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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
AllOTSEGO.com
►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
Like a good Neighbor, StAte FArM iS there. ® with…
Melissa Manikas, Agent Cooperstown, NY 13326 607-547-2886