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Volume 215, No. 49
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LOCAL HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT ITS BEST, pages 2-3 & 7
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AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, December 7, 2023
Newsstand Price $1
Public Question, Answer Session Held by Mayor
Ibrahim, Bassett Ready for What Comes Next
By MONICA CALZOLARI
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
ONEONTA ore than 30 residents attended the first question and answer session organized by City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek on November 29. NAGS Bar & Kitchen at 221 Main Street hosted the gathering, which began at 6 p.m. Mayor Drnek and City Administrator Greg Mattice, PE, answered questions for more than two hours. Executive Director of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society and Vice Chair of the Planning Commission Marcela Micucci fielded questions from the audience. The questions centered on the following topics: • salary increases • the budget deficit • tax increases • the need for new revenue sources • a parking management system • Main Street Renaissance Program • Stagecoach Coffee • vacant homes Wendy Hunt, a resident of Franklin who lived on Center Street in Oneonta for 30 years, kicked off the meeting with the first question. She asked, “Is it true there will be a 30 percent increase in salaries for city employees and how will it be funded?” Mattice confirmed, “We have proposed a $1,085,000.00 increase in total salaries plus the corresponding FICA costs and retirement plan benefits. An appropriation of $1,834,000.00 from the General Fund Continued on page 11
COOPERSTOWN utgoing Bassett Healthcare Network President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tommy Ibrahim and Staci Thompson, the network’s current vice president and chief operating officer, sat down on Thursday, November 30 to discuss Ibrahim’s decision to leave the organization. Thompson has been appointed by Bassett’s Board of Directors as Ibrahim’s successor. She will assume the role of interim CEO on January 1, 2024. Ibrahim was named Bassett Healthcare Network’s president and CEO on July 13, 2020 following a nationwide search. His contract was originally through December 2024, but in July of 2022 Bassett officials agreed to an early contract extension through the end of 2029. “Dr. Ibrahim has championed a number of visionary initiatives that have positioned our network well for growth and financial stability while advancing our mission to improve patient health and community well-being,” Bassett Healthcare Network Board of Directors Chair Doug Hastings said at the time. “Dr. Ibrahim has exceeded our expectations.” Eighteen months later, Ibrahim is ready to move on. “The Board set a list of objectives when I was hired, and we’ve compressed five to seven years of progress into less than four years,” Ibrahim explained. He is confident Bassett is in good hands Continued on page 11
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INSIDE ► news briefs, page 3 ► ccs student warns against distracted driving, page 4 ► letters, page 4 ► derosa bemoans renaming craze, page 6 ► farmers’ market to host holiday market and stroll, page 6 ► MALL GM DISCUSSES NEW STORES, MALL STATUS, page 10 ► CUDMORE TO PUBLISH NEW BOOK, wins awarD, page 10 Follow Breaking News On
AllOTSEGO.com
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Photo by Tara Barnwell
Giving the Gift of Christmas COOPERSTOWN—Iron String Press received its first Angel Tree Program delivery on Monday, December 4 as a generous donor dropped off gifts for a 4-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy. Response has been a little slow thus far this year, as the holidays have snuck up on us all. There are still 20 individuals from eight families remaining to be chosen, all children, ranging from 3 months to 12 years old. The deadline for dropoff is Friday, December 15 and gifts should be both new and unwrapped. Turn to page 2 for more information and a complete list of families in need of a little extra help this holiday season.
Woodland Cycles Purchases Mt. Otsego Rental Equipment MILFORD ike Reynolds, owner of Milford’s Woodland Cycles LLC, announced that he has purchased the new and used rental equipment from the Mt. Otsego Ski Shop. All of Mt. Otsego’s snowshoe and ski rentals will be available at Woodland Cycles’ building at 24 South Main Street in Milford. “Hearing that [Mt. Otsego was] closing permanently this season, I felt this was a good opportunity to continue making winter rentals an option in the Otsego County area,” Reynolds said in an e-mail on Monday, December 4. “This will hopefully keep people enjoying the outdoors year round. With the bike shop and now winter activities being represented, I would like to help outdoor tourism grow in the area in all seasons. Otsego County has the potential to be something extremely special, even more so than it already is.” Reynolds said he acquired about 20 pairs of snowshoes and 40 pairs of crosscountry skis, including boots and poles, in the transaction. He does not plan to offer service or tune-ups for the winter sporting equipment. Woodland Cycles is a full-service shop offering equipment, maintenance, and information on local routes, cycling groups, and events. Reynolds has more than 20 years of professional experience in the cycling world. For more information, visit www.woodlandcycles.com.
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Photo by Julene Waffle
Holiday Beautification MORRIS—Morris residents Linda Hillis and Marcia Foote began putting up holiday decorations throughout the Village of Morris last Thursday.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD