2017
Cooperstown’s Newspaper
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Volume 210, No. 2
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
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WINTER CARNIVAL MEDALLION’S OUT THERE, FOR FIRST CLUE TO LOCATE IT, SEE PAGE A3
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WIN $500! For 209 Years
WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, January 12, 2017
Airbnb To Collect Bed Tax Under Deal With Treasurer COOPERSTOWN
A
irbnb patrons will now have to pay a 4 percent occupancy tax just like any other tourist
spending a night in Otsego County. County Treasurer Dan Crowell announced Tuesday, Jan. 10, he has signed Please See TAX, A2
Newsstand Price $1
SERVICE BEGINS IN NEXT FEW DAYS
Oneonta Taxi Company Ahead Of Uber By JIM KEVLIN & EMILY MURPHY
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hile the state Legislature struggles with what to do about Uber, entrepreneur Al Rubin, A&D
Transportation Co. president, has acted. By the time you read this, Rubin’s Oneonta taxicab company will be offering an Uber-like service through Red Route, an app developed by three college pals, two Please See RUBIN, A2
CLARK HANGS ONTO HELM
County Board Revolt Is Quelled – For Now
The Freeman’s Journal
Keith Dorsch was high in the treetops above Delaware Street, part of a Tallman Tree Service that is removing and trimming trees throughout the village this winter.
Springbrook Offers Even Higher Wage
T
o attract and retain DSPs – direct support professionals – Springbrook hiked wages to Governor Cuomo’s 2019 level as of New Year’s Day. “We refuse to wait for New York State to fix this problem for us,” said Patricia Kennedy, CEO of the community for disabled youngsters and adults in Milford, announced the decision Friday, Jan. 1. The decision will cost $1.2 million, she said. More details at
AllOTSEGO.com
www.
BOUND FOR HALL? Jeff
Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Trevor Hoffman are considered top contenders for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year/SEE B8
BABY CARE: Bassett
After Tense Reorganization, Reps Emerge Focusing On Strategic Plan, Action Steps Even exploring the posBy JIM KEVLIN sibility of a county manager. Those are some of the COOPERSTOWN plans and ideas for 2017 that surfaced during convermplementing the stratesations with a cross-section gic plan. of the 14-member county Completing a compet- Board of Representatives itive salary schedule for de- in the days following the partment contested heads and reelection managers. WednesApday, Jan. pointing 4, of Otsego Kathy Now Clark, board R-Otego, members as board supportive chair. Clark Vs. Carson of CEO Clark Sandy won Mathes’ countywide stratreelection through weighted egy: the food hub, D&H voting, but failed to gain yard redevelopment, and support of half the board: revitalization of Oneonta, Four Democrats and a ReCooperstown and Richfield publican voted “nay,” Springs. Please See COUNTY, A7
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equiesce in
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Hospital is limiting visits to its birthing center to the birthing coach and immediate family of the baby, as long as they are healthy, for the duration of the winter flu season.
New Revelations Listed On ‘Focus Facility List’
TEACHER FORUM: The
Hair Pulled, Arm Twisted, U.S. Report Says
Catskill Regional Teacher Center’s 13th annual Legislative Forum with state legislators is 4:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at SUNY Oneonta’s Morris Hall. Register at www.crtcny.org/
Father John R. Roos • 1930-2017
By LIBBY CUDMORE INDEX
F
ollowing four arrests for neglect, a scathing review from Medicare. gov and an $18,000 fine by the state Department of
FOR FINDINGS detailed in federal report, type “focus” in search line at
WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
Health, Focus Otsego has been scrambling to improve their staffing and care levels to get off the federal Special Please See FOCUS, A7
Albany Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard blesses the sealed coffin bearing Father John R. Roos at the end of the Tuesday, Jan. 10, funeral at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Church.
Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
Mourners Remember Father John’s Love Peter Deysenroth, front, and Martin Tillapaugh transport the coffin from the church. Father Roos asked the morticians to collaborate on his funeral.
By LIBBY CUDMORE COOPERSTOWN
T
here wasn’t even a space for the bishop. “Cooperstown certainly knows how to make a guy feel bad,” said Most Rev. Howard J. Hubbard, bishop Image on emeritus of the mass card. Catholic Diocese of Albany. “I got to town, and the funeral director told me there was Please See ROOS, A2 ►SEE FULL OBITUARY, SEE B6
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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