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AllOTSEGO.com • Your COUNTY ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, September 17, 2020
SUNY Infections Ebb, Bringing Crisis To End By LIBBY CUDMORE & JIM KEVLIN ONEONTA
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s this week began, only 158 SUNY Oneonta students and residence assistants
were left on campus. In a normal year, that would have been over 3,000 of the 6,000+ enrollment. “At present, there are only three SUNY students in isolation on campus,” Diane Georgeson, Oneonta Public Health officer, told
Common Council during her report on Tuesday, Sept. 15. “There are 52 in isolation off campus.” The majority of the students staying on campus, Mayor Gary Herzig said, had applied to stay because they do not have “accept-
Newsstand Price $1 DAILY CAMPUS CASES PEAKED AT 120
Kathleen Peters/The Freeman’s Journal
able living conditions” at home. On Sunday, Sept. 13, the
campus reported no new cases of COVID-19. Please See COVID, B3
AFTER DECADE, MAYOR HERZIG TO ASK QUESTION AGAIN The Freeman’s Journal
Mary Margaret Robbins and MacGuire Benton pose after sharing a laugh when they tied for the second spot on the Village Board.
Is City Manager Needed? Pinnacle Of City Hall Organizational Chart Empty During Crisis
REMEMBERING AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY
Mary Margaret, Mac Tied For Trustee Chair
By JIM KEVLIN
COOPERSTOWN
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emocratic incumbent Joe Membrino led the ticket in the Tuesday, Sept. 15, village board election. Then came the big news: Incumbent Democrat MacGuire Benton and Republican challenger Mary Margaret Robbins were tied, 272-272 for the second slot. The tie may be broken by a special election or a coin toss. Follow the story at
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AllOTSEGO.com
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FULL COVID STORIES ON
AllOTSEGO.com ►HOMELESS MAN ARRESTED for stealing from Oneonta cars. ►Dr. BILL STRECK, retired Bassett Network CEO, joins national consultancy. ►HARTWICK’S “CLEAN SWEEP”, marks 10th anniversary. ►LEGION LEGACY RUN adopts social distancing rules for annual ride. ►in cooperstown, police report multiple thefts from unlocked cars. ►LONG ISLAND FAMILIES look to buy pricey homes near Canadarago Lake. ►ADVISORY BOARD STARTS review of Cooperstown police, per Governor Cuomo’s executive order.
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’ s Journal
Father Mychal F. Judge, New York Fire Department chaplain, has a place of honor in the annual 9-11 memorial display in the window of Rudy’s Liquor Store, Main Street. Father Judge died shortly after arriving at the World Trade Center. Rudy’s proprietor Fred Lemister, himself an honored emergency responder, calls him “the first casuality of 911.” MORE ON 9-11, SEE A4
neonta’s third city manager, George Korthauer, retired from City Hall on Feb. 7. A month later, on March 13, Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202 went into ef- With George fect, declaring a state of Korthauer’s emergency in New York February retirement, State in the face of the City Hall has COVID-19 pandemic combated threat. the panIn the past six months, demic threat Mayor Gary Herzig, without a under a City Charter that city mangives him largely cerager. emonial responsibilities, led the effort that kept in-community Please See CHARTER, B3 ►EDITORIAL: It’s time to take another look at City Hall’s management structure/SEE A4
Otsego Deputy On Leave After Gun Goes Off, Child Hurt By LIBBY CUDMORE COOPERSTOWN
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heriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. wants to assure the public that the law applies to everyone – even cops.
“Police officers are not above the law,” he said. “They have a responsibility as well.” A yet-unDevlin named Otsego County Sheriff’s deputy
has been placed on administrative leave after state police reported a child and adult were injured when the gun he was carrying in his pocket accidentally discharged while he was dining Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Grape and Grog in Camden, Oneida County.
As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, Troop D, based in Oneida, was attempting to schedule an interview with the deputy, who has retained legal counsel. His name has not yet been released and charges have not yet been filed. “The sheriff’s depart-
ment has been cooperative throughout the whole investigation,” said Trooper Jack Keller, Troop D public relations officer. According to Keller, the deputy was seated at a table when he accidentally discharged one round from Please See GUN, B3
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL
Quilters Celebrate 40 Years Of Pathfinder Village Love
LOCALS
Critic Proclaims ‘Driving While Black’ Top Fall Show COOPERSTOWN
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ashington Post critic Hank Steuver declared Cooperstown Graduate Program director Gretchen Sorin’s “Driving While Black” documentary one of his “25 Shows Worth Watching This Fall” The two-hour documentary, which debuts Tues,
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
Quilters Freida Snyder, Gail Olin, Dayle Evans, B. Dora Cooke, Marcia Ubner and Toni Gray display the Pathfinder Village quilt, which will be on display as part of their annual “Drape the Pews” show at Fly Creek United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 19. The quilt, which honors Pathfinder Village’s 40th anniversary this year, includes figures around the middle square, representing the residents of the village enjoying daily life. There are also pieces that say “I love you” and a row of flying geese, with ”Pathfinder Village, 1980-2020” on the border. A work in progress,the quilt will hang in the Pathfinder Bakery and Cafe when it is finished.
County Habitat For Humanity Seeks Families, Volunteers
ONEONTA
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abitat For Humanity Otsego County is seeking volunteers to help build two homes, and partner families to occupy future dwellings. Families will be assisted in completing the steps in purchasing a home, including the application for a lowinterest mortgage. They will also help build the home, alongside local volunteers, and take “home ownership education” training. Interested applicants should apply at habitatotsego@ gmail.com, by calling (607) 432-4874. Application
criteria includes a need for housing, willingness to partner, and income/credit guidelines. The deadline is Oct. 1. Habitat is also looking for volunteers for two houses being built at McFarland Road in Oneonta, every Thursday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. No special skills are required, although there is a need for volunteers with backgrounds in building and carpentry. Additionally, there are openings for committee members and the Board of Directors. If interested, email habitatotsego@ gmail.com.
THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
Oct. 13 on PBS, was made by Sorin, who wrote the inspiration for the documentary, and filmmaker Ric Burns They tell the story of Black Americans and the elusive dream of free mobility, beginning with the enslaved people who grew up seldom traveling farther than a mile from their White owners’ homes and the slave-catching origins of
the nation’s earliest police forces. In the 20th century, as White Americans Sorin fell in love with the automobile and the liberating joy of road trips, Black Americans again found danger, fraught with Jim Crow restrictions and a
straight route to present-day racism. Guides like “The Negro Motorist’s Green Book” helped travelers navigate where they could eat, refuel and rest safely, as well as created a booming economy of black-owned businesses. The book was published by W.W. Norton in February and received praise from the New York Times.
THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
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Perspectives
THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL EDITORIAL
A DECADE IN, IT’S TIME TO REVISIT ONEONTA GOVERNMENT
Sterling Mayors’ Legacy Suggests: Are City Managers Needed
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aybe it’s apocryphal, but the story’s told of a former mayor of Oneonta who, elected decades ago, discovered some department heads were taking hour-and-a-half lunches to work out at a local gym. The mayor gave everybody raises, at the same time advising the department heads: Game over, be back at your desks in an hour. That worked for six months, then the particular department heads starting slipping, the story goes, and soon things were back to how they’d been at the outset. • If true, that underscores the need for a boss, on site, every day at City Hall – and at every other business, for that matter. The buck needs to stop somewhere. That said, the City of Oneonta’s experience with the current city-
Freeman’s Journal
Heralded City of Oneonta mayors in the past 50 years have included, from left, Sam Nader, David Brenner, Kim Muller, Sam’s son John Nader, Dick Miller and the current mayor, Gary Herzig.
manager system of government – next year it will be in place a decade – just hasn’t worked out as hoped. So that Mayor Gary Herzig is again suggesting revisiting how City Hall governs itself – and it’s effectiveness in general – is worthwhile, and timely. The idea of an executive direc-
tor, implementing mayoral and Common Council policies, makes sense. Pairing that job with, for instance, finance director (or the most apt department head) makes further sense. As it happens, the third city manager in a decade, George Korthauer, retired last February, just a month before COVID-19
arrived, requiring extraordinary leadership, which Herzig provided – to no one’s surprise, really, given his almost four-year track record. It’s the Curse of Competence – a job expands to the talents of the person holding it. (Or shrinks.) Even a city charter like Oneonta’s, calling for a “weak mayor” form of government, can’t keep a good
LETTERS
We Shouldn’t Walk Away From Educational System To the Editor: The prosperity of Oneonta is inextricably intertwined with the success of its colleges. The fact that SUNY Oneonta’s reopening did not succeed as planned and hoped is a tragedy for our community in a year that challenges us all. The shutdown is devastating for our students who have looked forward to their college experience; heartbreaking for the 1,000 SUNY employees who have worked since March to keep our students safe and provide a semblance of a college experience; frighten-
ing for our local businessowners; disappointing for residents who appreciate the vitality students bring; and challenging to taxpayers whose governments have just lost a large source of non-local revenue. Some anxious residents have opined that with the sacrifices we have all made this year to keep the virus at bay, any increase in population density was unacceptable, be it from tourists, weekenders, or students. I have elderly and vulnerable friends and family locally and can understand and Please See STAMMEL, A6
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ith Flags, We
person down. Meanwhile, the Village of Cooperstown also professionalized its government, creating a village administrator, but leaving the elected mayor and board of trustees assisted, but fully in charge. • Over the years, City Hall has been blessed with many such good persons. Or maybe it’s an Oneonta thing; the city is welcoming to newcomers and comfortable for natives. There never seems to be a shortage of qualified people, wanting to give back. It’s not just Herzig; there’s been a succession of capable mayors. The mourned Dick Miller, a former corporate executive and Hartwick College president; John Nader, now SUNY Farmingdale Please see EDITORIAL, A5
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Good News? The Truth Will Do
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making a plan to initiate toward recovery. I believe we all know the answer. Trump did not want to “scare us.” Really? Was it us or his beloved stock market that he wanted to calm and pacify. He doesn’t want to scare anyone, yet he has no reluctance whatsoever in telling tall tales of tanks coming down Main Street, stock market crashes and rampant crime . The hypocrisy is just overwhelming! KENNETH J. KAVANAGH Cooperstown
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To the Editor: Consider this hypothetical. You go to your doctor. You have stomach pains that linger and simply won’t go way. After examination he tells you not to worry, you’ll be fine. The pain continues and weeks later you get a second opinion. This time it’s not couched with “good news.” How would you feel about that? Your regular physician did not want to cause any upset. The physician offering the second opinion wanted only to be frank and candid, thereby
For 212 Years
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
It’s been 19 years since 9-11, but Cathy Raddatz of Cooperstown continues to hold vigil in memory of her brother, George Morrell, a broker with Cantor Fitzgerald, whose offices were on the 101st to 105th floor of One World Trade Center, the North Tower. He perished that day. Every anniversary, his sister, family and friends implant hundreds of flags around the Village of Cooperstown, including, above, on the grounds of Christ Episcopal Church, left, and St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Catholic Church. In all, 2,977 died in the Twin Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and the airplane crash in Shanksville, Pa., famed for the famous cry, “Let’s Roll.”
James C. Kevlin Editor & Publisher
GUEST COLUMN
Tara Barnwell
Whistling Woodchucks! They’re Back Again
Advertising Director & General Manager
Libby Cudmore
Managing Editor
Larissa Ryan Business Manager
Kathleen Peters Graphics & Production
Elizabeth Cooper Correspondent
Ian Austin Photographer
Ivan Potocnik Web Architect
Tom Heitz/Sharon Stuart Consultant
IN MEMORIAM: Mary Joan Kevlin, Co-Publisher, 2006-17 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR Otsego County • Village of Milford • Town of Middlefield Cooperstown Central School District MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, NY Press Association Subscriptions Rates: Otsego County, $69 a year. All other areas, $89 a year. First Class Subscription, $155 a year. Published Thursdays by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: (607) 547-6103. Fax: (607) 547-6080. E-mail: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com Contents © Iron String Press, Inc.
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ot that they ever left. They just take a long winter nap while their heartbeat slows from 80 to an incredible five beats per minute and their body temperature drops from 99 to 37 degrees. Punxsutawney Phil projects a good productive image with his weather predictions but Digger Dan, the name I give to the critter whose been tunneling into my barn every year, is another story. One morning last spring, TERRY I was carrying a bale of hay BERKSON before the light of sunrise and stepped in a hole that swallowed my leg up to my knee. I dropped the bale and limped out to the wood pile to
secure a piece of 4-by-4 to pound into the hole – knowing well that The Digger would soon find another entry into my space. The battle has been going on for several years. A friend lent me a trap that I set up by an outside hole, but the wary animal never goes near it. One time I dropped a woodchuck bomb into the hole in the barn floor and covered it with a Frisbee that I held in place with my foot. Surprisingly, the Frisbee blew off the hole with considerable force. I was puzzled because woodchucks usually have at least two entrances which would vent the pressure created by the bomb. Maybe
Terry Berkson’s Digger Dan
Digger Dan’s body blocked the tunnel like a cork in a bottle creating enough pressure to blow the Frisbee and my foot off the hole. Anyway, Digger didn’t perish and I didn’t try a bomb again for fear I’d burn the barn down. Please See BERKSON, A5
AllOTSEGO.com • MORE LETTERS, A6
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THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5
BOUND VOLUMES Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library
200 YEARS AGO
Infallible Cure for the Whooping Cough – Dissolve a scruple of tartar in a gill of water, and ten grains of cochineal, finely powdered; sweeten it with a fine loaf or brown sugar. Give an infant the fourth part of a tablespoonful four times a day, and from four years old and upwards, a tablespoonful may be taken. The relief is immediate and the cure in general is effected in four or five days. Let the patient’s drink at night, and when in bed, be water-sweetened with brown sugar. This drink is also recommended in all cases of tickling, irritating coughs when in bed – giving almost instantaneous relief. September 18, 1820
50 YEARS AGO
popcorn at considerable profit. (Ed. Note: In spite of this report published prior, the event was rained out and postponed again). September 15, 1920
75 YEARS AGO
Lieutenant O. Gregory Clark, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen G. Clark of Cooperstown, is communications officer aboard the S.S. Europa, giant German prize ship taken over by the U.S. Navy. This is the third largest ship in the world and was the sister ship of the Bremen the exploits of which formed an excited episode early in the war. Lieut. Clark had been Communications Officer aboard the U.S.S. Monticello before transfer to the Europa. The Europa sailed last week for Northampton where it is expected to pick up a load of troops and return to the United States where the Europa will be placed in dry dock and refitted to transport 10,000 to 15,000 troops. September 19, 1945
175 YEARS AGO
Epitaph on a Poor Man: “Beneath this sod, from want secure, sleeps one who Jesus knew; not only poor in purse, but poor in spirit too. Scorn not the mean and humble guise, the heart thou canst not see! Lazarus may reach Paradise, long before thee.” “Never Give Up! It is wiser and better always to hope than once to despair; Fling off the load of Doubt’s cankering fetter, and break the dark spell of tyrannical care. Never give up! Or the burthen may sink you; Providence kindly has mingled the cup, and in all trials or troubles, bethink you, the watchword of life must be Never Give Up!” September 15, 1845
150 YEARS AGO
Prospect Rock – During the past season Prospect Rock has been, as usual, a very favorable resort. Many strangers, coming to the village in carriages have ascended to this admirable point for looking down upon the Lake. We are much pleased to learn that Messrs. Edward Clark and J.H. Story, proprietors of the land between the highway and Prospect Rock, have determined to improve and continue the road, and make a convenient circle for turning, so that carriages may be driven within a step of the summer house on the Rock. Next season visitors from Richfield, Sharon and elsewhere will have another point of beauty made conveniently accessible. Mr. Ambrose J. Clark is about to erect a handsome brick cottage on the lot corner of River and Elk Streets. Mr. Albert Pierce will this fall commence building a residence for himself on Leatherstocking Street. September 18, 1870
125 YEARS AGO
There are now in Cooperstown Union School 305 resident and 45 non-resident pupils – total 350. This is an
September 16, 1970 increase of about 50 scholars over last year. That is some compensation for the care and expense bestowed upon this flourishing institution. The Jewish New Year occurs on Thursday of this week. This is the most solemn day in the Jewish year and it has ever exercised a profound religious influence upon Israelites. The services are very beautiful in their synagogues. A severe injury – Patrick Fitzgerald of Meredith Hollow, who was returning from hop picking, attempted to board the 3 o’clock express at Phoenix Mills last week on Wednesday. He tried to get on the front platform of the coach, lost his balance and fell, his left foot going under the car, which ran over it, crushing it. Dr. W.T. Bassett, assisted by Dr. H.H. Clapsaddle, amputated the foot below the ankle joint. September 19, 1895
100 YEARS AGO
Treasurer Ernest L. Pitcher, the dentist who put teeth into the effort to procure as a permanent memorial to baseball and the original field on which Abner Doubleday laid out the first diamond for the national game way back in 1840, reports that $4,000 has been raised. The Street Fair and Carnival Saturday evening, postponed from Monday on account of the rain, was a further great success. Saturday’s baseball game, while not for the benefit of the fund, since it had been arranged some time ago by the old management, proved a drawing card none the less and in addition to providing lots of amusement gave the street fair committee an opportunity to vend a large quantity of pop, peanuts and
25 YEARS AGO
Media icon Martha Stewart, in Cooperstown at the request of a friend, to speak to a group of almost 1,000 at the Glimmerglass Opera Theatre, said she will begin penning a syndicated newspaper column to go along with her immensely popular television series and the magazine “Martha Stewart Living,” radio broadcasts and lecture junkets. Her television show, which airs in this area at Noon on Sundays, is in its third season and already has garnered two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Service Show Host and Outstanding Service Show. At a Press Conference at the Cooperstown Country Club, Stewart said this was her first time in Cooperstown as an adult, but that as a child, she had also visited the village. “I hope to stay awhile, and poke around.” September 19, 1995
10 YEARS AGO
Gertrude Worrall, 97, a nurse who tended children involved in the groundbreaking bone marrow transplant trials at Bassett Hospital in the 1950s, died Monday, September 20, 2010, surrounded by her family. She was 97. She was born March 5, 1913, at The Thanksgiving Hospital, a daughter of Allen G. and Goldie (Thompson) Brisack. In 1951, she began working at Bassett Hospital where she cared for children receiving bone marrow transplants for which Doctors E Donnall Thomas and Joseph Ferrebee were later awarded the Nobel Prize. She will also be remembered as a kind and compassionate nurse in the pediatric clinic. September 23, 2010
LIFE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
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We’re Getting Closer To A COVID-19 Vaccine. Then What?
t appears that we are getting closer to the development of vaccines for COVID-19. There have been some missteps in the process, including the development of an unexplained illness in one participant in the U.K. study of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. This required a halt to the study for about a week while the data was being reviewed. The study is progressing again at this time. There are multiple other studies. Some of the vaccines are further along than others. It’s not going be enough to develop one vaccine. The number of doses that can be produced quickly is limited. It is currently estimated the first batch will be limited to perhaps 10 million to 15 million doses in the United States, according to the National Academy of Medicine. This is why it’s important to have multiple vaccines available so they can be produced in tandem.
So, the question comes back to triage, which is something we first discussed six months ago. In this case, RICHARD in what order are the vacSTERNBERG cines going to be rolled out? Who is going to get them first? Where are they going to be distributed first? Right now, this is a matter of heated opinion. • In my opinion, and solely in my opinion, I feel the following distribution order should be performed: • One, frontline healthcare workers who are dealing with patients with COVID-19, or can reasonably expect to come into contact with patients and other affected people with COVID-19.
This would include people working in hospitals, nursing homes, emergency medical services, and clinics. • Two, other essential workers at high risk of being exposed to patients, or people who have COVID-19 or are positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. • Three, those with two or more risk factors, including age. • Four, health care and essential workers at any risk of exposure based on their job. • Five, those with only one risk factor. • Six, children. • Seven, adults older than 25. • Eight, young adults. My only exception to the above is that I would withhold vaccination for all those who have refused to social distance, wear a mask, have publicly proclaimed that the pandemic is a hoax, or have attended illegal mass gatherings. At the rate that we can expect vaccinations to roll out, at best we
EDITORIAL: Is City Charter Preventing Better Governance? EDITORIAL/From A4 president; Kim Muller, a SUNY administrator; the venerable David Brenner, a SUNY associate vice president and author, who also chaired the county Board of Representatives. The trail of talent goes back to the 1960s, when Sam Nader, now 101, set the mold, gaining a statewide reputation for acumen, and bringing a New York Yankees farm team to Damaschke Field. It can’t be an accident. • By contrast, the three city managers to date just didn’t catch fire. Mayor Herzig is right in concluding it’s time to at least review, and perhaps rethink, a well-intended undertaking that fell short of its goal. Putting artificial limitations on talented local people, smart,
experienced, ambitious about their native or adopted community, must be a mistake. One caveat: The current city charter was a hard sell, but – in the end – the deal was clinched. On Nov. 7, 2010, 76.08 percent of voters approved it, 1,177 cast aye ballots to the nays’ 370. A new charter revision effort must earn credibility. The new document must be likewise sold to the public, as the last one was. If it indeed corrects flaws in the 2011 document – as it can and should – that shouldn’t be a heavy lift. If it includes major changes, Oneonta citizens must be convinced they are indeed improvements. Then, put to a vote, the revised charter passed, and establish a firm foundation for a future that may very well be better guided by leading citizens.
►WHAT DO YOU THINK about this important issue? Please share your opinions with Dr. Sternberg by e-mailing: richardsternberg@hotmail.com. will probably only get the first and possibly some of the second group inoculated within the next three to six months. With the development of more vaccines by different companies, we might be able to get the entire United States vaccinated within nine to 15 months. This of course does not discuss the problem of whether money or fame puts you at the head of the line. As many of us have noted, professional athletes have been getting tested at will so they can go back to their sports. Other people have to wait or had to use tests that are not instantly available. We can predict a similar occurrence with who gets the vaccine
first. Should VIPs have priority? Should their families? Should the vaccine be equally available in countries which develop it versus non-developed countries? • Just as it was a mad scramble for supplies when lockdowns first began, there’s going to be a mad scramble for the vaccines with people trying to find reasons to be put at the head of the line. Ultimately there’s going to have to be some pre-existing protocol, or decision-making process in place to sort this out. As I said above please contact me with your thoughts on these issues. I will make your responses the subject of a follow-up column. Richard Sternberg, a retired Bassett Hospital orthopedic surgeon, has agreed to provide his professional perspective while the coronavirus threat continues. Dr. Sternberg, who is also a village trustee, resides in Cooperstown.
BERKSON: So Far, Battle With Woodchuck’s A Tie BERKSON/From A4 Of course, I had my 22 loaded and ready to rid myself of the trouble maker, but this woodchuck is a strategist and always positions himself in hard to shoot places. One time I was gun-less and rounding a corner of the barn with a bucket of water when I ran right into him. We were both startled and to my surprise the wise guy whistled at me. It was a harassing whistle that made me angry – the first note of the notorious three-noted wolf call that guys in Brooklyn use when they see a nice-looking girl. It’s not very macho to be whistled at by a woodchuck. I duplicated the sound on the piano. The note is a “D,” the first letter of two words I’ve been using to describe the enemy.
For several years an Amish farmer was taking hay off of our place. I often worried that one of his horses would step in a woodchuck hole like I did – and break a leg. So, I put sticks with flags on them to mark where the holes were. When the farmer saw my markers he laughed and assured me that even when covered with cut hay, the horses could sense where the holes were. I found this hard to believe but, luckily, on our farm no horse ever broke a leg pulling a hay wagon. My friend George Gardner who has the same invasion problem sicked his very willing Jack Russell terrier on a woodchuck and the dog followed the varmint into a hole – so far that he got stuck and George had to
dig the dog out with a back hoe. So, the war goes on. Besides filling holes, I’ve plugged some of Digger’s relatives while on their way to my vegetable garden but shots at him are always taken from an awkward position and he just about gives me the razz before heading underground. Recently, a lucky shot surely creased the hair on Digger’s head. Now, he must be taking me seriously because, lately, he ain’t whistling. Terry Berkson, who has an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College, lives on a farm outside Richfield Springs. His articles have appeared in New York magazine, the New York Daily News Sunday Magazine, Automobile and other publications.
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THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA LETTERS
Vote In Election ‘20
To the Editor: America is on the brink of an election that will have serious implications for the future of our Country, and indeed our democracy. I write this out concern for our immediate future, and also because I am equally concerned about the America my 6-year-old grandson will inherit. He deserves the same freedoms we all experienced growing up in a country that valued human dignity, clean air and water, and the freedom to enjoy a society free of hate and prejudice – a place that values human life and a profound respect for those who gave their lives so we could live free – in America. All I ask is that my fellow citizens exercise their right to vote. Remember – young American men and women died for your right to vote. Don’t disrespect their sacrifice by letting this opportunity pass. I am not advocating in favor of any candidate, but rather for the future of America – the America of my grandson. “We the people” – you and me – we are the ones for whom those words were written at the birth of our nation. If there was ever a time America needed you, it’s now. Show you are a responsible American by voting on Nov. 3. P. JAY FLEISHER Oneonta Editor’s Note: Voters, you may already ask for absentee ballots by letter (Board of Elections, The Meadows, 140 County Hwy. 33W, Suite 2, Cooperstown NY 13326); email (voteotsego.com) or phone (607-547-4247).
Should A Failed Beginning Discourage Us From Trying To Reopen Colleges, Schools?
STAMMEL/From A4 empathize with this perspective. The good news is that at this early stage, the outbreak appears to have been contained to students, due to the quick and decisive actions of SUNY, the rapid deployment of state resources, cooperation of community members, and ongoing heroics of our underfunded County Department of Health. Out of hundreds tested, no employees have tested positive and there’s no evidence of community spread yet. While SUNY Oneonta began the school year with 97 percent of classes online, it joined the majority of colleges across the country in developing a hybrid plan that would allow for some level of in-person experience. This reflects a very American “can-do” attitude that with science and problemsolving, we can engineer our way around unprecedented challenges. “Monday morning quarterbacking” is also an American pastime and the failure of the reopening has led to a misguided and gratuitous blame game by some local politicians and media (not this paper, to my knowledge). Kudos to those elected officials, administrators, and others who have maintained a positive forward-looking attitude, looking for collaborative solutions to protect folks and rebuild trust and relationships between the college and community. how to listen, knows how In my conversations with contacts to look at his district around at several colleges, it’s clear to me that him, knows how to bridge SUNY’s planning began earlier and gaps. This is what we need to move forward. MARY ASHWOOD Cherry Valley
Jim Barber’s Farm Shows Skills Helpful To 51st Senate District To the Editor: No one could argue that we aren’t living in interesting times. And in interesting times, we need representatives to our government who will help us through. In just a few short weeks, the 51st District will choose its state senator, a position that has been held by Jim Seward for the last 34 years. And Jim Barber is who I want to represent us. One only need visit Jim Barber’s family farm to know that a person who can keep a farm like this afloat and growing in these economic times is someone who could help our 51st District to do the same. And like his farm, his well-designed website also reveals a truth about who he is: he clearly lays out his ideas and plans about taxes, the environment, the opioid crisis, the health care system, education, and as you can imagine—small businesses. Jim’s proposed plans make sense for where we are now. They are realistic ones that would help everyone wherever they lie on the political spectrum. He is a man who knows
has shown the largest outbreaks are occurring in residential settings (nursing homes, jails, military, summer camps, sports teams, and colleges). Additionally, young people across the country have proved to be the least like to adhere to social distancing. Despite the risks, does it mean we should not at least try to reopen our educational system? That is a question for every school and community. As K-12 schools across our area consider various reopening scenarios, I urge them to learn from our lessons. Be clear-eyed and accept that we are in a global pandemic and the virus is seeded throughout our area and outbreaks will occur as social distancing is lessened. Craft your outbreak prevention and response plans with care and humility. And finally, have the wisdom and strength to acknowledge when a situation has escalated beyond your control and shut it down, accordingly. We all mourn the loss of normalcy this year and hope for a swift return to our old lives. Until that time, the best way to protect your loved ones and community is to wear masks, social distance, and practice good hygiene. ANDREW STAMMEL Town of Oneonta County Representative: District 4 Town of Oneonta Stammel, SUNY Oneonta Title IX coordinator, said he submitted this letter from the perspective of an elected official and private citizen, not as a SUNY spokesman.
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was at least as collaborative, thorough and transparent as other institutions. From March - July, planning efforts invited input from all members of the college community and resulted in hundreds of pages of draft and final planning documents. A proposed plan was submitted to and approved by the state and has been posted on the college web page for about two months. If your elected official is now one of the furious finger-pointers, ask them how they proactively contributed to crafting a safe reopening plan over the past six months or if they waited to retroactively criticize. Any successful reopening will rely on three elements. Yes, a good plan must proactively be crafted (and no plan is perfect). Second, there needs to be widespread compliance with the plan and adherence to social distancing by students and employees. Finally, there is an element of luck or God’s will, whichever your persuasion. Was an infected person a biological “super-spreader”? Did the wind or humidity contribute to spread on a given day? Did a bystander witness a party and report it to authorities in time? While humans like to believe our plans dictate results, much will be out of our control. Every local college has had some level of outbreak already. This year may prove that for demographic and situational reasons, a residential college experience during a pandemic is unlikely to succeed. Experience
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INSPIRATION IMAGES: From left, examples from Rock Scramble, Albany, the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, and Hillside Slide, Governor’s Island, inspired Huntington Park planners.
PAST INSPIRES
in Otsego County
BEST BETS UTURE Tina Winstead, Huntington Memorial Library director, shows where the overlook and the sledding hill will once again be part of Huntington Park.
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Gail Olin, an organizer of this weekend’s “Draping the Pews” quilt show at the Fly Creek United Methodist Church, discusses the antique “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” quilt, one of three that will be raffled off at the event.
Ian Austin/www,
Orchard, Overlook, Sledding Hill Return To Huntington Park By LIBBY CUDMORE
►TO FILL OUT SURVEY on Huntington Park plans, follow the link from www.hmloneonta.org
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hen she saw the new plans for Huntington Park, it was like falling in love. “I’m so head-over-heels for the fruit orchard,” said Tina Winstead, Huntington Memorial Library executive director. “That’s what Henry did,” Henry Huntington, the 19th century railroad magnate from Oneonta who donated the mansion and property that today makes up the library and grounds. On Thursday, Sept. 10, Stimson
Oneonta’s Huntington Park, always a verdant refuge.
Landscape Architects, Cambridge, Mass., presented its plan for Huntington Park during a Zoom meeting. “This really is a bright spot in a difficult
era,” said Huntington Memorial Library executive director Tina Winstead. “It’s a design I believe Henry Huntington would be proud of.” The planning began five years ago, but recently ramped up when $420,068 in funding for the redesign was made available from the state department of Parks and Recreation. According to Winstead, when Stimson was hired, she was asked for previous Please See LIBRARY, B2
MALLORY DELANEY MET CHALLENGE
Mallory Delaney was named a “Woman of Distinction” for testing more than 1,000 patients for COVID19.
Helping People Captured ‘Distinction’ For Honoree By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
F
or certified Physician’s Assistant Mallory Delaney, medicine isn’t about talking to a patient. It’s about listening. “You want to get people to
feel like they’re in the driver’s seat,” she said. “No matter what road they’re going to go down.” For example, she said, it was easier to get patients to wear masks if they knew it would keep a parent or elderly relative safe. “You have to be collaborative with patients,” she said. Please See HONORED, B2
Quilts, Bold Axes, Honor Those Lost, Scan Starry Skies
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t’s getting chilly outside, but a new quilt could warm you right up! The “Draping The Pews” exhibit features more than 50 quilts for sale and auction. 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, Fly Creek United Methodist Church, 852 Co. Rd. 26, Fly Creek. Info (607) 547-9946. • Wildlife enthusiast Garrett Camasi discusses “Conservation Through Education” sharing LIBBY his photographs and CUDMORE philosophy in a digital program presented by the Delaware Otsego Audubon Society. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, www.facebook.com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety/. • Get in the lumberjack spirit with an exhibit featuring Jim Mayne’s collection of axes and hatchets. Free admission. Noon, Sept. 19, Edmeston Museum, 1 North St., Edmeston. • Gaze into the night sky and learn how to find the North star, constellations and planets.8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, Mohican Farm, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-4488. • The community is invited to the opening ceremonies for the “Say Their Names” exhibit. 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, Doubleday Field, Cooperstown.
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THURSDAY, September 17, 2020 AllOTSEGO.life Huntington Park Looks Back To The Future Delaney Served On COVID Front Lines B-2
LIBRARY/From B1 blueprints, postcards and photos of the park to help guide the design, and when they came back, they had revived the orchards, the lilac walk, the “pinetum” – a collection of conifers along the edge of the upper park – and the rotunda. “The rotunda really was here in 1919,” she said. “I like to think that Henry planned it. Stimson was very excited about the whole overlook idea.” It’s not the only piece of forgotten history to be reinstalled. Stimson revived the sledding hill, which was fenced off and planted with shrubbery in the 1990s. “Everyone talks about the sledding hill!” said Winstead. “And once we get all that cleared off, you’ll have such a beautiful view of the hills behind Main Street. At the meeting, plans were detailed for Phase One of the project, which included the Playland and the Literary Garden. The Playland would incorporate spaces at the top and bottom of the hill, including
a labyrinth, a small play area, and a 40-foot long slide built into the hillside. “It’s a very unique element that will draw from all parts of the town,” said Glen Valentine, principal. “And to get to the top of the slide, there will be a rock scramble, which gives kids an opportunity to explore the hillside.” “The slide was very unexpected!” said Winstead. “But my charge was for Stimson to do something remarkable that would bring families to the park. It could be a huge draw.” The library doesn’t want a full playground, she said, for liability reasons, and hopes the public would weigh in on the slide on the survey, linked from the library website. “We really want people to either be all for it or not,” she said. Stimson associate Sean Kline, an Oneonta native, said bluestone would be incorporated into the design, including the overlook and the rock scramble. “Table Rocks is my favorite spot in Oneonta,” he said. “It gives you an amazing context for
the city and the materials of the region.” The gardens, said Valentine, would function as a series of “outdoor classrooms,” each with specific plantings, such as a pollinator garden or an herb/medicinal garden. There would even be a “literary garden,” which the library could change yearly to tie to a particular theme. “One year it could be colonial plants or a World War II ‘Victory Garden’,” he said. In all, the full redesign would include a performance space in the lower part of the park and orchards in the arboretum at the top, similar to the ones Huntington had on the family farm the library is built on. Additionally, the library received $122,000 in Library Construction Aid to install new lampposts to match the ones on Main Street. Winstead said the park could get underway as soon as this spring, with completion by the summer. “They really brought back the elements of the park that Henry wanted,” she said. “It feels very right.”
HONORED/From B1 “It’s figuring out what they’re scared of or looking forward to, and working with them from there.” Delaney, who works at the Bassett Heathcare Clinic at 125 Main St., was named one of this year’s state Senate’s “Women of Distinction” during a ceremony last week, where she was presented a plaque by state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford. “It’s really a remarkable honor,” she said. “But I can’t help but think that this year, all the women in healthcare should be Woman of the Year!” “I would not be here without the dedication of our healthcare workers,” said Seward, who battled COVID earlier this year. “Normally we put out a press release asking for nominations but, this year, I thought it was important to name a woman in healthcare who gave exemplary service during the pandemic.” Delaney was recommended to him by now-retired Bassett Healthcare Network President/CEO Bill Streck.
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“The more I read and heard about her, the more convinced I was that she was an excellent choice,” said Seward. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Delaney did her undergraduate at Penn State and her physician assistant’s program at Duke University. “I always knew I wanted to do something in medicine,” she said. “Then I did the LIFE Geisinger program in Scranton, working with elderly and frail populations, and I thought that it might be a direction I wanted to go in.” She worked at Our Lady of Peace convent, taking care of elderly nuns. “It really taught me to be collaborative with patients,” she said. In 2014, she moved to Oneonta for the job at Bassett. It was that bedside manner that helped when the COVID19 pandemic struck and Delaney found herself outside all day every day, in snow, in sleet, in rain, administering “drive-thru” COVID tests in the parking lot. “When we first started, I joked that we should just go ahead and put up decorations for the Fourth of July,” she said. “And the other nurse said that there was no way
we’d still be here! We had to keep our sense of humor.” Before rapid-testing and saliva tests were available, patients had to sit, often in the cold, and have a swab shoved deep into their nostrils. “I would tell them to think about something in the future they were looking forward to,” she said. If one was particularly nervous, she could reassure them with her own experience. “I told people that I had it done and it wasn’t even the worst part of my day,” she said. In all, she estimates she did well over a thousand tests. “For awhile, we were doing 300 tests a month,” she said. She lives in Oneonta with her cat, Charlie, who she adopted from the Susquehanna SPCA. She volunteers with the shelter, and plays flute at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where she is also a parishioner. And when she got the call that she had been chosen to receive the Woman of Distinction award, she was at the bedside of an elderly neighbor, assisting her with her end-of-life needs. “True to form, she was tending to someone’s needs,” Seward said.
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Gun Goes Off; Deputy On Leave GUN/From A1 a handgun he was carrying in his pants pocket. “We’re still trying to determine why the gun went off,” said Keller. He said the bullet exited through the bottom of the deputy’s pocket, through his wallet, and ricocheted off the concrete floor. Though it was initially believed that the girl was injured by a concrete chip, investigators now say she may have been struck by the bullet. “The little girl was at the table next to his with her back to him,” Keller explained. “When the gun went off, the bullet may have gone past her elbow and her right hip, then struck the ground.” He said that the woman sitting next to her, who was also injured, described that she felt “like her foot was on fire. She thought it was fireworks.” Both injuries were minor and treated by EMS at the scene.
According to Devlin, a second off-duty deputy was also at the scene, but has not been charged or put on administrative leave. The weapon was not a department-issue weapon, said Devlin. “We encourage our deputies to carry even when off-duty,” he said. “We’re police officers 24/7, and there are situations we are expected to respond to.” For a deputy to carry while off-duty, he said, the weapon has to be an inspected, approved firearm, and the deputy has to qualify to use it, just as he would his service weapon. And above all, he stressed safety when carrying a loaded weapon. “Firearms should be properly secured and carried on a person,” he said. The deputy will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the state police investigation. He is also currently under an internal review from the Sheriff’s Department.
B-3
Mayor Plans To Revisit City-Manager Structure CHARTER/From A1 infections – not including SUNY Oneonta’s “large outbreak,” now ending – to an average of eight a month. Given that the city manager’s $110,000 salary is about 4 percent of the tax levy, Herzig said, he intends to again revisit whether a city-manager form of government, as now constituted, is the best way to govern 14,000-population Oneonta. He said he planned to start that conversation perhaps as soon at the Common Council’s Budget Committee meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16, but certainly soon after. And he would like a decision by the end of the year, so savings and likely lower expenses could be reflected in the 2021 budget. (This year’s budget is slightly more than $17 million.) “I still support having an administrative position supervising day-to-day operations – a staff person, a non-political person,” he said,
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perhaps an executive director instead of a full-fledged city manager. Herzig took charge from the beginning of the COVID19 crisis, but in the past month, with the community worried about the colleges reopening, he racheted up police enforcement of mask wearing and social distancing in public places, cancelled evening bus service from the campuses, and issued a “Welcome to Students” letter outlining expectations. When widespread partying was evident when students returned Aug. 21, he alerted the Governor’s Office, setting the stage for what happened when the “large outbreak” followed: Chancellor Jim Malatras shut the campus for two weeks, and Cuomo deployed a state Virus Testing SWAT Team to the city. In an interview Monday, Sept. 14, the mayor said, “I didn’t do this all by myself.” “Our department heads just were amazing in the way they stepped up and provided leadership,” he said. “That was the only way to move through this crisis – and they did it. They filled the leadership void as a team.” Personnel Director Katie Böttger and City Engineer Greg Mattice assumed dayto-day management, directing the department-head team, he added. When it was approved on Nov. 7, 2010, the idea of
professional management of City Hall won by a 1,177-370 margin. But one decade and three city managers later, dramatic change for the better hasn’t been evident. “I was an early supporter and still support the concept of having an administrative position supervising the dayto-day operation of the city,” said Herzig. “But I think the overwhelming number of people in Oneonta who voted to support it, including myself, didn’t recognize it would drastically change our form of government.” Under the council-manager form of government, Council members’ role is limited to “just being legislators,” he continued. “They are asked not to participate providing input on local government operations.” There are day-to-day decisions Council members should help make, he said: “What roads are being fixed. How staffing is organized. What priorities are set operationally. In a community this size, most people would want their elected Council members to be involved.” As for his job, “whether the people want a ceremonial mayor going forward, or a mayor who has the ability to set direction and in control of of city operations, is an open question.” He said he hasn’t decided whether to run for a third two-year term next year.
Herzig said he’s intrigued with combining day-to-day administration with another existing function – with finance or personnel, for instance. “I believe Cortland has been very successful doing that,” he said. Since six of the eight Council members had only served two months before “we went into Zoom … They haven’t had the opportunity to really dig into this.” “In the next week or two,” he said, “I’ll look for opportunities for a whole discussion with Council members around where we are now, and what are the different options.” The mayor expressed the view that a referendum is only necessary if powers are being taken away from elected officials; Herzig said they would be enhanced. “Changing the job description would not require a public vote as far as I know,” he said, in reference to the city manager’s job duties. He said he would be guided by City Attorney David Merzig’s opinion. In 2016, charter revisions endorsed by a committee chaired by former Mayor John Nader foundered when SUNY New Paltz’s Gerald Benjamin, the state’s foremost expert on local government, said he believed those changes were substantive enough to require another public vote.
Campus Closed, COVID Crisis At End COVID/From A1 Tuesday, Sept. 15, the Otsego County Health Department reported only two cases, after a week of largely single-digit reports, and after peaks of 120 on Sept. 4 and 107 on Sept. 2. “We’re seeing a significant decline,” said Georgeson. “And we are cautiously optimistic that there was no community spread.” Campus spokesman Kim MacLeod declared “success,” and credited “swift actions of discipline, rapid testing of all students, immediate contract tracing that led students to be isolated and quarantined.” The county Health Department (DOH) has termed what happened a “large outbreak.” Looking back, county Public Health Director Heidi Bond said this week, “We did not expect the degree of how fast it happened.” Georgeson said that studies have begun to determine whether the infection was from “a different strain” of the virus.
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isolations followed, according to MacLeod. At that point, she said, the county DOH initiated tracing – determined who the infected students may have come into contact with. Once students who were infected were released from isolation, they are free to go home and “there is no need for further contact,” she said. However, students can continue to have access to faculty, telehealth and telecounseling services, MacLeod said. Across the valley on Oyaron Hill, Hartwick College was reporting 15 confirmed cases on Tuesday, Sept. 15, but were confident enough that students were returning to classrooms the following day. “Face-to-face, personal instruction is a pillar of Hartwick’s educational mission, as it has been for 223 years,” said Hartwick President Margaret L. Drugovich. “Our students have made it clear that they want to return to the classroom, and the vast majority have demonstrated they can and will honor the rules we’ve put in place to control the spread of COVID19,” she said in announcing classes would resume.
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“The majority of the infected only got mildly sick and recovered quickly,” she said. “We saw such a rapid spread and apparent ready transmission, but little illness.” Of those that got sick, she said, only three had pneumonia, and “a few” went to the emergency room with severe symptoms, but none were hospitalized. The final numbers were firming up, the DOH and SUNY Oneonta’s tallies were still far apart. Monday, the DOH was reporting total positive cases at 684; the campus put the number at 723. These divergences were said to result from different reporting cycles. When 105 cases were reported overnight Saturday, Aug. 30, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras visited that Sunday afternoon and closed the campus for two weeks; he returned the following Thursday, Sept. 3, and announced it would close for the semester. “A lot of students left campus immediately,” said Heidi Bond, the county public health director. Nearly 3,000 students were screened over Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 5-7, and large-scale quarantines and
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B-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA
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Legal nOtice AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY COURT, OTSEGO COUNTY AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE INDEX NO. 2018-949 In the Matter of the Foreclosure of Tax Liens by Proceeding in Rem pursuant to Article Eleven of the Real Property Tax Law by Otsego County PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on the 8th day of September, 2020, the Otsego County Treasurer, hereinafter the Enforcing Officer of Otsego County, hereinafter the “Tax District “, pursuant to law filed with the Otsego County Clerk an AMENDED PETITION AND NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE (“Amended Petition”) against various parcels of real property for unpaid taxes. Such Amended Petition pertains to the following parcels: Cert# Street Tax map# Owner name City of Oneonta 24 50 Elm St 288.18-4-33 Avery Anne -Louise 26 3-5 Walling Ave 288.18-6-23 KMA Management Group, Inc 32 19 Fonda Ave 299.12-3-47 DeAndrea James P 41 4 Telford St 299.8-2-40 Davis Robert James; Davis Gail L 42 242 Chestnut St 299.8-2-49 Christiance James A; Christiance Debra L 72 14 Reynolds St 300.8-1-34 Ogborn Lorraine R 73 40 River St 300.9-1-30 Sobers Richard C Town of Burlington 88 212 Deminco Rd 111.00-1-4.00 Russell David 102 111 Munson Rd 64.00-1-7.00 Fitch Clifford; Fitch Patricia 103 Norton Rd 78.00-1-14.03 Wright Richard W 104 223 Arnold Rd 78.00-1-43.01 Wright Richard W 110 223 Arnold Rd 93.00-1-35.01 Wright Richard W; Wright Karen 111 Arnold Rd 93.00-1-36.00 Wright Richard W Village of Gilbertsville 120 58 Sylvan St 282.10-1-43.00 Cropper Patrick L Town of Butternuts 125 156 St Hwy 23 234.00-2-17.00 Beardsley Edward M, II; Lester Andrea M 127 106 St Hwy 23 234.00-2-4.00
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Fitch Robert 134 208 Nelson Rd 251.00-1-48.00 The Estate of Edward M Steiger 150 679 Oregon Rd 281.00-1-18.00 Lowe John A Village of Cherry Valley 179 83 Montgomery St 58.10-1-19.00 Crandall Mark W; Crandall Kathleen D 180 Montgomery St 58.10-1-20.00 Crandall Mark W; Crandall Kathleen D Town of Cherry Valley 189 3282 Co Hwy 31 18.03-1-8.00 Fitch Robert 199 1572 Co Hwy 54 45.00-1-16.00 Cabarrus Jean; Knoblauch Edward A Jr; Knoblauch Mary Katherine 205 Co Hwy 34A 59.00-1-17.03 The Estate of John K Martin; MilowMartin Vera Town of Decatur 225 286 Park Rd 152.00-1-7.01 Donohue Thomas P; Donohue Stephany 226 438 Reservoir Rd 153.00-1-20.02 Kenlein Kenneth 228 612 Babcock Hill Rd 167.00-2-9.04 Banhart Kristin A 229 Babcock Hill Rd 167.00-2-9.05 Banhart Kristin A Town of Edmeston 17-320 4318 Co Hwy 18 122.04-1-18.00 Chriss A Antonakas; Hall Crystal 264 4239 Co Hwy 18 122.04-1-47.00 Johnson Jeremy J 271 12 Burdick Ave 124.06-1-36.01 The Estate of Biff E Pylinski 282 2259 Co Hwy 20 62.00-1-15.05 Jaggers Helen R 283 2125 Co Hwy 20 62.00-1-24.00 Jaggers Helen R 284 Co Hwy 19 63.00-2-2.04 Talbot Albert C; Talbot Barbara; The Estate of Sandra Presley; Capparelli Judith; Maine Jack; Maine David 285 470 Ballaster Rd 63.00-2-3.00 Talbot Albert C; Talbot Barbara; The Estate of Sandra Presley; Capparelli Judith; Maine Jack; Maine David Town of Exeter 307 Co Hwy 22 49.00-1-12.06 The Estate of Earl Duncan Sr; Duncan Zachary 309 218 Co Hwy 22 49.00-1-4.12 The Estate of Earl Duncan Sr; Duncan Zachary Town of Hartwick 377 242 Lippitt Rd 161.00-1-10.01 The Estate of Ross James B 379 Maples Rd 161.00-1-3.00 Johnston Charles K; Johnston Michael D; Johnston Frank M; Johnston Brian C; Johnston Steven R 383 4659 St Hwy 28 162.00-1-33.01
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Blue Spruce Mountain, LLC 387 2401 Co Hwy 11 176.00-1-35.00 Schiff Dino 397 4473 St Hwy 28 178.00-1-51.01 Chandler Christopher; Chandler Connie M 402 Co Hwy 45 194.00-1-16.01 Kolka Robert S 403 St Hwy 28 194.00-1-19.04 Kolka Robert S 404 St Hwy 28 194.00-1-4.10 Kukenberger Cynthia M; Kolka Robert S Village of Laurens 405 13 Brook St 240.15-2-11.00 The Estate of Pauline Carr 406 8 Brook St 240.15-2-16.00 Cimko Amanda Jean P 407 5 Craft St 240.15-2-4.00 The Estate of William E Yoder 409 54 Main St 240.15-2-63.00 The Estate of William E Brooks Jr Town of Laurens 414 160 Co Hwy 11B 208.00-1-46.02 Elleo Robert E Jr; Elleo Eric M 416 183 Co Hwy 11B 208.01-1-18.00 O’Neill Brian T 417 107 Old Co Rt 11B 208.01-1-29.00 O’Neill Brian T 419 413 Russell Hill Rd 222.00-2-12.02 Menchini Leonard A 421 222 Larchwood Ln 222.00-2-12.09 Elisenberg Geir 437 2774 St Hwy 23 238.00-2-63.01 Sims Donna 440 362 New Rd 240.00-1-49.03 Buttice Jayne A; Buttice Nicholas J 446 Balantic Hill Rd 240.00-2-23.04 Joslin Dwight L Jr 454 Hathaway Rd 255.00-2-39.00 The Estate of Carl Ehlert 455 Hathaway Rd 255.00-2-40.00 The Estate of Henry F Ehlert Town of Maryland 483 800 Smokey Ave 198.00-2-12.02 Three G Developers LLC 491 404 Co Hwy 34 213.00-1-29.00 Smith Christina; Ritton Brian 492 176 Norton Rd 213.00-1-5.05 Carotenuto Brando Francesco 519 53 Race St 230.19-2-41.00 Murphy Patricia A 530 107 Dog Hill Rd 245.09-1-5.00 The Estate of Byam Esther 531 St Hwy 7 245.10-1-32.00 The Estate of Joseph J Indelicato Town of Middlefield 572 178 Fish Rd 100.00-1-6.03 The Estate of Ida M Yager 606 604 Beaver Meadow Rd 147.00-1-7.02
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Karen E Renwick with remainderman and then to the Children of Karen E Renwick Town of Milford 656 3985 St Hwy 28 194.00-2-11.213 Kolka Robert S 685 S Hwy 28 243.00-1-10.02 Sci Carmine M; Sci Gloria T 699 323 Co Hwy 35 260.00-1-11.00 Kropp Dennis; Kropp Amy 707 Maple Dr 260.13-1-38.00 Wells David J; Kleinfelder Ronald J 713 Gifford Hill Rd 276.00-2-2.02 Ackley Rodney H; Ackley Lara E 726 6467 St Hwy 7 277.00-1-67.00 Schrom Justin R; Peeters Jolene L Village of Morris 732 25 Church St 221.13-1-53.00 Hull Todd E; Hull Helen M 736 22 Hargrave St 221.18-1-16.00 Etzl George J; Etzl Sarah S Town of Morris 742 St Hwy 51 204.00-2-13.04 Reynolds Randall C 753 2009 St Hwy 23 221.00-1-57.00 Schacht Robert 755 St Hwy 23 221.00-1-73.00 The Estate of Mary Louise Boynton 761 205 Butternut Ridge Rd 222.00-3-13.00 Dickinson Philip L Town of New Lisbon 780 497 Backus Rd 142.00-2-26.01 Butternut Valley Environmental Resources Ltd 786 Backus Rd 158.00-1-11.00 Butternut Valley Environmental Resources Ltd 787 705 Lena Rd 158.00-1-12.02 Condon David J 794 Bardin Rd 173.00-1-49.00 Greaves Jesse R 795 Parker Rd 173.00-1-51.02 Greaves Jesse R 801 114 Welcome Rd N 174.00-1-6.00 The Estate of Geraldine R Yoder 810 3389 St Hwy 51 189.00-1-59.01 Annex Exteriors Inc 820 418 Wheat Rd 190.00-1-9.04 Bradley Jennifer Lee 823 397 Co Hwy 15 191.00-1-14.01 Mehta Malti Town of Oneonta 846 East St 275.00-1-28.00 Kropp Dennis; Kropp Amy 850 Sunset Dr 287.15-1-28.02 Blake Matthew 860 St Hwy 7 289.00-1-6.01 Rotolo Anthony 865 101 Browne St 299.00-1-4.01 Otsar Corp 869 422 Chestnut St 299.07-1-36.00 The Estate of Carl A Canis; Canis Eleanor J
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876 81 Oneida St 299.10-1-43.01 Pushkar Stephen Village of Otego 904 301 Main St 317.19-1-23.00 Adkins Virginia 905 307 Main St 317.19-1-24.01 Spataro Barbara Angelika Town of Otego 914 Sarrah Ct 272.00-1-37.05 Glorioso Darin V; Tice Brad 932 1866 Co Hwy 8 285.00-1-17.00 Schwed Karl R; Schwed Emma L 935 347 Upper Green St 285.00-1-34.04 Perry Samuel H Jr; Perry Jody A 940 104 Sutlif Rd 286.00-1-35.62 Wilcox Delbert C; Wilcox Kimberly R 954 Burdick Hill Rd 307.00-1-7.02 Samuels Ray V; Samuels Emma E Amaro 965 Beilby Rd 318.00-1-20.08 Penafiel Realty Corporation 973 2630 St Hwy 7 324.00-1-47.02 Hill Anthony A; The Estate of Laurel J Hill Village of Cooperstown, Town of Otsego 986 92 Main St 115.18-3-39.00 Andrews Phillip 994 99 Main St 131.06-2-48.00 American Baseball Experience Inc 995 103 Main St 131.06-2-7.00 103 Main Street Cooperstown Corp Town of Otsego 1012 170 Cemetery Rd 114.09-1-8.00 Chandler Estates LLC; Connie Chandler M 1013 322 Co Hwy 26 130.00-2-24.00 Carrella George R 1033 Tripp Hill Rd 83.00-1-12.43 Clark Nancy L 1039 Co Hwy 28 84.00-1-15.12 Reiss Howard K; Reiss Doris S 1046 Bed Bug Hill Rd 97.00-1-52.00 Byard John S Town of Pittsfield 1065 394 Ramey Rd 156.00-1-18.01 Curtis John M; Curtis Sharlene P 1070 121 Burski Rd 156.00-1-38.02 Etzl George; Etzl Sarah 1074 657 Co Hwy 17 156.00-1-52.13 Fallon Ethan D; Fallon Tammy 1077 395 Bentley Rd 156.00-1-57.00 Hyman Vanessa 1078 370 Ramey Rd 156.00-1-9.00 Curtis John M; Curtis Sharlene P 1080 3344 Co Hwy 18 170.00-1-31.00 Blake Matthew 1096 119 Jennison Rd 172.00-1-30.02 The Estate of Carl Terwilliger; Terwilliger Brenda 1097 Co Hwy 49 172.00-1-30.03 Etzl George J;
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Uhle Sarah 1098 1309 Co Hwy 49 172.00-1-31.00 Etzl George J; Uhle Sarah 1114 147 Young Rd 187.00-1-41.01 Tooley Kathy J 1122 Co Hwy 18 202.00-1-1.224 Papasidero Jeffrey D 1123 Co Hwy 18 202.00-1-1.226 Papasidero Jeffrey D 1124 Co Hwy 18 202.00-1-1.25 Etzl George J 1125 Co Hwy 18 202.00-1-9.02 Thornton Shawn; Thornton Karin Town of Plainfield 1141 137 Co Hwy 19 33.00-1-12.00 Jaggers Helen 1147 Talbot Rd 34.00-1-12.23 Lan’Did Corporation 1152 Hughes Rd 48.00-1-3.07 Masel Patricia A; Erickson Frederick L; Nazginov Roma; Harter Brigette; White Eric 1153 210 Hughes Rd 48.00-1-3.08 Masel Patricia A; Erickson Frederick L; Harter Brigette; White Eric 1156 562 Crumb Hill Rd 9.00-1-1.02 Holmes Philip Village of Richfield Springs 1161 18 Prospect St 13.20-2-48.00 Osterhoudt Charles M 1162 5 Union St 13.20-2-51.00 Abrams Barry E 1165 28 River St 13.20-3-58.00 28 River Street Richfield Springs NY Land Trust 1166 28 River St 13.20-3-59.00 28 River Street Richfield Springs NY Land Trust 1169 5 Sylvan St 14.17-1-28.00 Gibson Cosby 1181 Canadarago St 25.05-3-44.00 Villavicencio Silvio 1182 10 Canadarago St 25.05-3-53.00 Garner Robert E; Garner Jesse L; Garner Elizabeth Jane Town of Richfield 1187 190 Mower Rd 12.00-1-19.02 Fuller William J; Fuller Shawn M 1189 111 Brighton Rd 12.00-1-49.02 Sylvester James N; Sylvester Janet E 1192 2941 US Hwy 20 13.00-1-16.02 Vickerson James V Jr 1200 8443 St Hwy 28 24.00-1-11.02 The Estate of Charles E Roberts; The Estate of Betty M Roberts 1216 8162 St Hwy 28 38.25-1-7.01 The Estate of Thomas Davenport; Barstein Mindy 1219 2489 US Hwy 20 4.00-1-19.00 Goodspeed Kimberly A Town of Roseboom 1233 Middlefield Rd 118.00-2-12.11 Turkish Deport Corp
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1234 872 Middlefield Rd 118.00-2-9.00 Edwards Earl 1239 200 Adair Rd 120.00-1-14.00 Giammarino Lucio 1248 Morton Rd 88.00-1-36.00 Rodriguez Angel Manuel Town of Springfield 1258 7667 St Hwy 80 41.06-1-27.00 Macaluso Joseph; Corso-Macaluso Glynis 1259 St Hwy 80 41.06-1-57.00 Macaluso Joseph; Corso-Macaluso Glynis 1263 217 Continental Rd 42.00-1-2.04 Stocking Billy; Stocking Cheryl 1267 1004 Co Hwy 29 6.00-1-24.23 Ruppert James F Village of Unadilla 1270 34 Ontio Ter 334.14-1-37.00 US Bank NA as Trustee of American Homeowner Preservation Trust Series 2015A+ 1271 22 Prospect St 334.14-1-75.00 Macek Nicholas 1273 19 Prospect St 334.14-1-79.00 The Estate of Walter L Campbell The Estate of Lucille C Campbell 1276 Maple Ave 334.15-1-38.00 Rudolph Richard 1279 95 Martin Brook St 334.15-1-70.01 Luna Carlos V; Luna Esperanza 1287 5 Walnut St 334.19-2-35.00 Makeplace Amanda Town of Unadilla 1325 685 Lockwood Hill Rd 320.00-1-31.00 The Estate of Willie PE Bowman 1346 116 Pitcher Ln 324.03-1-4.02 Clow Shawn A; Clow Patrice M 1359 Co Hwy 3 329.00-1-22.00 The Estate of Richard Ingrassia 1361 420 Co Hwy 3 329.00-1-37.22 Martini Ryan J 1362 560 Co Hwy 3 329.00-1-45.00 Fallon Susan L; The Estate of Lena M Harvey 1370 130 Ledgewood Acres Dr 330.00-1-4.07 Schusteritsch Edward A 1376 St Hwy 7 330.03-1-86.00 Unadilla ShamRock Village LLC 1390 342 Co Hwy 1 332.00-1-83.21 Kipps Hill Road Corp. 1398 1676 St Hwy 7 334.00-1-47.00 Unadilla Shamrock Village, LLC 1407 459 St Hwy 7 336.02-1-45.00 Hunt WIlliam A Jr 1409 420 St Hwy 7 336.02-1-64.02 Olson Edward D 1411 St Hwy 7 337.00-1-37.01 Fallon Cherie N; Fallon James 1414 St Hwy 7 337.00-1-62.00 Fallon Cherie N;
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Fallon James
Town of Westford 1419 176 Stong Hill Rd 150.00-1-33.02 Duncan Derek Lee; Fagergren Kayla 1425 674 Co Hwy 36 166.00-1-46.00 Regg Frances A 1430 Middlefield Rd 166.01-1-20.00 Parsons William H 1434 1764 Co Hwy 34 166.01-1-33.00 Langan James W 1435 1109 Co Hwy 36 166.01-1-35.00 Quinn Heidi 1436 Co Hwy 34 166.01-1-4.00 Ives Darin M; Ives Charity S 1437 1799 Co Hwy 34 166.01-1-9.00 Ives Darin M; Ives Charity S 1440 Westville Gulf Rd 180.00-2-23.00 Stabler Mary; LaRose John 1445 750 Up Country Rd 182.00-1-18.02 Fraser Matthew J. 1448 Hickory Hill Rd 196.00-2-2.13 The Estate of Daniel Hoag 1450 376 Badeau Hill Rd 197.00-1-23.02 Bolton Larry M; Bolton Evelyn C Town of Worcester 1452 226 Alvord Rd 169.00-2-33.00 Hayden Vincent 1453 232 Co Hwy 36 183.00-3-4.00 Makely John H 1468 86 Main St 185.13-1-33.00 Suydam Brian T 1470 3 Maple St E 185.13-1-46.00 Keever Kenneth W; Keever Tammy 1482 10 Fairlawn Ave 199.18-1-22.00 McLean Jestina 1483 179 Main St 199.18-1-40.00 Biczo Ann Marie; The Estate of Kalman Biczo 1485 192 Main St 199.18-3-21.01 Bruce George A; Bruce Virginia A 1486 252 Main St 199.18-3-39.00 Hartt Anthony M; Hartt Janet A 1498 410 Roe Rd 201.00-1-29.00 The Estate of Fredereick R Pflug 1501 215 Tuscan Rd 214.00-2-8.00 Milavec Jeffrey R 1506 909 County Route 39 215.00-1-50.9 McLean Herman 1519 302 Boughton Rd 233.00-1-37.21 DeRuscio Joseph J Jr; Ciancetta David; Sobieski David; The Estate of Leon Sobieski Effect of filing: All persons having or claiming to have an interest in the real property described in such Amended Petition are hereby notified that the filing of such Amended Petition constitutes the commencement by the Tax District of a proceeding in the court specified in the caption above to foreclose each of the tax liens therein described by a foreclosure proceeding in rem.
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Nature of proceeding: This proceeding is brought against the real property only and is to foreclose the tax liens described in such Amended Petition. No personal judgement will be entered herein for such taxes or other legal charges or any part thereof. Persons affected: This notice is directed to all persons owning or having or claiming to have an interest in the real property described in such Amended Petition. Such persons are hereby notified further that a duplicate of such Amended Petition has been filed in the Office of the Otsego County Treasurer and will remain open for public inspection up to and including the date specified as the last day for redemption. Right of redemption: Any person having or claiming to have an interest in any such real property and the legal right thereto may on or before said date redeem the same by paying the amount of all such unpaid tax liens thereon, including all interest and penalties and other legal charges which are included in the lien against such real property, computed to and including the date of redemption. Such payment shall be made to Allen Ruffles, Otsego County Treasurer, 197 Main Street, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326. In the event that such taxes are paid by a person other than the record owner of such real property, the person so paying shall be entitled to have the tax liens affected thereby satisfied of record. Last day for redemption: The last day for redemption is hereby fixed as the 18th day of December, 2020. Service of answer: Every person having any right, title or interest in or lien upon any parcel of real property described in such Amended Petition may serve a duly verified answer upon the Attorney for the Tax District setting forth in detail the nature and amount of his or her interest and any defense or objection to the foreclosure. Such answer must be filed in the Office of the County Clerk and served upon the Attorney for the Tax District on or before the date above mentioned as the last day for redemption. Failure to redeem or answer: In the event of failure to redeem or answer by any person having the right to redeem or answer, such person shall be forever barred and foreclosed of all his or her right, title and interest and equity of redemption in and to the parcel described in such Amended Petition and a judgement in foreclosure may be taken by default. Enforcing Officer: Allen Ruffles Otsego County Treasurer Continued Pg. B5
in OtsegO COunty ________ THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
_______ what’s fun in OtsegO COunty
►Thursday, Sept. 17
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Volunteers aged 14+ are invited to aid in the construction of 2 houses for families in need. Come for a few hours or the whole day, no special skill required. Masks required. McFarland Rd., Oneonta. 607-432-7874 or visit https://habitatotsego. org/volunteer/ RABIES CLINIC – 9 - Noon. Free rabies vaccination for cats, dogs, ferrets. Scheduling for 30-minute intervals to follow social distancing. First come, first serve. Susquehanna SPCA, Rt. 28, Cooperstown. 607-547-4230 or visit https://sqspca.org/freeweekly-rabies-clinics/
SPOTLIGHT – 2 p.m. Celebrate the Washington National’s 2019 World Series championship through Autumn Glory, tribute to post-season Cooperstown. Free Zoom conference. Registration required. Presented by The Baseball Hall of Fame. Visit https://baseballhall.org/ events/virtual-curator-spotlight-autumn-glory?date=0. THEATER WORKSHOP – 5:30 p.m. Sign up for virtual theater workshop ‘East Meets West’ featuring meditation, movement, and character archetypes presented by Lanny Harrison. Presented by West Kortright Center. Visit https://westkc.org/eventbrite-event/sheltering-characters/ for info.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA B-5
WRITERS SALON – 7:30 p.m. Virtual writers salon by CANO hosted on Zoom. Features author Tessa Yang and an open mic session. Presented by Community Arts Network of Oneonta. Visit www.facebook.com/CANOneonta for info.
►Friday, Sept. 18 RUMMAGE SALE – 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Find clothes, books, toys, household items, much more at fall rummage & bag sale. Masks required. All welcome. St. John’s Church, 2546 St. Hwy. 80, West Burlington. LIT LATTES – 10 a.m. Discuss literature, get book recommendations, hear from guest speakers, much more from the Huntington Memorial Library. Visit https://www.
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facebook.com/hmloneonta/ to join the discussion. BLOOD DRIVE – Noon 5 p.m. Donate blood, help save lives. Laurens Fire Department, 34 Main St., Laurens. 800-733-2767 or visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/ CHICKEN DINNER – 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Enjoy Brooks Chicken take-out for $12/dinner, with $1 processing fee. Pre-orders strongly encouraged by 9/10. Support local church. First Baptist Church of Cooperstown, 21 Elm St., Cooperstown. 607-547-9371 or visit https://www.facebook.com/ctownfirstbaptist/ FALL PORK DINNER – 5 p.m. Make a donation and enjoy a Roast Pork Dinner this fall. Reservations required, limited to 100 dinners. No reservations day of. Take
out only. Middlefield Baptist Church, 121 Rezen Rd., Middlefield. 607-547-9093. CONSERVATION – 7:30 p.m. Wildlife enthusiast Garrett Camasi discusses ‘Conservation Through Education’ sharing his photographs and philosophy on conserving wildlife, environmental practices, and ways our behaviors affect both. Visit https://www.facebook. com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety/ for info.
►Saturday, Sept. 19 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. See Thursday, September 17. POP-UP EXHIBIT – 9 a.m. - Noon. View Jim Mayne’s Collection of axes and hatchetts featuring the objects and various photos. Free admis-
sion. Edmeston Museum, 1 North St., Edmeston. Visit https://www.facebook.com/ pages/category/CommunityMuseum/Edmeston-Museum219562458817938/ for info. ONEONTA FARMERS MARKET – 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. locally produced food, crafts, more. Please wash hands frequently, maintain social distancing. Preorder and pickup is available. Muller Plaza, Main St, Oneonta. Info, www. oneontafarmersmarket.com RUMMAGE SALE – 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. See Friday, Sept. 18 COOPERSTOWN FARMERS’ MARKET – 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Food, crafts and more by local growers, artisans. Preorder and pickup available. 101 Main St., Pioneer Alley. Cooperstown. Rain or shine. Info, www.facebook.com/CooperstownFarmersMarket/
SHOPPING LOCAL MATTERS Thankfully, we’ve all made it through this pandemic so far! We are a local company, employ local people and have enjoyed local customers since 1963. Please keep it LOCAL. Give us a try for the best quality & workmanship for all of your mattress and flooring needs.
WE WON’T DISAPPOINT! Dave Weaver
607-432-2022
22-26 Watkins Avenue, Oneonta Monday through Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm
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From Pg. B4 Attorney for Tax District: Phillips Lytle LLP Richard M. Beers, Jr., Esq. 28 East Main St, Ste 1400 Rochester, New York 14614 (585) 238-2000 3LegalNov.12 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE is hereby given that there has been duly introduced before the Board of Representatives of the County of Otsego, New York, a Local Law entitled: A Local Law to override the Tax Levy limit established in General Municipal Law §3-C. NOTICE is further given that the Board of Representatives will conduct a public hearing on the proposed Local Law in the Courtroom at the Courthouse in the Village of Cooperstown, New York on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order, the maximum capacity for the hearing in the courtroom will be 50 individuals. The location is accessible to persons with mobility impairment. Written comments can be mailed to the Otsego County Clerk of the Board, atn. Carol McGovern, 197 Main Street, Cooperstown NY 13326 or comments can be emailed to comments@otsegocounty.com and will be accepted until 9 p.m. on September 24th. The public hearing will be streamed via Facebook Live on the official Otsego County Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/ Otsego-County-NY102347451408765/ In response to the COVID-19 emergency, you will be screened upon building entry, masks will be required to be worn at all times and social distancing will be observed. A copy of this Local
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Law is available on the Otsego County website.
SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be Dated: served. SSNY September 11, 2020 shall mail process to: David Howell, Carol D. McGovern 333 Hook Road, Clerk of the Board of Katonah, NY 10536. Representatives Purpose: any lawful Otsego County, activity. New York 6LegalOct.8 1LegalSept.17 Legal nOtice Legal nOtice NOTICE OF Notice of FORMATION OF Formation of TRASK 1639 DISTILLERY TRAVEL LLC LLC, Articles of Org. filed Arts. of Org. filed NY Sec. of State with the SSNY on (SSNY) 8/25/2020. 08/25/2020. Office Office in Otsego Co. loc: Otsego County. SSNY desig. agent SSNY has been of LLC whom prodesignated as agent cess may be served. upon whom process SSNY shall mail against the LLC may process to 362 Pony be served. SSNY Farm Rd., Oneonta, shall mail process to: NY 13820, which Kevin Lynch, 145 is also the principal West Main Street, business location. Stony Point, NY Purpose: Any lawful 10980. Purpose: Any purpose. Lawful Purpose. 6LegalOct.8 6LegalOct.15 Legal nOtice Legal nOtice NOTICE OF Notice of FORMATION OF Formation of a Limited MATERIAL Liability MAXIM, LLC. Company ( LLC) Articles of OrganizaName: tion were filed with the NY Secretary of RMT Student State on 08/14/20. Rentals LLC The office of the LLC is to be located Articles of Organiin Otsego County. zation filed by the The Secretary of Department of State State has been desof New York on: ignated as agent of 08/07/2020 the LLC upon whom Office location: process against it County of Otsego may be served. The Purpose: any and all Secretary of State lawful activities shall mail a copy of Secretary of State of any process against New York (SSNY) the LLC served is designated as upon it to: The LLC, agent of the LLC 147 River Street, upon whom process Oneonta, NY 13820. against it may be The purpose of the served. SSNY shall LLC is to engage in mail a copy of proany lawful act. cess to: 6LegalOct.8 Robert Marks 3600 Fieldston Rd., Legal Apt. 6K nOtice Bronx, NY 10463 6LegalOct.8 PETITION IN SPECIAL PROCEEDING TO Legal nOtice QUIET TITLE Notice of Formation of
Index Number: EF2020-431
Rosalie LLC.
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF OTSEGO
Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/19/20. Office location: Otsego County.
IN THE MATTER OF THE
4316 County Hwy 11 Cooperstown 607-547-6038 krazytoms.com info@cfbsales.com SinCe 1962
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Open weekdays: 9 am to 5:30 pm Saturday: 9 am to 4 pm After hours by appt. Closed Sunday
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APPLICATION OF Maria P. Dingman, Executrix of the Last Will and Testament of Hale E. Dingman, Petitioner, ~ against~ John Doe et al., and any persons or entities found to have an interest in the property subject to this action but not yet named. Respondent( s). Petitioner, by her attorney Donovan Laughlin and Laughlin, LLC, Dennis B. Laughlin, Esquire, respectfully shows, upon information and belief: 1. That she is the Executrix of the Last Will and Testament of Hale E. Dingman, her late Husband. 2. Hale E. Dingman passed away on 7 July 2018. On 19 October 2018, Letters Testamentary were duly issued to Maria P. Dingman, Executrix of the Last Will and Testament of Hale E. Dingman by the State of New York Montgomery County Surrogate’s Court. A true copy of the Letters Testamentary are annexed hereto and made a pait hereof as Exhibit “A.” Property I 3. That since the 30th day of December 1994, Hale E. Dingman has been the owner in fee and in actual possession of the following described real property situate in the County of Otsego, State of New York, claiming under the Deed hereinafter mentioned: All that tract or parcel of land lying and situate in the Town of Cherry Valley, County of Otsego and State of New York more particularly designated as follows: Tax Map Parcel Number Location 18.03-1-25.00 County Highway 31 30.00-1-9.01 County Highway 32A
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30.00-1-9.02 Salt Springville Road 4. That on the said 30th day of December 1994, the above described real property was conveyed to Hale E. Dingman by Deed in Otsego County. 5. That on the 26th day of January 1995, said Deed was duly recorded in the Office of the Otsego County Clerk in Liber 778 of Deeds at Page 772. A duly certified copy of said Deed is annexed hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit “B.” 6. That said conveyance was made in fee simple between Marion I. Dingman and Hale E. Dingman. Marion I. Dingman was the mother of Hale E. Dingman. 7. That both parties in the above mentioned conveyance are deceased, the said Marion I. Dingman having died in the County of Montgomery, State of New York on 28 April 2010, and the said Hale E. Dingman having died in the County of Montgomery, State of New York on 7 July 2018. 8. That there are no liens or incumbrances which now exist on said real property. 9. Petitioner has had exclusive, complete, actual, open, notorious, and continuous undisputed possession of the property since 30 December 1994. 10. That no persons other than Hale E. Dingman and the Petitioner have been in actual possession of said real property during the past ten (10) years claiming title as owners in fee. 11. That no persons, other than Hale E. Dingman and the Petitioner, have in the past ten (10) years made any claim as to title as owners in fee. Property II 12. That since the 16th day of September 2003, Hale E. Dingman has been the owner in fee and
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in actual possession of the following described real property situate in the County of Otsego, State of New York, claiming under the Quit Claim Deed hereinafter mentioned:
Petitioner, have been in actual possession of said real property during the past ten (10) years claiming title as owners in fee.
August 2020. 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 PO Box 307, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalOct.1
Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Kehoe & Merzig, PC, 8-12 Dietz St., Ste. 202, Oneonta, NY 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Principal business location: 27 Solar Bluff, Worcester, NY 12197. 6LegalSept.24
WHEREFORE, the Petitioner prays for an order declaring that the title of Hale E. Dingman to the above described real properties has been judicially established, and granting such other and further relief as the Court may seem just and proper.
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
Dated: 10 August 2020
Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 11 August 2020. 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 PO Box 46, West Oneonta, NY 13861. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalOct.1
“All that tract or parcel of land situate in the Town of Cherry Valley, County of Otsego and State of New York, described as Vacant Land, 2.86 acres, *Co. Hwy. 32A, Tax Map Number 30.00-1-26.00, formerly assessed to Roy and Joyce Tyler.” 13. That on the said 16th day of September 2003, the above described real property was conveyed to Hale E. Dingman by Quit Claim Deed in Otsego County. 14. That on the 22nd day of September 2003, said Quit Claim Deed was duly recorded in the Office of the Otsego County Clerk in Liber 1018 of Deeds at Page 325 as Instrument Number 17359. A duly certified copy of said Quit Claim Deed is annexed hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit “C.” 15. That said conveyance was made in fee simple between the County of Otsego, a municipal corporation of the State of New York having it’s office and principal place of business located in the Village of Cooperstown, New York, and Hale E. Dingman. 16. That one party in the above mentioned conveyance is deceased, the said Hale E. Dingman having died in the County of Montgomery, State of New York on 7 July 2018. 17. That there are no liens or incumbrances which now exist on said real property. 18. Petitioner has had exclusive, complete, actual, open, notorious, and continuous undisputed possession of the property since 16 September 2003. 19. That no persons, other than Hale E. Dingman and the
20. That no persons, other than Hale E. Dingman and the Petitioner, have in the past ten (10) years made any claim as to title as owners in fee. 21. That no previous application has been made for the relief prayed for herein.
Attorney signature pursuant to Sec. 1301.1-a of the Rules of the Chief Administrator (22 NYCRR) Dennis B. Laughlin, Esquire Donovan Laughlin and Laughlin, LLC Dennis B. Laughlin, Esquire, of counsel Attorney for Petitioner Digitally signed by Dennis B. Laughlin, Esquire Date: 2020.08.10 23:45:36 -04’00’ Donovan Laughlin and Laughlin, LLC Dennis B. Laughlin, Esquire, of counsel 15 South Main Street, Suite 103 Oneonta, New York 13820-2688 (607) 432 6959 ~ (607) 264 9094 (facsimile) dennis @ donovanlaughlin.com 4LegalSept.17 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company
Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company Name: EDITH’S ESTATE LLC
Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Patriot APS, LLC Filed w/ SSNY 8/10/20. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom proc. may be served & shall mail to 5001 St Hwy 23 Suite 3-148, Oneonta NY 13820. Any lawful purpose. 6LegalSept.24 Legal nOtice
Name:
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF
SPRINGMEADOWS FARMS LLC.
J&R PROPERTIES OF WORCESTER, LLC
Certificate of Conversion filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 4
Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/1/20.
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RADICALLY ALIGNED LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 07/27/20. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY desg. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 238 Percy Holmes Rd Worcester, NY 12197. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalSept.17 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of the Local Gal, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 05/11/20. Office location: Otsego. SSNY desg. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to 56 Center St, Oneonta, NY 13820. Any lawful purpose. 6LegalSept.17 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of 2229 County Highway LLC filed w/ SSNY 7/29/20. Off. in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agt. of LLC whom process may be served & shall mail process to the LLC, 1945 County Hwy. 22, Richfield Springs, NY 13439. Any lawful purpose. 6LegalSept.17
B-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL
OBITUARIES
THURSDAY, September 17, 2020
Sarah Cunningham Sumner; Violinist Was ‘Beacon’ In Baroque Revival In U.S. SPRINGFIELD CENTER – Sarah Cunningham Sumner, a noted violinist involved in the revival of Baroque music in the United States in the 1970s, passed away Aug. 26, 2020, at the Cooperstown Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing. Sarah was born in New York City and spent her childhood there and in Springfield Center. She attended Harvard at the age of 16, studying music composition with Walter Piston, matriculating magna cum laude in 1945. She was then awarded a Harvard travelling fellowship, followed by a Fulbright scholarship to study composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. It was after World War II, and she taught music at a camp in France for war orphans. Her fellow teachers, who were from France, Italy, England and the U.S., became her lifelong friends. One of them, Caroline Manning, became
Sarah Cunningham Sumner
her sister-in-law, marrying her brother, Frederic (Ty) Cunningham. Sarah married Frederick (Ted) Sumner in 1954. They moved to Duxbury, Mass., then to New York City, where both Sarah and Ted taught at the French Trent School, founded by another friend from the orphanage, Izaline Schlumberger Davidson. For this school, Sarah published a set of
phonetic primers with her own illustrations. In 1962, Sarah and Ted moved with their three young children to Rome, Italy, at the urging of another friend from the orphanage, Jacinta Del Gallo della Rocca Del Giovane DeRosa. The family stayed seven years, where Sarah continued composing and played violin with the Rome Orchestra. They then moved to Haverford, Pa. In the early 1970s, Sarah embraced feminism and the Civil Rights Movement. She organized benefit concerts for anti-war organizations and civil rights candidates. She became interested in baroque music, tried the baroque violin, fell in love with it and never looked back. She loved the amount of freedom for interpretation by players of the music. Baroque violinist, Marilyn McDonald, became her teacher, and later,
collaborator. With Ted, she moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., to work with the 13-member baroque orchestra, Ars Musica, one of only two resident Baroque Orchestras in the US at the time. She taught at Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Michigan, and became a beacon in the baroque music revival, playing in baroque chamber groups in the U.S. and abroad, and recording with the Smithsonian Players, Harmonia Mundi and Pro Arte for Gasparo Records, Timegate Records and the Musical Heritage Society. Ars Musica’s recording of two of the Brandenburg concerti was named Critic’s Choice in High Fidelity Magazine. Upon returning to Otsego County, she continued her career with NYS Baroque in Ithaca, the Genesee Baroque Players, and The Glimmerglass Festival, where she played first
violin in several seminal performances of the baroque operas, Poppea and La Calisto, which launched many local fans of this genre. Sarah retained her musical abilities up until the end, singing with family and caregivers, dancing with her walker, and playing the piano. She was an avid lover of literature, poetry and the visual arts, and along with the irrepressible Teddy Sumner, created ceramics, paintings, political posters, poetry and sculpture. As lifelong Quakers, they could be seen at parades, protests and the Cooperstown Post Office, protesting war. They were part of a local writing group and loved being around friends and family. Sarah was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Frederick (Ted) Sumner; her siblings, Hetty Cunningham Dana, Frederic (Ty) Cunningham, Lawrence (Larry) Cunningham; her
mother, Mary Blair (Minere) Wardwell Cunningham and father, Frederic Cunningham. Sarah is survived by her daughter Tara (Edward Ford) of Springfield Center; their children, Alexander (Kim Shifrin) Ford, of Charlotte, Vt., and Chloe Ford of Cooperstown; daughters Nicole (Michael Smith) of San Francisco, Calif., and Sasha (Daniel Wiley) and their son Sam of Brooklyn; her brother Nicholas (Cathryn) Cunningham of New York City, and 14 nieces and nephews. She will also be remembered by numerous Wardwell, Cunningham and Sumner extended family and friends. The Sumner family gives heartfelt thanks to Maureen Meyerhoff and all the caregivers and community members who welcomed and cared for her and Ted. Memorial gifts may be directed to the Otsego Land Trust.
Cooperstown’s Pierre Weidemann, 57; Pursued Interests In Film, Theater, Art
COOPERSTOWN – Pierre Bernard Weidemann, 57, a photographer and film producer, passed away un-
expectedly of natural causes producer. He Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020, at his excelled in home in Schuyler Lake. digital media. Born Dec. 11, 1962, in For many Montreal, Canada, Pierre years, Pierre was the son of Marie Andrée lived in Trempe Weidemann and southern the late Manfred Bernard California, Weidemann, a photographer where he worked as an Where YOUR personal design and long-time owner of PioPierre neer Photo in Cooperstown. Weidemann assistant prois OUR specialty Pierre grew up in Newducer on an 20% IN-STOCK foundland, N.J. and graduat- extensive list of Hollywood MEMORIALS OFF Add’l lettering/carving extra ed from West Milford High films, including “The Mask School in 1980. of Zorro” and “Collateral 312 Chestnut St., Oneonta Following in his father’s Damage”. After moving to 557 St. Hwy 80 East, New Berlin footsteps, Pierre worked the Cooperstown area for a 607-433-0975 • 607-847-6549 sicklermemorials.com • sicklerm@outlook.com most of his life as a freebrief time after his father’s lance photographer and film passing, Pierre moved to New Jersey and lived in various places throughout Hudson County, including Weehawken and Union
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
Michael R. McFee, 60; Chef Worked At Otesaga Hotel WORCESTER – Michael Richard McFee, 60, a chef who worked at The Otesaga and for Meals on Wheels, passed away at home on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. He was born October 2, 1959 in Brooklyn, the son of John J. and Josephine (Guarraci) McFee. Michael pursued his interest in cooking, receiving an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from SUNY Cobleskill. Michael later worked at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown and also at Meals-On-Wheels. He is survived by his siblings and their spouses, Donna, Chris & Denise, Liz, Eric & Kim; 13 nieces and nephews; four grand-nieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his parents. A private service for the family will be held. Donations may be made to Meals-On-Wheels, Office for the Aging, 140 County Highway 33, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or the Epilepsy Foundation. Arrangements are entrusted to the Heller Skinner Funeral Home.
City. He resided many years in Hoboken. In 2010, he was the producer of Algonquin Theater Productions’ musical comedy “National Pastime,” performed in the Grandstand Theater at the Baseball Hall of Fame. A project dear to Pierre during his time in Hoboken was “State of Grace,” a collection of oil paintings depicting the lives of burn victims by New York-area artist Doug Auld. Pierre worked with Auld to help illustrate those who have suffered significant burn injuries and help redefine society’s standards of beauty. Pierre had more recently moved back to the Cooperstown area and
for a time worked at the Cooperstown Beverage Exchange. He was currently working in digital media for the Bassett Healthcare Network. Pierre is survived by his mother, Andrée Weidemann of Schuyler Lake; his sister, Carina Franck and her husband, Patrick, of Cooperstown; a nephew, Thomas Franck of New York City; and a niece, Katie Franck of Cooperstown. He is further survived by one cousin, Andrew Ruch of Munich, Germany, and the deWaal family – friends as close as family, who knew him since childhood. The Weidemann family is grateful to one of Pierre’s best
friends, Mark Elliott, who contributed to his obituary. He was preceded in death by his father, Manfred, who died Dec. 23, 2004, due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. In consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a gathering in memory of Pierre will be held at a later time. For now, please remember the times you spent with Pierre, smile, and know that he is at peace. One way to remember and honor Pierre would be to make someone laugh today. Arrangements are entrusted to the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home.