IN HELEN, HISTORY LIVES •F
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Cooperstown’s Newspaper
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AT 82, OTEGO HISTORIAN IS REPOSITORY OF KNOWLEDGE/B1
For 204 Years
RICHFIELD SPRINGS • CHERRY VALLEY • HARTWICK • FLY CREEK • MILFORD • SPRINGFIELD • MIDDLEFIELD Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, October 4, 2012
Volume 204, No. 40
Newsstand Price $1
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
YOUNG SINGERS TAKE ‘MUSIC MAN’ TO OMAN
H enry Wager. son of Nancy Tarr and Patrick Wager of Cooperstown,
2012 SMALL BUSINESS & BREAKTHROUGH AWARD WINNERS
and other members of a Glimmerglass Festival troupe left Monday, Oct. 1, for Oman, where they will perform “The Music Man.”
40-Year Tradition Alive At Benson
DETAILS, A8
2 Partners Seek To Extend Legacy Of Oneonta’s Oldest Realty Agency
‘ALTERNATE M’
By LIBBY CUDMORE
Pipeline On I-88 Backed
ONEONTA Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
Kathy Jones of Oneonta ladles up eggs and sausage for granddaughter Shiloh Jones of Morris at the Fly Creek Historical Society’s 13th annual pancake breakfast Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Grange Hall.
Anti-Steroids Registry Will Be Announced COOPERSTOWN
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all-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg will announced the launch of an anti-steroids BASE (Be A Superior Example) on-line registry at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The registry will allow people to pledge to lead a healthy lifestyle. DICK’S OPENING: The ribbon cutting on Dick’s Sporting Goods, Southside Mall, is 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5. Former New York Knick John Stark will be on hand noon-3 p.m. the 7th. YOUNG POLS: A Otsego County Young Democrats Club is forming, Rich Abbate, the new county chair, announced. Leading the effort is Aidan Macaluso, 17, a CCS senior. Those interested, ages 14-21, may call him at (862) 438-0879. AID TO RWANDA: To help build an irrigation system for a Rwandan village, the CCS Music Association is presenting Cooperstown Rocks” at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in the school’s Sterling Auditorium, featuring such local talent as The So + So’s Rhythm and Blues Review.
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very so often, Becky Thomas and Betsy Shultis will get someone coming into the Benson Agency with a different idea about the meaning of real estate. “This building was a fraIF YOU GO: To ternity in the early ‘70s,” said register for the banquet, call 432-4500 Becky. “I have a picture of them all in their short shorts on or e-mail shelly@ otsegocountycham- the roof.” “There were 35 guys living ber.com here,” Betsy added. “I once took a guy up to the third floor because he was convinced that his class ring was still on the ledge.” The building used to also be a rectory when St. Mary’s Catholic Church was across the street (where the Hess Station is now) and occasionally, couples who got married there will stop by for a tour. Betsy, who joined the agency in 1986, and Becky, who joined in 1994, bought the Benson Agency from Rosalee Benson in 2001. “We wanted to keep the good reputation Rosalee built – and take it further,” said Please See BENSON, A7
Constitution Potential Bonanza, Ayes Argue By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
Becky Thomas, left, and Betsy Shultis’ Benson Agency is lodged in one of Oneonta’s landmark mansions, on Grand Avenue.
Green Earth Becomes Horn Of Plenty Under Dean, Emily Roberts, Store Evolves Into Community Center By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
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hen Dean and Emily Roberts bought the Green Earth in 2008, their now-renown produce section was a little lacking. “It was a hard table with a bunch of bananas,” said Emily. “It was the sorriest looking thing – we have pictures, we laugh about it now.” The progress made since then is now being recognized: The Green Earth will received the 2012 Otsego County Chamber/ Excellus Breakthrough Award Thursday, Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal Oct. 11, at the chamber’s annual Small Dean and Emily Roberts, assisted by their son Business Banquet at The Otesaga. Michael Shaughnessy, have greatly expended the Please See ROBERTS, A7 Green Earth’s offerings since 2008.
PAST CHAMBER/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS HONOREES
Gruver Zweifel & Scott, LLP (2011) • Hometown Oneonta/The Freeman’s Journal (2010) • James Jordan Associates, Architects (2009) • The Shipping Room (2008) • ISD (2007) • Eastman Associates (2006) H.W. Naylor Co. (2005) • Gordon B. Roberts Agency (2004) • Cooperstown Bat Co. (2003) Ultimate Broadcasting (2002) • Sport Tech (2001) • Fly Creek Cider Mill (2000)
PAST CHAMBER/Excellus BREAKTHROUGH AWARD HONOREES
Cleinman Performance Partners (2011) • Green Toad Bookstore (2010) • Ioxus (2009) • Cooperstown Cookie Co. (2008) • GrafiQa Creative Services (now Vibrant Creative) (2007) • T.S. Pink Corp. (2006)
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s this newspaper went to press Tuesday evening, Oct. 2, it appeared a sizeable majority of the Otsego County Board of Representatives would support a TALLY ON resolution endorsing CONSTITUTION “Alternate M,” the PIPELINE Constitution Pipeline ►AYES route along I-88. However, county Clark Frazier Rep. John Kosmer, McCarty D-Otego, said he Koren expected “10 to 600” Lindberg pipeline opponents Powers to attend the county Rowinski Schwerd board’s monthly Stuligross meeting on Oct. 3, when the resolution ►NAYS was due to be acted Kosmer Murphy on. The impact of such input, if it ma- Rosenthal terialized, could not Rothenberger be predicted. ►UNDECIDED Questioned over Koutnik the past few days, DETAILS of the nine of the 14 county Wednesday, reps said they supOct. 3, county port the pro-Alterboard meetnate-M resolution, ing, allotsego. which was drafted at com the request of Linda Rowinski, D-Oneonta, with the support of the board chair, Kathy Clark, R-Otego. However, Pauline Koren, R-Milford, who said she supports the resolution – “economically, we need to do something for the county” – was Please See PIPELINE, A6
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD SATURDAY – SUNDAY, OCT. 6 – 7, 10 AM – 5 PM w Tractors • Classic & Ne r Pulls • Kiddie Tracto Both Days! • Barbecue – hibit • Farm Toy Ex ore! • And Much M
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