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Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, November 17, 2016
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
For 208 Years
Newsstand Price $1
Fred Lemister’s 45-Year Mission
Samaritan, Times 9,000
grandchildren. When he returns, he will probably be within a few COOPERSTOWN hours of crossing his ninth 1,000 milestone. was a skeptic,” Fred Lemister may have The Freeman’s Journal Fred Lemister, been a skeptic in 1970, Cooperstown Amerithen a member but his record is multiples can Legion Commander of Cooperstown’s Fire beyond the 2,000-3,000 John Famulare keeps a watchful eye on flames Company #1, recalls calls the most dedicated during the flag retirehow he reacted to volunteer will chalk up in a ment portion of Veterthe formation of the lifetime of service. ans Day commemoraCooperstown EmergenA skeptic, Lemister tions at 11 a.m. Nov. cy Squad in 1970. nonetheless took the initial 11 at the Doughboy And yet, 46 years training back in 1970. Statue at Pine Boulelater, Jane Forbes Clark “Just in case,” he said in an vard and Lake Street. called him to his feet interview the morning after View slide show at Monday, Nov. 7, at the the recognition. (He would www. OTSEGO.com annual steak dinner she officially join the squad the hosts at The Otesaga for following year.) local firefighters and As he recalls it, the Levy Up .4% EMTs. decision of Cooperstown In Preliminary Lemister, she anfirefighters to found an ambulance service wasn’t County Budget nounced, as a banquet hall full of his cola choice: Bassett Hospital leagues stood and announced it would no lonCOOPERSTOWN applauded, was just ger provide the service. four short of 9,000 Ten men – with Gordon he proposed county career calls. By the Fowler and Alton G. Dunn tax levy is up 0.4 perJr. taking the lead – stepped cent in the preliminary next day, Fred had Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal responded to two more Fred Lemister, a member of the Cooperstown forward to become charter budget that, by law, County emergency calls, still Treasurer Dan Crowell had Emergency Squad since 1971, has answered members, reacting to “the two short when he and realization that we had it,” to deliver to Clerk of the 8,998 calls in the past 45 years, and should he said. “We better do the County Board Carol McGov- wife Karen went down go over the 9,000 mark as soon as he reto Florida to visit their Please See 9,000, A7 turns from visiting grandkids in Florida. ern by Wednesday, Nov. 16. The proposed levy – the amount that must be raised by local property taxes – is Hell Hollow Notebook up $45,003 to a $11,400,165, Crowell said. Review the preliminary budget at By JIM KEVLIN
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HOW DRY WE ARE: In
the first 14 days of November, only 0.24 inches of precipitation fell, National Weather Observer Dave Mattice of Oneonta reports. “The extreme dryness continues!” he said. 50 JOBS COMING: The
official groundbreaking was Monday, Nov. 14, on Farm Credit East’s 50-job consolidation of its Cobleskill and Sangerfield office on Route 80, Town of Springfield, due to open in a year.
Resident Fine With Pipeline As Neighbor By LIBBY CUDMORE LAURENS
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ven with a gas pipeline as a neighbor, Bob Holbrook’s Hell Hollow Road property is just fine. “The LP Pipeline was put here before I bought the property, but I’ve never had a problem with it,” said Holbrook, who testified to the benign nature of his neighbor Nov. 2 at the monthly meeting of the county Board of Representatives. Please See PIPELINES, A6
Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
Tom Leiber prepares to give a tour of 53 Pioneer St., a prospective art center for all.
Work Begins To Straighten Crooked Row
New Foundation Envisions Art Center At Historic Site By LIBBY CUDMORE COOPERSTOWN
T
om Leiber believes that art is for everyone. “We want to make 53 Pioneer St. into a community arts building,” said Leiber. “We want it to be a volunteer- and teaching-based arts center, so those who can’t afford a painting class or arts elsewhere can still engage. We might even have cooking Please See LEIBER, A7
Election Turmoil Strikes CCS
Facebook Post Brings Counter-Posts, Rally In School Parking Lot
By LIBBY CUDMORE COOPERSTOWN
A
few hours after President-elect Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speak, “Dale Henry Karen” posted on “Celebrate Cooperstown” Facebook page that she had seen “a boy in the parking lot, in the back of a pick-up truck, waving a baseball bat and an American flag.” “This kid … is displaying what he was taught and told is OK.
A dozen CCS students wave the Stars & Stripes in an afterschool rally Thursday, Nov. 10, after a parent driving her children to school equated a similar demonstration the day before with terrorism.
It’s not,” she continued. “It’s a threat to the safety and well-being of other students. Of other citizens. Emotional terror is real.” A heated online debate immediately began. “Isn’t this Cooperstown? Home of Baseball?” posted Cira Schmidt. “So if there was a baseball bat & a flag being waved my first thought would most likely not be bullying Please See RALLY, 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