To Celebrate!
IDELSON GIVES DETAILS
ON Dodranscentennial/a3 •F
OUNDED
IA
1808 BY
JU
R
IN
DG
E WIL
Cooperstown’s Newspaper
O M C O PE
Hall Ready
For 205 Years
L
VISIT WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM
‘SUMMIT’
SOUNDINGS
Newsstand Price $1
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, November 21, 2013
Volume 205, No. 47
‘SEWARD SUMMIT’ SPECIAL EDITION
Senator Vows, ‘We Will Get Ready’ had brought 250 economic-development pros, businesspeople and elected officials to his second “Economic Development Sumne of the nation’s only half-dozen top mit” Thursday, Nov. 14, was undeterred. He executives who find sites for expandchallenged Sheehy, “You can bring a coming companies was dismissive of pany any time and we will be ready. We will Otsego County’s prospective for economic get ready.” development as of today. “I’m glad I wasn’t Casting his eyes toward the audience, here with a client – because you’d be off the he expanded the challenge to the crowd in list,” said Dick Sheehy, manager/site selecFoothills’ main theater: “The time is now for HOMETOWN ONEONTA & The Freeman’s Journal Otsego County to seize the opportunities ... tion for CH2Mhill, the international consultSenator Seward, left, characterized site-selector The bottom line: It’s time to move forward.” ing firm. But state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, who Dick Sheehy’s downbeat view of local economPlease See SEWARD, A7 By JIM KEVLIN
O Intent members of the “Seward Summit” audience included, from front, Otsego Chamber President/CEO Barbara Ann Heegan, Apple Converting President Troy Turley, and investor Bob Hanft, Cooperstown, past president, Hartwick College Board of Trustees.
VIPs Detail Take-Aways From Experts
ic-development prospects as a call to action.
‘Seward Summit’ SHOWS What Future MIGHT HOLD As soon at Governor Cuomo announced the $4.4 billion, 6,000-job G450C project north of Utica, work began immediately on this 700,000square-foot building, SUNY IT President Robert Geer reported.
Editor’s Note: Here are top take-aways reported by business and civic leaders who attended state Sen. Jim Seward’s “Economic Development Summit,” Thursday, Nov. 14, at Foothills Performing Arts Center.
T
wo keys: 1. We need to be a “wired” county, with high-quality broadband lines throughout, if we are to be competitive, and 2. The tax-free economic zone model for colleges is an opportunity for Oneonta. Bill Streck President/CEO Bassett Healthcare Network • t was the most momentum on job creation I’ve seen in 30 years. The follow-up is the key. Tom Armao By JIM KEVLIN Partner County Club Auto Group • store may hire a reat session; very worker. A cominformative; Senapany may build a tor Seward does factory. New York State a great job of organizing these things and I delayed a business trip to attend. It was worthwhile, as what I learned there improved our strategy for expanding Ioxus in Oneonta. Mark McGough President, Ioxus
SUNY IT President Geer Preparation Includes Shovel-Ready Sites, Reports On $4.4 Billion Top County Economic Developers Assert ike Manikowski, Investment In 6,900 Jobs the Ontario
I
G
More TAKE-AWAYS, A4
has built an “eco-system” where nanotechnology – the applied science of miniaturizing to the molecular level – can live, breath and, most important, grow. “Travel anywhere in the world, and people understand what New York has done,” SUNY IT interim President Robert Geer told 250 intent businesspeople and elected officials gathered in Foothills’ main theater Thursday, Nov. 14, for the Please See SUNY IT President Geer reGEER, A6 ports on $4.4 million project.
A
M
County economic developer, told of building a 200-mile fiber-optic highway around his Rochesterarea demesne, ensuring any prospective employer has all the Internet access that might be needed. Kevin McLaughlin told how his Broome County IDA has accumulated sufficient real estate in its industrial parks – now full; new land is being sought – so it is completely funded privately through rents and leases, independent of county coffers, and thus able to react flexibly. Steve Hyde, president/ CEO of the Genesee County
Senator Seward drew a laugh when he cautioned economic developers from other counties not to poach on Otsego prospectives. Seated from left are Genesee’s Steve Hyde, Ontario’s Mike Manikowski, Broome’s Steve McLaughlin, and Brian McMahon, the state’s top development executive.
Economic Development Center, told how he applied 20 years experience in the private sector to his public-
sector job, developing a strategy, then funding and implementing it. “If you Please See PANELS, 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
delivery now available
new york pizzeria
WE’LL BRING IT TO YOU! • HOT food right to your doorstep! • Delivery in Village of Cooperstown limits • 7 days a week, 11:00 am- 9:30 pm • $20 minimum; $3 charge • Order over $40 FREE delivery! Call for more details!
75 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown 607-547-2930 • www.nypizza.biz