was passed at the federal level and stated that ALL children MUST attend public schools. This was partly to educate the influx of immigrants from various parts of the world and to “Americanize” them. It may have also been a way to limit the influence of Catholic schools. It was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court. As you can see, from the time the settlers first landed and up to around the mid 20th century, schools existed for pretty much the same reasons. You might say to teach the three Rs. And with that was the ability to read the Bible and other books or workrelated documents, and to have a citizenry that was good and knew the truth. But then some rather significant changes started to take place and schools began to take on a much larger responsibility. Fast forward to 2021 and we find ourselves in a situation that educators of 100 years ago could never have imagined nor would approve of. Douglas Geertgens Cooperstown Douglas Geertgens is a retired Cooperstown Elementary School principal.
Cooperstown Crossing project fulfills mission set out in comprehensive plan Editorial/Continued from Page A4 offering year-long leases on units of varying sizes for a total of 21 bedrooms. The site of the proposed building has been a commercial use for generations but has been largely abandoned and derelict for the past 30 years. It is a project that has been meticulously planned and carefully designed to have minimal impact on neighboring properties in an area that is largely defined by commercial and hospitality uses. Of the 11 structures on this section of the street, five of the structures house seven commercial uses, including an inn that was converted from an apartment building that had offered roughly the same residential capacity as the current proposal. Importantly, it is also the project of two local community-minded residents whose own distress at the lack of affordable housing for the professional
staff of their respective local businesses and institutions prompted them to take on this arguably benevolent and forward-thinking project at a time when such a project is so widely endorsed and desperately needed. What more could one hope for that property and this village? While some may argue with our belief that the project is, indeed, widely endorsed, a brief return to the Comprehensive Plan adopted by the village about five years ago might be helpful. The plan states: “When no specific site is considered, the villagers who responded to the survey cited several ‘needs’ for the village,” which is a near-perfect checklist for the current proposal. To compare, here are the proposals and an indication of if the proposed Cooperstown
Crossing development meets those proposals from five-years ago. 1) “Affordable year-round housing needed” (check); 2) “Lack of long-term leases” (check); 3) “Need for senior housing” (check); 4) “Apartments” (check); 5) “Universal design or aging in place housing” (check, check); 6) “Make Cooperstown a village for residents again!” In addition, to giving that last one a check, we add, “Amen.” The Cooperstown Board of Trustees has done their homework over the years and devoted considerable thought, time, effort and funding to tackle the scarcity of longterm housing for professional and working families. It has proven time and again that the village recognizes the critical importance of adequate residential opportunities
that would serve to revitalize and reinvigorate the community dynamic that had characterized Cooperstown for two centuries but has now been largely drained away. It is our opinion that the Cooperstown Trustees must now follow their commitment to professional, year-round housing as so clearly and loudly stated in numerous comprehensive studies and plans over the years, as it is disingenuous at best to continuously say “no” to caring and concerned local people who are willing and able to honor and fulfill that commitment and, in doing so, enrich the community as a whole. If not here, where? If not now, when? We have faith in the developers and the village committees to iron out the details. However, we believe this project needs to be approved to move forward.
A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
OBITUARIES
Charlotte Perry Koniuto, 80 MILFORD – Charlotte Perry Koniuto, who served as the Otsego County Clerk and was an active member of the Republican Party, passed away unexpectedly late Sunday night, June 13, 2021, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. She was 80. Born Charlotte Jean Perry September 29, 1940, at home in the Town of Minden near Canajoharie, she was a daughter of Melvin David Perry, Sr. and Dorothy (Madison) Perry. In 1950 Charlotte and her family moved to the Cooperstown area, where she attended a one-room schoolhouse in Bowerstown until it consolidated with Cooperstown Central School. After graduating from Cooperstown High School with the Class of 1958, she attended the
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Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: DREAM WEAVER FARM LLC. Certificate of Conversion filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 11 June 2021. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 650 County Highway 27, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.29 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: RATHBUN RENOVATIONS LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 3 June 2021. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 272 Rathbun Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.29
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process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 15 Lancaster St, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.29 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: CLEAR WATER ENVIRONMENTAL LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 28 May 2021. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 846 Co Hwy 25, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.29 Legal nOtice NOTICE TO BIDDERS
JSGC LLC.
Sealed bids will be received as set forth in instructions to bidders until 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, July 22, 2021 at the NYSDOT, Office of Contract Management, 50 Wolf Rd, 1st Floor, Suite 1CM, Albany, NY 12232 and will be publicly opened and read. Bids may also be submitted via the internet using www.bidx.com. A certified cashier’s check payable to the NYSDOT for the sum specified in the proposal or a bid bond, form CONR 391, representing 5% of the bid total, must accompany each bid. NYSDOT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 28 May 2021. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom
Electronic documents and Amendments are posted to www.dot.ny.gov/ doing-business/opportunities/const-notices. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all Amendments are
Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company. Name:
Sept. 29, 1940 – June 13, 2021
University at Buffalo, service, Charlotte was a and then returned to member and past vice presiCooperstown to work for dent of the Cooperstown the next seven years for Chamber of Commerce Attorney Robert C. Tennant. and served as Chair of the On July 10, 1965, 1970 Cooperstown Winter Charlotte married Stanley Carnival. She was an active member of the New York George Koniuto in Herkimer, and she State Association helped him open the of County Clerks, Cooperstown Bowlserved on the A-Rama. In 1971 she board of United started her 28-year Way, was the first career at the Otsego woman elected County Clerk’s into membership office, first serving in the Milford as a clerk. On March Rotary Club, and 1, 1977, she became was a longstanding Deputy County Charlotte P. member of the Clerk, and in 1988 Cooperstown Koniuto was elected Otsego Women’s Club County Clerk. She served in and the Native Daughters of that capacity until her retire- Cooperstown. ment in January 1998, at Charlotte especially which time she became the enjoyed her long-time Republican Commissioner association with the of Elections. Otsego County Republican Devoted to community Committee. She served as a
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incorporated into its bid. To receive notification of Amendments via e-mail you must submit a request to be placed on the Planholders List at www.dot. ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/ const-planholder. Amendments may have been issued prior to your placement on the Planholders list.
award.
NYS Finance Law restricts communication with NYSDOT on procurements and contact can only be made with designated persons. Contact with non-designated persons or other involved Agencies will be considered a serious matter and may result in disqualification. Contact Robert Kitchen (518)457-2124.
D264532, PIN 9LSS21, FA Proj Z24E9LSS-213, Broome, Otsego, Sullivan Cos., LANDSCAPING & STORMWATER CONTRACT FFY21 Region 9, Bid Deposit: 5% of Bid (~ $10,000.00), Goals: DBE: 6.00% 2LegalJul.1
Contracts with 0% Goals are generally single operation contracts, where subcontracting is not expected, and may present direct bidding opportunities for Small Business Firms, including, but not limited to D/W/MBEs. The New York State Department of Transportation, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federallyassisted programs of the Department of Transportation and Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, Title IV Program and Related Statutes, as amended, issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all who respond to a written Department solicitation, request for proposal or invitation for bid that it will affirmatively insure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability/handicap and income status in consideration for an
committee person for many years, vice chairwoman for two years and then in 2003 was elected chairwoman and served in this position until 2007. Always the staunch Republican, she was a member and past vice president of the Otsego County Republican Women’s Club, and through the years worked on and was a vital part of many Republican dinner committees, fundraisers and campaigns. Charlotte enjoyed a great many summers at their camp on Otsego Lake. She also had a love for cooking and entertaining and took great pride in her home, enjoying beautiful flowers and maintaining a manicured lawn. Charlotte’s greatest joy was spending time with her family and wonderful friends, who were enriched by her stead-
Please call (518)457-2124 if a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the letting. Region 09: New York State Department of Transportation 44 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901
Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Resource.Me, LLC Filed 4/21/21 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 19 Eagle Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful Legal nOtice Notice of formation of Frank & Glory LLC Filed 4/29/21 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 22 Leatherstocking Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful 6LegalJul.29 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Mkswat LLC Filed 4/29/21 Office: Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: PO Box 1208, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Purpose: all lawful 6LegalJul.29 Legal nOtice NOTICE TO BIDDERS Clark Companies is bidding the general construction of the State University of New York
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at Oneonta Softball Field Site Improvements & Safety Upgrades Project 091029-01. We request quotations from qualified Minority Businesses and Women’s Business Enterprises along with Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses for their work involved with this project including but not limited to: Silt Fence/Erosion Control Aggregate Products Concrete Precast Structures Drainage Systems (piping/structures/ fabric) Electric Fence and Gates Signs Specifications, plans and quantities are available by contacting our office at P.O. Box 427, Delhi, NY 13753, phone 607-746-2727, fax 607-746-3107 or email info@clarkcompanies.com Equal Opportunity Employer. Quotes are due by June 29th, 2021 2LegalJun.24 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of Gilbertsville Trucking LLC, Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 1/7/21. Cty: Otsego. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom proc. may be served & shall mail 438 Oregon Rd, Gilbertsville, NY 13776. Purp: any lawful. 6LegalJul.22 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY UNDER NEW YORK LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY LAW 1. The name of the limited liability company (“LLC”) is The Everything Bagelry LLC. 2. The date of filing of the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State is June 2, 2021. 3. The County within the State of New York in which the principal office of the LLC is located is Otsego. 4. The Secretary
fast love and understanding. She was a very determined and energetic person with a will to live life to the fullest. Charlotte died as she lived: strong, courageous, determined, and with amazing grace and dignity. Charlotte is survived by her aunt Dorothy Perry and a special cousin, Beth PerryPeacock, both of Orlando, Fla.; cousin Bruce Perry of Conn; two brothers-in-law, Roger Koniuto of North Carolina and John Koniuto and wife Arlene of Binghamton; two sisters-in-law, Mary Doupe of Binghamton and Dianne Perry of Pittsfield; as well as other cousins, nieces and nephews, and her best friend, Barbara Buriello of Milford. She was predeceased by her husband of almost 50 years, Stan Koniuto, who died May 20, 2015; a brother,
Melvin D. “Moose” Perry, Jr. and a sister, Lois Miller; and her canine companion Zak Abbott Koniuto. Charlotte will be laid to rest with Stan at the Fly Creek Valley Cemetery in Fly Creek. A Celebration of Life will be announced. Those wishing to make contributions in Charlotte’s memory may donate to the Milford Emergency Squad, PO Box 359, Milford, NY 13807, the Susquehanna SPCA, 4841 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326, Helios Care, 297 River St. Service Rd., Suite 1, Oneonta, NY 13820, or a charity of their choice. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown. For more obituaries see page A-10
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of State of the State of New York is hereby designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The post office address to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him or her is: 223 Main Street, Unadilla, NY 13849. 5. The character or purpose of the business of the LLC is any purpose allowed by law. 6LegalJul.15
cultural Nonpoint Source Planning - Stormwater Retrofit - Pioneer Alley and/or Hoffman Lane
public hearings. Disabled citizens, who require assistance in attending said public hearings, or in furnishing comments or suggestions, should contact the Village Clerk to request assistance. Public comments may be provided by email to the Village Clerk at jutter@cooperstownny.org or by regular mail to the address below no later than Monday, June 28, 2021 at 3:30 p.m.
Arts. Of Org. filed with the SSNY on 2/3/21. Office: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC. 25 W End Ave Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalJul.8
By order of the Village Board of Trustees Village of Cooperstown
Notice of Formation of
Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: The Sweet Life Animal Ranch LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on‚ May 11, 2021. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 310 Dimmock Hollow Rd, Morris, NY 13808. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.15 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York on Monday, June 28, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard, to discuss making application in the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process for the following: OPRHP Environmental Protection Fund Grants Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage (EPF) - Parks Program - Lakefront Park DEC Non-Agri-
Others funding opportunities available through the CFA for Village projects Any resident of the Village of Cooperstown is entitled to be heard upon said proposed applications at such public hearing. Disabled citizens, who require assistance in attending said public hearings, or in furnishing comments or suggestions, should contact the Village Clerk to request assistance. Dated: June 4, 2021 By order of the Village Board Village of Cooperstown Jenna L. Utter Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 (607) 547-2411 (phone) jutter@cooperstownny.org (email) 3LegalJun.24 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing in the Cooperstown Central School Junior/Senior High School Cafeteria, 39 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, New York on Monday, June 28, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard, to discuss the following Proposed Special Use Permit for a 13 unit multi-family residence at 10 Chestnut Street per Section 300-12B(2) The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Any individual is entitled to be heard at such
Jenna Utter Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326 (607) 547-2411 (phone) jutter@cooperstownny.org (email) 3LegalJun.24 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BlackEagle Records LLC Articles of Org Filed with the SSNY on 3/25/21 Office: Otsego County SSNY designated as agent for process and shall mail to: 485 main street Oneonta NY 13820 Purpose: Any lawful purpose 6LegalJul.15 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of EnviroGo Asbestos Solutions LLC. Filed 5/7/21. Office: Otsego Co. NY. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 32 Windsor Pass, Horsham, PA 19044. Registered Agent: Scott Kret, 32 Windsor Pass, Horsham, PA 19044. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalJul.15 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of PJ PowerWash LLC.
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Legal nOtice
Paradise Blueberries, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 5/26/21. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 1100 South America Road, Worcester, NY 12197. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalJul.8 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of CLC TAX SERVICES LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 4/5/2021. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 164 Main St., Richfield Springs, NY 13439, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalJul.8 Legal nOtice Notice of Formations of a LLC Jerry’s Reality LLC, Art of Org. filed with SSNY on 4/07/2021. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY design as agent upon whom proc. May be served & mail 926 CO HWY 49 New Berlin, NY 13411. Purp. any lawfuL 6LegalJun.24
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OTSEGO.sports
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7
Rowing gains popularity on Otsego Lake By PHOEBE SMITH Rowing opportunities have been expanding on Otsego Lake the past few years and a two-time Olympian has been a big part of bringing the sport to Cooperstown and Otsego County. The Otsego Area Rowing program, under the guidance of Oneonta’s two-time Olympian, Andrea Thies, has been expanding for several summers now as people take up the water sport. A rower from her collegiate years at Cornell University, Thies aims to offer access to the sport regardless of age, ability or experience. OAR was established in 2017, in conjunction with the Otsego Land Trust and Brookwood Point, with an emphasis on adolescent rowing opportunities. The not-for-profit offers classes and opportunities for all ages and abilities. Although many of OAR’s programs were restricted last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, this summer’s rowing opportunities are in full swing with various adult and kid camps. There is also a scholarship to help fund an adaptive rowing opportunity, via the Eric D. Dettenrieder’s
Phoebe Smith
Former Olympic rower Andrea Thies demonstrates proper technique during a class Friday, June 18, on Otsego Lake.
Memorial Fund in conjunction with Pathfinder Village. The EDD Memorial Fund strives to provide adap-
tive sports opportunities to individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive and developmental disabili-
ties, similar to Pathfinder Village’s endeavors towards those with Down syndrome. Thies said making sports,
especially rowing, available to those who are disabled or physically restricted remains important, as it “increases
sport activity in the future.” A two-time Olympian in 1992 and 1996, and a medalist at the PanAmerican Games, Thies said she did not consider herself an athlete prior to getting into college rowing. However, her style now is of a traditional coach who talks about the values of teamwork and hard work. Her skills derived from a highly competitive level of rowing have aided her transformation to an increasingly recreational level, in which she uses the sport to “keep her going” and stay active, she said. Thies called her involvement with Cornell’s team and subsequent Olympic teams as a “chance moment.” Without the accessibility of rowing equipment and resources offered at Cornell, Thies said she believes she would not be the rower she is today, or a rower at all. As OAR continues to gain momentum, Thies said she foresees the utmost success for the project on small and large scales, with individual participants and through expanding opportunities and accessibility within the sport of rowing in the area. Go to www.otsegoarearowing.org for more information.
For Oneonta’s Catan, one last high school title is a dream denied By GREG KLEIN Last week, while section champions accepted their awards, and athletes across the region expressed thanks for being able to get back to competing for championships, the mood was different for one local player. Arguably the best tennis player in the region, Oneonta senior Chris Catan watched as his classmates played playoff games and his peers on the court won titles. Section IV did not offer a post-season tennis tournament despite offering post-season events for other spring sports, including baseball, softball, lacrosse and track and field. “I was very, very disappointed,” Catan said during a phone interview Thursday, June 17. “At first, I was excited to be back out on the court for Oneonta,” Catan continued. “When I heard the news (about the section tournament), I was really upset. I thought to myself, ‘am I just here to practice?’” The son of a former professional tennis player, Paul Catan, Chris took to his father’s sport when he was fouryears old. He quickly became a prodigy. “My dad introduced me to the game, but I sort of took off from there,” he said. Catan made Oneonta’s varsity team as a seventh grader, and has been its top singles player throughout high school, winning Section IV Class C/D titles in 2018 and 2019, during his freshman and
sophomore seasons. Catan advanced to the state tournament in 2019, lost a first-round match in three sets, and then went 1-1 in the consolation bracket. He was expected to be a contender for a state title as an upperclassman, but lost the chance to compete in the the 2020 high school season and the 2021 section playoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic. Catan resumed his training and his club matches last year, as tennis adjusted to the pandemic. Catan trains in Saratoga at the YMCA and in Oneonta at the Otsego Tennis Club. And while high school tennis is not the highest level of play on the circuit, the Catans and his coach said they were disappointed that Chris did not have the chance to win his third section title, or to compete for the state title again. “He is a legend in tennis at Oneonta High School,” his coach, Phyllis Orlowski said. “Yes, (it is) extremely disappointing that no one could put together sectionals, even after we volunteered many times to just do it.” “All other regions within New York state had sectional tennis finals except Section IV,” Michelle Catan, Chris’s mom said. “We tried with other parents for almost two months to ‘push’ the section sports coordinator and the Section IV executive director to get it organized but no one would. “We don’t know why no one would fight for the kids and get it organized,
but yet all the other sections did,” she said. Orlowski said she will continue to cheer on Catan, but she will miss his team leadership. “Chris is one of the nicest, most polite, intelligent and caring young men I have ever met,” she said. “He is helpful and pleasant all the time. He has a kind and caring soul. Chris helped all of the OHS tennis team to learn the game. He was a role model.” The Catans said they, too, would remember fondly the highlights of Chris’s high school career, including the title wins and the trip to the state tournament, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, home to the US Open Tennis Championship. In addition, Catan served as a ball boy for two years at the Open, as a freshman and a sophomore, which his mom said she will always remember. “It was a dream come true,” she said. “I don’t know if (it was better) for him or for us to see him there! It was an awesome job and he got paid well for it and got to keep his US Open uniform too.” Luckily for Catan, his playing days will continue. He will play tennis at Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Sea Gulls are an NCAA Division III school that competes in the Coast-toCoast Athletic Conference. Catan said he is setting his goals high. “I hope I get a chance to start freshman year,” he said.
Contributed
A section tennis champion, during his freshman and sophomore years, Oneonta’s Chris Catan did not get the chance to win another section title this year.
Tri-Valley League announces 2021 All-Star teams for spring sports STAFF REPORT The Tri-Valley League announced its 2021 spring AllStars on Thursday, June 17. The players honored were: Track and Field Girls: Jaelyn Jaquay, CV-S; Morgan Huff, CV-S; Marijke Kroon, CV-S; Kailey Barnes, CV-S; Mina Aramini, CV-S; Emily Stanley, Milford/Laurens; Sarah Munson, Milford/Laurens; Mariah Saggesse, Milford/ Laurens; Jaiden Brodie, Milford/ Laurens; Kyrah Andrades, Milford/Laurens; Laney Price, Milford/Laurens; Maddy Smith, Edmeston; Samantha Severing, Downsville; Amber Wyocff, Schenevus/Worcester; Hannah Sulas, Schenevus/Worcester; Shawna Whiteman, Schenevus/ Greg Klein/The Freeman’s Journal Worcester; Lilly Competiello, After winning the Tri-Valley League and Section IV Class D Schenevus/Worcester. softball titles last week, Schenevus placed six players on the Boys: Oskar Webster, CV-S; TVL All-Star softball team, including three on the first team, two Carter Stevens, Milford/Laurens; on the second team and one honorable mention. Riley Stevens, Milford/
Laurens; Wendel Agustin, Milford/Laurens; Kyle Davis, Milford/Laurens; Ethan Jubar, Milford/Laurens; Cole Ruff, Franklin; Jeff Bullis, Franklin; Darren Panko, Richfield Springs; Gavin Brunner, Downsville; Tristan Reed, Downsville; Alaniz Ruiz, Downsville; Danny Aiello, Downsville; Zach Dertinger, Downsville; Andrew Goebel, Downsville; Andrew Ruiz, Downsville; Aaron Steel, Downsville. Softball First Team: Marissa Campbell, Franklin; Leeanna West, Milford; Hannah Wist, Morris; Hannah Osborne, Schenevus; Sam Osborne, Schenevus; Cassie Snyder, Schenevus; Maggie Worobey, Richfield Springs; Delimar Vega-Haley, Worcester; Lily Conroe, Worcester; Iriyah Haley, Worcester. Second Team: Zoe Warren, Franklin; Gabby Andrades,
Laurens; Tia Vagliardo, Milford; Maddie Aikins, Morris; Kelsey Burton, Schenevus; Autumn Jones, Schenevus; Brooke Connelly, Richfield Springs; Jackie Hosford, Richfield Springs; Jenna Morell, Worcester; Miriam Odell, Worcester. Honorable Mention: Lydia Lusk,CV-S/SS; Abby Bateman, Edmeston; Kayla Campbell, Franklin; Skyler White, Laurens; Kara Mertz, Milford; Miesha Neer, Morris; Sammy O’Connor, Richfield Springs; Taylor Knapp, Schenevus; Elizabeth Odell, Worcester. Baseball First Team: Josh Martin, Edmeston; Greg DeVries, Edmeston; Ronnie Hickling, Edmeston; Owen Schneider, Schenevus; Dylan Brundege, Schenevus; Luke Dubben, CVS/SS; Noah Acampora, CV-S/SS; Owen Johnson, CV-S/SS; See TRI-VALLEY, Page A8
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Contributed
Milford’s Mike Virtell, running home to score a run against Downsville on June 7, was named to the second team for the Tri-Valley League spring 2021 baseball All-Stars.
Edmeston, Milford top TVL baseball honors TRI-VALLEY/Continued from Page A7 Martin Thorsland, Milford; Asa Dugan, Morris. Second Team: Kyle Ough, Edmeston; Ethan LaPre, Schenevus; Mehki Regg, Schenevus; Chris Bostwick, Schenevus; Kyle France, CV-S/SS; Mike Virtell, Milford; Ethan Herring, Morris; Isaiah Haley, Worcester; Connor Fancher, Worcester; Austin Bowman, Richfield Springs. Honorable Mention: Tyler Jennings, Edmeston; Jordan Regg, Schenevus; Will Heinrich, CV-S/SS; Louis Banks, Milford; Matt Burtis, Morris; Michael Martin, Worcester; Connor Scheffler, Richfield Springs.
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-9
A-10 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
OBITUARIES
James F. ‘Jim’ Tongue, 80 June 19 1940 – June 15, 2021
COOPERSTOWN Class of 1958 (a trait that – James F. “Jim” Tongue, would follow him his entire a true man about town and life, as evidenced by his well-respected Cooperstown many closets of clothes!) businessman who for Jim truly enjoyed his years many years owned and at Cooperstown High, operated The Cupboard and remained a dedicated on Main Street, passed Redskin his entire life. away following a struggle Following graduation, Jim enrolled at SUNY with Alzheimer’s disease Tuesday night, June 15, Cobleskill, graduating from 2021, at his home on Walnut there with an associate’s Street with his beloved wife degree. He returned to and best friend, Barb, his Cooperstown and joined his daughters, step daughter and parents at The Cupboard and sister-in-law at his side. He become a well-liked member was 80. of the community. To say Born June 19, 1940, that Jim loved Cooperstown at Memorial Hospital in would be an understatement. Catskill, James Frank His easygoing and likeable Tongue was the second personality made this “man son of William about town” the Frank Tongue and person everyone Beatrice Catherine wanted to be (Miller) Tongue. around. In 1953, Jim and Jim’s happihis family moved ness in life truly to Cooperstown became evident where his parents and flourished established The when he met Cupboard, which the love of his James F. fast became a staple life, Barbara A. Tongue of Main Street life Ballard. Jim and as a well-known newsstand, Barb were married June gift shop and stationery 27, 1998, in the backyard store which Jim would of their home on Walnut later own and operate. The Street, and they became family settled into their not only husband and wife, but also best friends. Never home on Old School Court, and Jim’s outgoing personone to miss a good party, ality quickly made him a Jim enjoyed many fun welcome part of the 8th times with Barb and their grade. Throughout his four friends at such venerable years at Cooperstown High Cooperstown establishments School, Jim was a popular as The Pit at The Tunnicliff young man who excelled in Inn and The Pepper Mill. sports as a member of the Jim and Barb enjoyed the Varsity basketball, baseball simple pleasures in life and football teams. He was together, such as long also a member of the Varsity walks around the village, “C” Club and, known for and he came to appreciate his impeccable appearance, Barb’s fondness for the was listed as “Best Dressed” Adirondacks, enjoying many in the Who’s Who of the trips to Lake Placid, Old
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
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
Forge, and the family camp at Inlet. Jim will fondly be remembered for being always impeccably dressed and for his manicured yard at his Walnut Street Home. Always the sportsman, Jim’s athleticism carried through to his adult years as he enjoyed softball and bowling. Golf, though, was his true passion, and he played countless rounds as a member at the Leatherstocking Golf Course and enjoyed meeting up with his golfing buddies every morning for coffee. In addition to his love of sports, Jim was very community-minded, and through the years was a member of the Cooperstown Lions Club, Rotary Club, Native Sons, and American Legion Squadron 579. He was also an instrumental part of the Cooperstown Winter Carnival in its formative years. Jim truly led a life welllived. All those whose lives he touched will miss him. Jim is survived by his beloved wife and best friend of 32 years, Barb Tongue, of Cooperstown; his daughters, Karen V. Lange and husband, Victor of Northville, and JoAnne C.“Joby” Iovoli and husband, Louis of Mendon; five grandchildren, Alexander Lange and wife, Donna, Catherine Lange and fiancé Christopher, and Nicholas Lange and fiancé, Victoria, and Madelyn Bradt and Michael Bradt; a great grandson, Parker Lange; and a stepdaughter, Hillary Bass LaDuke and her son, Caleb James Rosa. He is further survived by his older brother, William C. Tongue and wife, Nancy of Fairport and their family. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife and mother of his daughters, Sally Patton Sanford, who died February 11, 2019. Special gratitude goes out to devoted friends Keith and Kay Additon, and to the many health professionals who were instrumental in providing such wonderful home care for Jim until the time of his passing. A service to honor Jim’s life was on Friday, June 18, 2021, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown, with the Rev. Betsy Jay officiating. A gathering at the Leatherstocking Golf Course Clubhouse followed the service for a time to reminisce and celebrate Jim’s life. For those who so desire, memorial gifts may be directed to the following local organizations: The Cooperstown Fire Department, PO Box 1, Cooperstown, NY 13326; The Cooperstown Emergency Squad, PO Box 322, Cooperstown, NY 13326; and The Cooperstown Food Pantry, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Gretchen Morrison, 42
Teacher, lifelong Cooperstown resident COOPERSTOWN – Gretchen Morrison, a teacher and lifelong resident of the Cooperstown area, died unexpectedly June 11, 2021, at the age of 42. Gretchen is survived by her loving mother and stepdad, Sandra and William Stockdale, her siblings and their spouses, Gregory and Lisa Marie Morrison, Glenda and Matt Vatovec, and Glenn and Michelle Morrison. Gretchen is also survived by her beautiful children, whom she loved very dearly, Konrad, Violet, and Otto. She was predeceased by her father, Walter Glen Morrison. Gretchen was born in Cooperstown to Walter and Sandra Morrison. She graduated from Cooperstown Central School with her path clear and set to become
a teacher. She completed her undergrad studies at SUNY Oneonta and went on for her Master’s degree at The University of New England. She was a teacher for many years, first at Cooperstown Central School, then at Proctor High School. She loved her craft and her students. She worked tirelessly to give the young lives she touched the opportunity for more in their future. Gretchen will be remembered for her unwavering love of her children, her incredible laugh, and her devotion to helping others. Her worldly pain is gone and she is in peace. She will be deeply missed by her loved ones and friends. Services will be officiated by Pastor Phillip Sell. Family and friends (by
invitation) will remember and celebrate the best of Gretchen’s life. She will be laid to eternal rest at Fly Creek Valley Cemetery in Fly Creek. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cooperstown Central School, and in the memo line please note The Gretchen Miller Memorial Fund, which will benefit a student of outstanding character pursuing a college degree. Donations can be mailed to Cooperstown Central School in care of Amy Kukenberger, 39 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Joan K. Mayhew, 86 Aug. 6, 1934 – May 25, 2021
CARSON CITY, NEV. – Joan K. Mayhew, a former resident of the Village of Cooperstown and retired first grade teacher, passed away Tuesday evening, May 25, 2021, at Carson Tahoe Care Center in Carson City, Nevada. She was 86. Born August 6, 1934, in Oswego, Joan was a daughter of Frank and Clara (Bears) Koster. She was married to Donald Kelsey “Duke” Mayhew for 52 years until his passing June 30, 2010. For over thirty years, Joan taught first grade at the Cooperstown Elementary School. She was always actively involved in both the community as well as the Catholic church. When Joan relocated permanently to North Palm Beach, Florida, she remained active in education. She regularly volunteered her time, helping to teach reading to children with special needs at a nearby local school. Everyone in her North Palm Beach condo community loved her. She treated her neighbors and friends like family. She enjoyed all the parties and activities available including water aerobics, crafts and relentlessly walking to stay in good health. She would invite anyone who had no
place to spend holidays to come to her home for dinner. It was evident how many lives she touched by the amount of birthday cards she received every year. Every time Joan relocated, she made friends instantly. She always had a joke or a funny story to make people smile. Joan spent five summers in Ohio, where she could be close to her daughter Jill and her grandchildren Dakota and Jordan. She made many friends at the Ohio Senior Center that she joined, and always wrote her friends there a funny ditty for their birthdays. Her heart was so big she would help strangers by letting them live in her Ohio home during the winter months. She let an elderly couple in need stay at her home for free, as well as a family friend who relocated from Alaska. Family and friends regularly stayed at Joan’s when visiting Ohio. The running joke was that her home was an “inbetween house” for anyone in need. Joan was always the first to care for others throughout her life. She touched so many lives through her generosity. Her kindness and willingness to help will be missed by all
who knew her. She is survived by son Steve Mayhew and wife, Kim of New Fairfield, Conn., and their sons Kyle, Kevyn, Brandon and Austin; daughter Julia (Jill) Brown and husband, Mark of Dover, Ohio, and children Jordan and Dakota; daughter Lynn Pettibone and husband, Mike of Lake Tahoe, Nev., and two stepdaughters Michelle and Amanda, and Michelle’s son, Bradley. She is also survived by a sister Sherrill Keenan and husband, John of Battle Mountain, Nev., and nephews. In addition to her husband, Joan was predeceased by a son, Scott “Rod” Mayhew, in 2003 Visiting hours will be from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered immediately afterwards with Fr. Michael Cambi, pastor officiating. The Service of Committal and Burial will follow in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown. Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Walter (Walt) Rasmussen, 87 Feb. 25, 1934 – Jun. 14, 2021
On Monday, June were situated. He 14, 2021, Walter had to be avail(Walt) Rasmussen able 24/ 7 in all at age 87, left this weather condiearth for a much tions to solve better place. these problems. He was born During the time February 25, 1934, of his employin Queens, New ment with Eastern York to Jack and Microwave, Walter Anna Rasmussen. Walter and Albert Rasmussen Walter attended Bagnardi estabMilford Central School. lished a local cable company In his early working known as “Portlandville career, he assisted his father Video”. in the plumbing trades. Walter was a member Walter was always interof the “International ested in electronics and for Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees” Union. a short period of time had his own TV repair shop in After his retirement Portlandville, NY. Walter established and Walter became a projecowned the local Oneonta TV tionist for local theaters station “WISF TV 15”. The including the Palace Theater programming for the station in Oneonta, the Oneonta was meant to highlight local Theater, and the Delnews and events including Sego Drive-In Theater in the MDA Jerry Lewis Emmons, New York. Telethon which Walter He was drafted by the loaned equipment and United States Army in expertise so that Oneonta 1953 and spent time on the and surrounding area resiKorean Peninsula, being dents could participate and honorably discharged in show their generosity. 1955. Walter was predeceased Walter was employed by in death by his father Jack Eastern Microwave where and his mother, Anna, by his he traveled the northeast sister Helena and brother-introubleshooting signal prob- law Bill Doheny, and by his lems on top of mountains brother in-law, John Arnold. where microwave towers He is survived by his
sister Eleanor Arnold and his brother William Rasmussen (Nancy). Walter has nieces and nephews, Athena Manley, Michael Henrikson (Jill) and Michelle Henrikson (Don), Suzanne (Jim) Figary and Stephen Arnold (Mystie), Lesa Bussmann (Dan) and Jeneé Rasmussen-Green (Ronnie). He also leaves great friends of his that he made throughout his stay on this earth. A memorial service will take place on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 6 pm at the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, 14 Grand Street, Oneonta. Calling hours will precede the service from 5-6pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of choice. To leave a condolence for the family, visit www.grummonsfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home, Oneonta.
THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-11
CCS BOE meeting leads to discussion about diversity, race, teaching By GREG KLEIN The Fox News-style controversy over the teaching of American history to American students arrived at the Cooperstown Board of Education on Wednesday, June 16, in the cafeteria of the middle/ high school on Linden Avenue just outside of Cooperstown in the town of Otsego. More than 50 people spaced out through the cafeteria, at least a dozen mingled in both the hallway outside and in the parking lot, and 12 people spoke during the half-hour public comment session designed for members of the public to give feedback to members of the BOE. At least 20 people stayed through the tedium of an hourplus long meeting to hear if there would be more discussion on the topic and awaited another public comment session, where two speakers addressed the board again on the topic of the moment in right-wing news. There was no motion before the
board to teach the theory, although the state Board of Education did recently launch an initiative that requires BOEs statewide to adopt policies and resolutions that affirm diversity, tolerance and inclusiveness. Of the 12 speakers, only two expressed opposition to the teaching of whatever they defined as critical race theory and neither spoke directly about it. Pete Russo, who also spoke at the end of the evening, mostly spoke about Marxism, and the Marxist idea that the worse aspects of capitalism were by design and not accident, drawing occasional laughter from the audience and an admonishment from BOE President Tim Hayes to the audience to not react in a way that harms the purpose of the open comment session. Russo did not wear a mask, leading Hayes to ask that speakers recognize that the school had different rules than other parts of society that are now dropping mask mandates. Former Cooperstown Elementary
School Principal Doug Geertgens mostly spoke about the state requirements and the issue of federal and state control of teaching standards. He said as an educator he objected to the idea that schools did a bad job teaching before and he did not feel there was an urgent need to address inequality in teaching or teaching standards now. Geertgens was later overheard in the parking lot promoting an online article that hypothesizes about the coming war between conservatives and liberals. He affirmed the war was coming. Paula DiPerna also spoke twice, stressing the need for an honest teaching of history and warning the BOE that getting caught up in social controversies is a way to abandon its educational mission. The remainder of the speakers discussed the need to teach history honestly, even the parts of American history that deal with racism and bigotry. While several of the speakers spoke about the definitions of critical race theory that seem to be motivating the
debate, more spoke about parts of history they never learned in school, using the Tulsa Race Massacre and the causes of the Civil War as examples. Occasionally, the messages were personal, such as when Cooperstown Central School graduate Sam Ross spoke about growing up gay in Cooperstown. Ross said he was still shaking with fear about speaking decades later as he recalled getting harassed in the cafeteria, sometimes even by school administrators and teachers. He said if CCS does not teach diversity and inclusion then it will create another generation of graduates who tremble with fear when required to speak their truth. He got hugs and pats on the back as he left the meeting, passing by the opposition group, unmasked and occasionally red-hatted. The discussion began as a Facebook post in the group Hartwick Politics & Everything Else by Hartwick resident Bryan LoRusso, who was running in the Republican primary for town
supervisor in the primary election Tuesday, June 22. LoRusso’s post asked anyone who wanted to discuss “the curriculum and school material being promoted regarding topics such as teaching of critical race theory, diversity, inclusion and sexual identity” to meet at his barn for a pre-meeting discussion and then attend and speak out to the BOE. However, he did not speak, either because of time constraints, Hayes enforcing the mask requirement or other reasons. Most of the meeting, the last of the 2020-2021 school year, dealt with end-of-year business, but Superintendent Sarah Spross did brief the board on the policy requirements and noted that typically state requirements come quickly, demand action and sometimes are a work in progress. She said ultimately the local BOE does have to comply with the state standards and pass a statement and approve policies that affirm that commitment to diversity, tolerance and inclusiveness.
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THURSDAY, June 24, 2021
A-12 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Murder trial features dramatic testimony from one codefendant, silence from another Robinson/Continued from Page A1 Hegeman choosing not to mount a defense, the case proceeded to closing arguments. Hegeman also pointed out that Soto was expected to take a plea deal during her own court case. “There is reasonable doubt here,” Hegeman said, encouraging the jury to “scrutinize, scrutinize, scrutinize.” “You’re going to find the evidence on a whole doesn’t hold up,” Hegeman said. District Attorney John Muehl dismissed these perceived inconsistencies in his closing remarks. “These people are testifying on something that was extremely traumatic,” Muehl said. “Cory was testifying on how his father was murdered and his home was burnt down.” Muehl also said that Soto was part of a group that she didn’t expect would result in somebody’s death. “What they’re saying is consistent,” Muehl, though he allowed it was not perfectly consistent. “There were no inconsistencies from what (Soto) said to the police.” “She seemed to have a difficult time testifying about what she’d done,” Muehl said, reminding the jury that Soto couldn’t finish the sentence of “I knew my life was …” because of distress when asked about what she was thinking after the incident. Muehl remarked on the callousness of the tragedy as Dylan Robinson knew his brothers were going to be in the house. “I find it sad and particularly concerning,” Muehl said. “Why didn’t Dylan just wait until his brothers were in school and his dad not home?” Muehl said they could’ve gotten “all the marijuana
and money he wanted.” “Kenny died for nothing. They didn’t get a damn thing,” Muehl said. “They just left Kenny Robinson on the floor for nothing. If you’re honest with yourself, there is no reason for doubt. “I don’t care how young you are, you know better than to do this,” Muehl said. “He bragged about it all the way back to Oneonta. There is simply no reasonable doubt.” The jury began deliberations and it requested a read back of Detective Brian Mackey’s statement, the state trooper who initially interviewed Dylan Robinson. Later, just before adjourning for the day, the jury requested the entire video of the interrogation. The trial began Monday, June 21. The first day of the trial was punctuated by a couple of dramatic moments. The first witness was Carl Hoecker, a neighbor of Kenneth Robinson, who had known him for six years, and said that he was “one of the first people who invited me and said thanks for being in my neighborhood.” Hoecker first recognized something was wrong when Kenneth Robinson’s children, Cory and Aiden, came to his front door in their underwear while he was watching TV. He said one of them said, “My brother shot my dad.” Hoecker said the children were “totally in shock. (They) couldn’t comprehend what was happening.” The next witness, Mark Hage, a New York State Police trooper, went to the Robinson house with two other troopers. Hage said he noticed the bottoms of feet with toes facing up which turned out to be the body of Kenneth Robinson. “Half of the face was missing,”
Kevin Limiti/The Freeman’s Journal
Dylan Robinson, right, appeared in Otsego County Court on Monday, June 21, to face charges that he murdered his father, Kenneth Robinson in 2019.
Hage said. Brian Mackey, an investigator for the New York State Police, took the stand, and said he picked up Dylan Robinson. Robinson’s story, according to Mackey, was that they left school around 11 a.m. to smoke marijuana blunts and drink tequila at Neahwa Park but came home around 8 or 9 p.m. when he heard something had happened. However this story, according to Mackey’s testimony, was changed when Robinson said he stole marijuana from somebody and, in order to repay what he stole, promised he could get marijuana from his father. He said he was there, but that another person shot Kenneth Robinson twice, along with “unknown Black and Hispanic accomplices.” Mackey said Robinson “didn’t seem to have any remorse” and was “just nonchalant.” A particularly dramatic moment came when Borggreen, shackled and in a prison jumpsuit, his
chains audibly clinging, refused to testify at the trial, despite the fact that he would be vacating his plea bargain and instead of getting a shorter sentence for robbery would be facing 25 to life for murder. Borggreen refused to even speak, but would only shake his head yes or no. The only testimony that topped that in terms of drama was the testimony of Soto, an Oneonta resident who was present during the attempted robbery and murder. Soto had only known Robinson for a couple of months at the time, she said. At some point, when they were hanging out at Meridy’s house, they decided that “we was gonna rob somebody.” They drove in Febo’s car and Dylan Robinson passed out guns to everybody once they got there, she said. Soto had never used a gun before, so Robinson showed her where the safety was and how to use it. Lotterman and Febo stayed in the car while Soto went to the
Museums to offer Pride Month discount Two Cooperstown area museums are offering discounts to celebrate the end of LGBTQ Pride Month. Anyone who shows a piece of rainbow flare, be it a clothing item, a keychain or anything else at the admission kiosk for both The Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore Art Museum, will receive $2 off a regular adult admission, Wednesday, June 30. People 19 and younger are admitted free to the Fenimore through Sept. 6. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a mini-meet-and-greet at 4 p.m. on the Fenimore Art Museum’s lawn. The Pride Month discount includes admission to the Keith Haring exhibition at Fenimore Art Museum: The exhibit features an extensive collection of more than 100 works from a private collection including lithographs, silkscreens, drawings on paper, and posters, representing the full arc of Haring’s short but prolific career. The exhibit serves as “a tribute to this iconic artist and his dedication to social justice and the betterment of youth worldwide.” An icon of the LGBTQ community, Haring’s work reflects his fervent activism and democratic beliefs. He
spent his career making posters, public art, and charitable commissions in support of nuclear de-escalation, civil rights, child welfare and AIDS aware-ness, among other vital efforts.
back and was told to stay there and watch while Meridy and Dylan Robinson went to find a way into the house, she said. Inside, they found the Robinson children and told them to go in the backroom. That’s when Soto said she heard shooting. “I just heard someone let off a shot and I just heard arguing. Alex was saying he needed help,” she said. Then she said heard two more gunshots. “I heard (Kenneth) Robinson say ‘why, why, why’ and that’s when I didn’t hear him anymore.” Soto became emotional during this testimony. “The next thing I heard was Nick talking to Dylan about burning the house down,” Soto said. A brief exchange about what to do with the kids occurred, she said, and the men said “just leave them there.” Soto grabbed the kids and walked the kids out of the house. She saw smoke from the house as she walked away. It was only at that point that Soto recognized them as Robinson’s brothers. “The girls asked if we were OK and Dylan had a smile on his face and said ‘Yeah, I just killed my dad,’” Soto said and that he just kept repeating that phrase. Muehl asked, “Was he upset about it?” “Not at all,” Soto said. Soto said she expects to get eight to 10 years for burglary with a firearm. “I came here because I wanted to speak the truth about what happened,” Soto said in response to the defense attorney asking if she had accepted a plea deal. Muehl asked Soto what she was thinking when they left. “I was just lost and I just knew that my life was …” Soto said, but couldn’t finish the sentence.
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Inside: Utica Museum OPENS SHOWS STArRING BLACK ARTISTS ►
Things to do in Greater Cooperstown
Dreams Thursday, June 24, 2021
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B-2 Summer Dreams
Thursday, June 24, 2021
what’s fun
in Otsego County
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Oneonta architectural tour, the circus, jazz concert at Origins
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xplore the architectural gems to spend an evening out. At Origins found in the city of Oneonta. Café, 558 Beaver Meadow Road, near Trolley tour will be led by Cooperstown. Call 607-437-2862 or Dr. Cindy Falk, professor of material visit celebrateorigins.com culture at SUNY Oneonta, and will • visit the historic districts of DownThe annual Cooperstown Libray town Oneonta and Walnut Street, Book Sale begins this weekend. Find featuring examples from the first your next book to read and support European settlement to the boom of the local library. Collection includes the Victorian era, when the railroad non-fiction, arts and crafts, cookcame to town, and more. Registrabooks, children’s books and more. tion, masks and proof of COVID-19 Most books will cost $1 or $2. Sale vaccination are required. The cost is continues through July 4. On July $10 per person. Presented by Otsego 3 and 4, bring a bag and fill it up 2000. Pick-up is at the Riverside for just $5. All proceeds support the Elementary School parking lot at 39 Village Library of Cooperstown. The House St. in Oneonta. Tours are at sale is at 22 Main Street in Cooper1:30 and 3:30 p.m., Sunday, June 27. stown. Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., SaturCall 607-547-8881 or visit facebook. day, June 26, through Sunday, July 4. com/otsego2000/ for information. • • The Musicians of Ma’alwyck will The circus is coming to town. be performing pieces from their CD, The Zerbini Family Circus will “Hyde Hall and the Silver Goddess,” be performing for three days which featured music from transcripts this weekend showcasing in the Clark family records. animals, aerialists, juggglers, The performance will be clowns and more. Pony rides things followed by a discussion are available one hour before to do! and lighting ceremony in the show. Get the kids out for the Grand Staircase Hall. this spectacular show! Masks Free, open to the public. and social distancing are re• quired. Cost is $15 per adult. Explore the universe Free parking. At the 6th through the planetarium at Ward playground, Scramling SUNY Oneonta, online with Avenue in Oneonta. Shows the Nebula Society students. are at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., This week, the presentation Thursday June 24, and will be discussing astrology Larissa Ryan Friday, June 25; 4 and 6 and the truth of the zodiac p.m., Saturday, June 26. Call signs. Virtual show held 607-434-4419 or visit zerbinifamilyon Microsoft Teams. Registration circus.com for more information. required. Presented by A.J. Read • Science Discovery Center, at SUNY Kimberly Hawkey will be perform- Oneonta at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 24. ing a mix of jazz, broadway and folk songs at Origins Cafe at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 26. The concert is ►ON THE COVER preceded by a jazz workshop with A herd of sheep graze on a farm Hawkey, which is open to all ages and experience levels at 4 p.m. Cocktail in the town of Middlefield. hour starts at 5 p.m., until the concert Photo by Kevin Limiti begins, featuring seasonal small plates AllOtsego.com. and beverages. Truly a great way
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Summer Dreams B-3
Kevin Limiti/AllOtsego.com
A herd of sheep line up to eat Monday, June 21, at a farm in the town of Middlefield.
Super sheep?
Can good genetics help ag businesses be good environmental stewards? A farm in Middlefield is on the cutting edge By KEVIN LIMITI MIDDLEFIELD – Agriculture is often blamed for a negative impact on climate change. However, at a farm near Cooperstown run by twins Owen Weikert and Dr. Ben Weikert, that perception is exactly what they are working to change. The Katahdin sheep are selectively bred by studying their genetic makeup in order to calculate things like maternal ability, how to create sheep that need less shearing and less food, and to reduce herd size. Owen Weikert said that upstate agriculture is at a “tipping point” and that dairy farms have been “really decimated.” “A lot of people are interested in getting out of the cattle business,” Weikert said. Therefore the new way of raising livestock might be the future of agriculture for not only Upstate but the entire country, he said. By selecting different DNA, it is used to find out how the biological process of the animals interact with each other, and learn how to introduce beneficial characteristics into livestock that will allow breeding to be easier.
Cloning is a completely different process. Weikert’s use of selective breeding is important because they can use fewer sheep to do more, and the hope is that they can reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. “Agriculture is a revolution,” Weikert said. “We’re looking for a way to make a regenerative environment.” To get the genetics from the sheep, they take a tissue sample from the ear. Afterwards, the DNA is sent to the lab where it is extracted and analyzed for correlations. “We’re getting to understand how their individual genetics play together,” Weikert said. He said that by doing this, they are able to make more accurate breeding decisions. “It’s not just about having sheep that look good,” Weikert said; It is also really good for consumers. “(Customers) want something that is raised naturally,” said Weikert, who has customers as far away as Germany. “They’re really low maintenance.” Weikert grew up in Iowa and said See SHEEP, Page B5
B-4 Summer Dreams
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Amos retrospective, Black art series on display in Utica STAFF REPORT UTICA — In honor of Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration, Utica’s MunsonWilliams-Proctor Arts Institute opened two exhibits dealing with the Black experience, “Emma Amos: Color Odyssey,” and “Call & Response: Collecting African American Art, according to a media release. “Emma Amos: Color Odyssey,” which will be on view through Sunday, Sept. 12, is a major retrospective of the artist’s distinguished six-decade career. The exhibition features more than 60 artworks Amos created from 1958 to 2015. “Call & Response: Collecting African American Art” which will be on display through Sunday, Nov. 28, showcases the MWP’s 30-plus years of collecting and displaying
Black art. Historically, works by Black artists have been marginalized, neglected, or ignored, said Mary Murray, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. “Call & Response” will reveal the extraordinary depth and richness the works have brought to the collection through early and sustained efforts to diversify its holdings, she said. Murray stressed that since the Museum of Art primarily focuses on artists from the United States, it is important to bring as many perspectives as possible to bear on the works that are preserved in the collection. “Art museums are established to be repositories of cultural heritage, to collect and exhibit objects that are considered aesthetically and historically significant,” Murray said in a media
release. “There should be a diverse range of stories being shared.” Artists in the exhibition include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Norman Lewis, Alison Saar, Betye Saar, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems and many others. Though Amos is best known for her large-scale paintings incorporating African fabrics, she also embraced multiple types of materials, innovative printmaking techniques and photo-transfer, weaving and collage. Her compositions reveal personal narratives about art, historical figures and the representation of people of color, particularly women. According to the media release, “Amos combined her interests in painting, Contributed printmaking, weaving and ‘Godzilla’ by Emma Amos is on display in an exhibit collage into vibrant stories See MUSEUM, Page B7 at Utica’s Munson-Williams-Proctor Museum.
Contributed
‘Equals Press’ by Emma Amos is on display in an exhibit at Utica’s MunsonWilliams-Proctor Museum.
607-547-8111, ext. 100
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Summer Dreams B-5
Hometown 4th: Oneonta to revive holiday celebration By PATRICK DEWEY
ONEONTA — The Hometown 4th Festival will return to Oneonta’s Neahwa Park to celebrate the July Fourth holiday next weekend, with a theme of honoring essential workers. The goal is to honor the workers, including grocery store staff, teachers, police officers, firefighters and
healthcare workers, who took risks for the community good during the coronavirus pandemic, according to festival officials. “We wanted to do everything we could to let them know that the First Night Board and the whole community appreciates them,” First Night Board Chair Carol Mandigo said. The celebration will kick
Kevin Limiti/AllOtsego.com
Middlfield farmer Owen Weikert, with his dog, Sasha, has been raising sheep with an eye on genetics.
Middlefield farmers seek ways to make agriculture earth-friendly
SHEEP/Continued from Page B3 “each animal is an opportunity to do better.” He said Upstate New York is a great place to raise livestock. “I really believe that people in this area give a damn and want to do the best with the resources that they have,” Weikert said. Overall, Weikert said he is optimistic about the future of agriculture in Upstate. “Even in this area, there’s a lot of cool agricultural stuff that’s going on,” Weikert said. “If we can keep raising the bar on genetics, I just think it’s a benefit to everyone.” Michael Moffat, who owns the farm, said that the process of selective breeding was making an impact and that enterprising farmers in the area have been doing a lot of interesting things. “They have such an exciting business,” Moffat said. “And what they want to do in the end is great for the planet.” Moffat said the process of selective breeding recognizes the genetic make up for the sheep. “This sheep in Idaho has this gene we want our sheep to have,” Moffat said. “When they open up a book of sheep, what they’re looking at is their DNA. That is what they’ve gotten their doctorate in.” Editor’s Note: Michael Moffat is an editorial board member of The Freeman’s Journal, Hometown Oneonta and AllOtsego.com.
off at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 2, in Neahwa Park, with a free concert by country artist Michael Christopher. At noon, Sunday, July 4, the parade will line up at Foothills Performing Arts Center on Market Street. Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network, will serve as grand marshal for the parade. All essential workers are
encouraged to participate and can register before the parade for a chance to win door prizes from local businesses. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. and end at Neahwa Park. The July 4th festivities will continue in the park with a celebration of arts and culture, beginning at 2 p.m. According to Mandigo,
local community members such as Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig and upcoming mayoral candidates will make remarks honoring essential workers. In addition, company representatives and those who are essential workers can speak to their colleagues. Ben Guenther, owner of Five Star Subaru, organized See ONEONTA, Page B7
_________ A complete Guide to
best bets for local dining what’sOurfun in OtsegO COunty _________ B-6 Summer Dreams
Larissa Ryan Business Manager
Staff Picks
31 Pioneer Street, Ste 2, Cooperstown 607-547-6229 www.stagecoachcoffee.com
Stagecoach Coffee If you’re walking around downTara Barnwell town Cooperstown and get a bit Send calendar Publisher hungry (or just need items a coffee orto teainfo@allotsego.com or other beverage), take a left at the Bocca Osteria flagpole going toward the lake and For a nice start to either lunch or on your right will be Stagecoach dinner at Bocca, I order the BLT Coffee. They are primarily a coffee chopped salad. Lettuce mixed with shop but they have been steadily crispy bacon, tomatoes, corn and expanding their food menu over mozzarella, which is then drizzled the years. with a nice house-made cool ranch I recently stopped by for lunch and dressing. It’s all chopped up and decided to try the smoked salmon tossed and delicious. on a toasted whole wheat bagel with Let’s talk about the pizza at Bocca cream cheese (of course), tomato, — my favorite is the funghi formaggi onion and capers. For a drink I pizza — a crispy, really thin crust ordered the frozen hot chocolate with mozzarella, smoked gouda and (made with Ghirardelli chocolate three kinds of mushrooms: portabello, according to the menu). The smoked porcini and truffled. It is a mushroom salmon bagel is a very savory meal, lover’s paradise. And while we are with the capers and onion giving a talking about pizza, have you noticed zest that keeps me coming back for the little motorized pizza truck in more. A great lunch for a hot day of front of Bocca recently? It’s straight wandering around our little town. from Italy and is available for events Stagecoach Coffee
soon, so give them a call. Bocca Osteria 5438 State Rte 28, Cooperstown 607-282-4031 www.boccaosteria.com
Greg Klein Editor
The Blue Mingo Bar and Grill I have been hearing for years about The Blue Mingo Bar and Grill, which is on state Route 80 north of Cooperstown on Otsego Lake in the town of Otsego. I think the first thing I heard was that it was well priced for upscale dining in the Cooperstown area, but that the entrees were amazing. Later, I was told about some of the fun appetizers the restaurant offers, such as fried pickles. Last week, I finally got the chance to see what everyone was talking about and I was happy to see they were correct. I had the lobster roll, which I would have preferred in but-
what’s fun in OtsegO COunty _________ _______ what’s fun in OtsegO COunty
►THURSDAY, JUNE 24
OPEN HOUSE – 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by during the new hours to learn the history of the Springfield area. View exhibits, visit with town history enthusiasts. At the Springfield Historical Society, Community Center at County Route 29A, Springfield Center. Call 315858-0707. FIELD TRIP – 1:15 to 3 p.m. Seniors are invited on fun trip to Brookwood Point gardens. Limited to 20, registration required. $1 donation requested. Presented by the Cooperstown Senior Community Center. At Brookwood Gardens, 6000 State Route 80, near Cooperstown. Call 607-547-8471. AUTHOR SERIES – 2 p.m. Presentation by Paul Hensler, author of, ‘Gathering Crowds: Catching Baseball Fever in the New Era of Free Agency.’ Learn how the game changed
in the ’80s and ’90s. Followed by Q&A session. Free, but registration required. Presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Call 607-547-7200. WORD THURSDAY – 7 p.m. Enjoy open mic from area writers before listening to featured writers Denise B. Dailey and Alice Pettway, who are known for their short stories and poetry. Suggested donation is $3. Presented by Bright Hill Press & Literary Center. Call 607-829-5055.
►Friday, June 25 BIRD ATLAS – June 25 through June 27. Birders are invited to go see what breeding bird they can spot in a new atlas event by the Audubon Society. Call 607397-3815. FIRE PIT FRIDAYS – 7 to 10 p.m. Get out and enjoy a fun night around the fire with
Thursday, June 24, 2021
friends, drinks and music. This week features feel good music by Annie In The Water. Brewery Ommegang at 656 County Route 33 in Middlefield. Call 607-280-2900. SUMMER CONCERT SERIES – 7:30 p.m. Enjoy fun performance of The Ships Captain, about the hijinks of two sisters, their guardian and a mysterious suitor. This singspiel from 1817 includes parodies of famous peices from Mozart, Beethoven and popular German folk songs. Cost is $20 per adult. At Hyde Hall, 267 Glimmerglass State Park Rd. in Springfield. Call 607-547-5098.
►Saturday, June 26 PICKLEBALL FUNDRAISER – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Have fun at the first annual pickleball tournament presented by the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce. Teams are guaranteed three games with playoffs and championships in each division. Includes free fruit, water, snacks and more. Cost is $100 per team. At Neahwa Park in Oneonta. Call 607-432-4500.
ter rather than mayo, but it was still delicious. Everyone around the table had something different and I sort of wished I had been with family and friends rather than at a business lunch, because I probably would have been tasting everyone’s food if we had been in a casual group. Literally, everyone’s dish looked great. As it was, we shared apps, and the friend pickles were as good as advertised. Fried pickle is one of those snacks that can go south quick, if you do not have the right recipe, so finding a place that gets it correct is a nice touch. Of course, as good as the food is, the star of the show is the view. Sitting out by Otsego Lake, with a great view of Brookwood Point, and an even better one of Kingfisher Tower, the view is iconic. With Sam Smith’s Boatyard right next door, I suppose The Blue Mingo is the restaurant of choice after a great day on the lake. See REVIEWS, Page B7
LIFESKILLS – 4 to 6 p.m. Teens are invited to learn to cook with Lynn. Menu posted to Facebook. Seating limited, reservations required. Presented by The Oneonta Teen Center at 50 Dietz St. in Oneonta. Call 607 441 3999. HOME GAME – 7 p.m. Local baseball team Oneonta Outlaws host the Saugerties Stallions at Damaschke Field in Oneonta.
►Monday, June 28 HOME GAME – 7 p.m. Local baseball team Oneonta Outlaws host the Elmira Pioneers. Join the Otsego Pride Alliance to celebrate pride month at Damaschke Field in Oneonta.
►Tuesday, June 29 TAI CHI – 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Seniors are invited to practice this slow moving exercise. Presented by the Cooperstown Senior Community Center in the brick building behind St. Mary’s Church at 31 Elm St. in Cooperstown. Email coopseniorcenter@ gmail.com for more information.
BLOOD DRIVE – 1 to 6 p.m. Donate blood and help save up to three lives. At the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. Call 800-733-2767. COPING – 2 p.m. ‘Stress: Don’t Give in to the Negative Gremlins.’ Learn to deal with stresses that can interfere with living life well with Kari. Presented by the Cooperstown Senior Community Center in the brick building behind St. Mary’s Church at 31 Elm St. in Cooperstown. Email coopseniorcenter@gmail.com for more information. COMMUNITY CONVERSATION – 6:45 p.m. Springfield residents are invited for discussion on internet availability in town. Sponsored by American Libraries Association. At the Springfield Library, 129 county Route 29A in Springfield. BOOK CLUB – 7 p.m. Join the library club to discuss this month’s book, ‘The Museum of Modern Love,’ by Heather Rose. Free, registration for Zoom meeting required. Presented by the Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. Call 607-432-1980 for details.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Summer Dreams B-7
Hometown 4th is on in Oneonta for holiday Oneonta/from Page B5 and funded the fireworks display taking place at 10 p.m., July 4, in Neahwa Park. Guenther said the fireworks will be twice as intense as previous displays. “We wanted to say we’re a community and we’ve got this,” Guenther said. Mandingo said Guenther has wanted to honor essential workers since the early days of the pandemic, but
this was the first time a big event was feasible. Musical entertainment and festival activities are designed for all ages. Activities include Mike the Juggler, face painting and demonstrations from Harmony Martial Arts. There will also be a variety of food, and tents and tables will be available. After two years of seeing the community struggle against the effects of the coronavirus, Mandigo said
she is looking forward to seeing everyone gather again. She said she is proud Hometown 4th is free, something she says would not be possible without its many sponsors and contributors. “This community is a family and we are looking forward to giving back,” Guenther said. Email firstnightoneonta@ gmail.com to sign up to participate in the parade or to sponsor the event.
Utica museum opens shows on Black art Museum/from Page B4 that present a layered understanding of what it meant to be a woman and artist of color during the era of Civil Rights and the feminist movements of the past 50 years.” Like many women, especially for women of her generation, Amos kept a demanding schedule as a wife, mother, artist and art professor, while being a powerful voice for social change. Later in her life, Amos revealed she was a member of the “Guerrilla Girls,” a group of anonymous women artists advocating for parity in the art world through activism and protest. In a 2011 interview, Amos reflected, “It was tough. But I did it, you know. I just felt like it was necessary.”
“Emma Amos: Color Odyssey” is organized by Shawnya L. Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson, Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia. “Amos is one of several Black women artists whose contribution to art history deserves attention and critique,” Harris said in the media release. “Putting together several decades worth of her work provides a special opportunity to learn more about her career, techniques, and ideas, inviting re-evaluation and new audiences in relation to her artistic progression.” Amos died in May 2020, but her legacy lives on in the art she created and the
contributions she made to a better society. The Georgia Museum of Art has published a scholarly exhibition catalog to accompany the show, with essays by Harris; Lisa Farrington of Howard University; artist LaToya Ruby Frazier; Laurel Garber, Park Family Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; artist Kay Walkingstick; and Phoebe Wolfskill, associate professor in the departments of American studies and African American and African Diaspora studies at Indiana University. The MWPAI is located at 310 Genesee St. in Utica. Call 315-797-000 or go to www.mwpai.org for more information.
Otsego Lake-side dining offers great views Reviews/from Page B6 However, it is really for anyone who is looking to enjoy good food and a good view during the season. It might be just outside of the village, but The Blue Mingo Bar and Grill is classic Cooperstown cuisine. Blue Mingo Bar and Grill 6098 state Route 80 Near Cooperstown 607-547-7496 www.bluemingogrill.com Kathleen Peters Graphic Designer Council Rock Brewery You will not be disappointed if you go here for a burger and a beer. They have an excellent selection of home brews and an equally good selection of burgers. My
favorite is the Spurbeck’s cheddar burger, but they are all tasty. I like that they are using local ingredients when they are available. There is a veggie burger that even non-vegetarians could appreciate, and plenty of non-burger options as well. My husband’s favorites are the signature bratwurst and the pastrami sandwich. When I am not in a burger mood, I get the southwestern chicken taco salad. Did I mention the garlic pesto fries? Or you can get the regular shoestring fries, sweet potato fries or sweet potato tots. Make your reservations early if you want to go for the Friday fish fry. Council Rock Brewery 4861 state Route 28, Hartwick, NY 13326 607-643-3016 www.councilrockbrewery.com
Central New York’s Best Gastropub! 5418 State Highway • 28 Cooperstown 607-282-4525
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5438 State Hwy 28 • Cooperstown 607-282-4031• boccaosteria.com
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Brick Oven Pizza! 75 Chestnut Street Cooperstown 607-547-2930 126 Main Street Richfield Springs 315-858-0405
B-8 Summer Dreams
Thursday, June 24, 2021