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Volume 206, No. 53

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2014 otsego county yearbook For 206 Years

WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM Newsstand Price $1

Cooperstown, New York, Wednesday, December 31, 2014

COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND

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The Hager Family DG

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2014 citizens of the year

REVIVING

The Freeman’s Journal

Adorned with tiaras Monday, Dec. 29, the ladies behind the deli counter at Spurbeck’s Grocery, Sheri Smith and Amanda Newell, were already getting in the mood for the New Year’s Eve celebration.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOPS

Gala Seeks To Support Cancer Fight COOPERSTOWN

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evellers for a good cause are due at the Friends of Bassett’s annual New Year’s Eve Gala 6:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. on the 31st.

On the theme, “A Pink Tie Affair,” proceeds will go toward the $1.5 million fund drive to buy new breast-cancer screening and diagnostic equipment at the Women’s Imaging Center.

On New Year’s Day, check for photos at WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM NEW TERMS: Swearing-in ceremonies for state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, and county Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. were planned at 1 p.m. New Year’s Day at the county courthouse. Photos at WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM STATE OF STATE: Elected officials will be out in force for the Otsego County Chamber’s State of the State breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, at Holiday Inn/Southside. Reservations, call 547-4500.

THINGS TO DO: Our “Weekend’s Best Bets” feature appears on Page A2 in this edition.

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal

The Hager partners were front and center Thursday, Sept. 18, at the ceremonial groundbreaking for a 82,000-square-foot warehouse for Northern Eagle Beverages, which will include a new Cooperstown Brewing Co. plant. From left are Sales Manager Brian Birdsall, President George Allen, Whit Hager, 9, and his dad, Lou, chairman of the board; General Manager Matt Curley, Alicia Hager, Louis Hager III, and Melissa Miosek, sales.

Anheuser-Busch Clan Creating Full Cycle Of Beermaking In County

By JIM KEVLIN

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t took a while for the general public to figure it out. ► On April 1, 2014, Lou Hager’s Northern Eagle Beverages beer distributorship in Oneonta

announced it had purchased Cooperstown Brewing Co. ► On Monday, June 23, two Harbor Freight Transport rigs from Port Newark, N.J., arrived at the brewing company’s Milford plant with two Wolf hops harvesters, each a story and a half tall, from Poland.

► Saturday, Aug. 2, the 110 participants in the 2014 Northeast Hops Alliance Annual Field Day toured the Hager facilities, examining the balers, drier and pelletizer at Northern Eagle’s River Street warehouse in Oneonta.

They stopped at the Milford

brewery for a Brooks’ BBQ lunch and a look at the Wolfs, learning the processing equipment will be used for the Hagers’ purposes, but there is sufficient capacity for other hops growers as well.

During the course of the morning, Please See HAGERS, A4

Foraging Deer + Dim Light = Trouble 1st Needle-Exchange Program

Expected In County By Spring

By LIBBY CUDMORE

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o one, not even the sheriff’s deputies, is immune from deer damage. “We’ve got a car in the body shop right now,” said Sheriff Richard J. Devlin, Jr. “I’ve almost hit a couple myself while out on a call.”

Drive any road in Otsego County at dusk and you’re bound to see two or three

By LIBBY CUDMORE deer foraging for food in a field. But at night, seeffering addicts clean ing one along the side of needles is also a way the road – and catching a to engage them in glimpse of two others behind it – can rattle even the conversation, and perhaps guide them to treatment and most cautious of drivers. a heroin-free life.

“In the fall, whiteThat’s the idea behind Please See DEER, A3

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Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal

A car-deer collision can do $6,000 in damage.

Otsego County’s first needle-exchange program, a collaboration of Catholic Charities and Bassett Hospital. Contracts will be signed in January in hopes infected syringes will be exchanged for clean ones by spring.

“Data shows that drug Please See NEEDLES, A3

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

Start your NEW YEAR off right!!!

1/2 OFF DRINKS & PIZZA Friday’s 5PM- 8PM

MARTINI MONDAYS-buy 1, get 1 APPETIZER TUESDAYS-1/2 off apps!

WINE WEDNSDAYS-buy 1 get 1

wednesday, December 31, 2014

A-2 HOMETOWN ONEONTA & THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL

AllOTSEGO.

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO BEST BETS

‘Paint Town’ At Fenimore Museum

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10 a.m.-4 p.m. SaturdaySunday, Jan. 3-4. Help paint a mural capturing the winter wonderland that is Cooperstown. Free; all ages welcome. Mural will be hung in the museum auditorium. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 Route 80, Cooperstown. Info (607) 547-1400 or www.fenimoreartmuseum.org.

oin neighbors and “Paint the Town” in a community mural painting event at the Fenimore Art Museum,

Open Seven Days a Week 11 am to 10 pm

Open Wednesday to Sunday 5 to 10 pm

STEPPING OUT: The Otsego Dance Society kicks off 2015 with a contradance in Cooperstown. 8-11 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 2. Music by Robert and Jessica Calandresa, John Potocnik, and Tom Ives. Peter Blue calls.

Suggested donation $8 adults; $4 students; ages 12 and under free. Presbyterian

opportunities

Oneonta Ford, LLC AllOTSEGO.life

Ian Austin/

At last year’s “Out With The Old, In With The Brew,” John Tuchowski throws his Christmas tree on a pyre at Brewery Ommegang, where the activity is happening again this New Year’s Day. Church of Cooperstown, corner of Pioneer and Church Sts, Cooperstown.

Info, (607) 965-8232 or www.otsegodancesociety. blogspot.com.

AllOTSEGO.

dining&entertainment

OMMEGANG TOSS: Brewery Ommegan hosts 2nd annual “Out With the Old, In With the Brew” event, noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3. Bring your Christmas tree to the brewery and toss it on the pyre (receive a gift from Ommegang’s past as a thank you.) Stick around for hot chocolate, beer, specials in the store and cafe, and the annual airing of grievances. Brewery Ommegang, 656 County Hwy 33 Cooperstown. Info, (607) 544.1800 or www. ommegang.com.

READY, SET, ROBOT!: Area youth interested in robotics and adult engineers, tech professionals, and educators are invited to the RoboKronos robotics team’s annual kickoff, 10 a.m.3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3.

Join the Otsego 4-H FIRST team in watching a NASA simulcast video revealing the “game assignment,” kicking off a six-week race to build the best robot for competition. Lunch and refreshments served. Masonic Lodge, 318 Main St. (2nd floor), Oneonta. RSVP to lead team mentor Paul Agoglia at (607) 434-0614.

MORE HAPPENIN’

OTSEGO ON A7

We had a great year and 2015 promises to be even better!

We are looking to add a new finance manager and two sales professionals to our growing team. Prior sales experience is preferred, but not required. Please call Danny @ 432-7300 to schedule a confidential interview.

PART-TIME ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT

The Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum have an opening for a part-time Accounting Assistant. This 16- hour per week position requires competency with Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook; strong attention to detail and accuracy; reliability; and the ability to problem-solve and multi-task. The position also requires excellent customer service skills, teamwork and flexibility. Duties include data entry, performing bank reconciliations, and other clerical functions. Contact Human Resources at b.fischer@nysha.org to request a job application.

Membership Coordinator

The New York State Historical Association has an opening for a Membership Coordinator. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook is required. Experience with Raiser’s Edge or other fund development software is highly desirable. This position requires outstanding customer service skills; attention to detail and accuracy; and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Previous banking, accounting or money-handling experience is desirable. Job duties include all phases of membership processing and membership event planning. The position requires occasional weekend or evening hours. This is a full-time position offering a competitive salary and generous benefits package. Submit resume, cover letter and three professional references to: Human Resources, NYSHA, PO Box 800, Cooperstown NY 13326 or email to b.fischer@nysha.org

OTSEGO COUNTY VACANCIES Otsego County has the following F/T and P/T opportunites available: Correctional Facility - Registered Professional Nurse (P/T) $19.3367/Hour

Professional nursing position involving responsibility for coordinating individual inmate care and for performing nursing services requiring substantial specialized judgement and skills. Flexible schedule includes evenings and weekends.

LDTF: 1/2/2015

Dept. of Social Services - Social Welfare Examiner - $25,677 - $30,247

Determines financial eligibility for various programs administered by local social services district and recommends amounts of assistance in accordance with established policies and procedures.

LDTF: 1/2/15 Applications/job descriptions/qualifications visit www.otsegocountyemployment.com. EOE

Our 45th Season!

David Wax Museum

“Kicks up a cloud of excitement with its high-energy border-crossing sensibility” (The New Yorker)

Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 pm

The Otesaga Resort Hotel Cooperstown

Please call the Otesaga’s Hawkeye Grill at 607-547-9931 for dinner reservations before the show!

Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and college students with current ID, $8 for students 13-18 and children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.

Tickets: 607-547-1812, or at Church & Scott Pharmacy, Ellsworth and Sill or the Fly Creek General Store. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.

Upcoming Event: Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line Saturday February 7, 2015 Otesaga Resort Hotel

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

HOMETOWN ONEONTA & THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A3

Drivers, Beware Of Deer Looking For Forage In Early Darkness

DEER/From A1 tailed deer start to mate,” said DEC biologist Larry Biafaro.

“There’s a lot of chasing going on, so they’re more likely to cross roads, and we see increases in collisions.”

Additionally, the 9-5 workday can cause problems for the deer too. “Just a few months ago, you were coming home in the daylight,” said Biafaro.

“But deer are most active at dawn and dusk, so you have to be

more careful than before.”

But as snow covers the ground and food grows scarce, deer have to migrate to feed on acorns, beech nuts and farm corn. “They’re crossing the roads to find food,” said Biafaro.

Devlin reported that nearly every shift has a deer call, but they increase as daylight decreases.

“It’s not uncommon to get a couple calls a night,” he said.

And those calls don’t come

cheap. “Cars have plastic bumpers now, so hitting a deer can do a lot of damage,” said Randy Lewis, the manager at Scavo’s Body Shop in Oneonta. “They can break your windshield, damage your hood, the radiator and the condenser, sometimes they spin off and hit the side of your car too.”

“They start running when the weather gets colder, and it didn’t start really getting cold until recently,” said Don Hoag,

manager of Kirn’s Body Shop in Cooperstown. “Some weeks we’ve got four cars in here, and it can run five, six thousand dollars on average.”

A “Deer Crossing” sign is put up after several collisions have occurred in an area, but all that is supposed to do is inspire increased caution. “The whole county is a deer crossing!” said Biafaro.

But hunting, the biologist said, is a good way to make drivers feel

Needle Exchange Hopes To Reach, Help County’s Heroin Addicts NEEDLES/From A1 use goes down when people are part of a needle-exchange program,” said Keith Brown, executive director

of Catholic Charities Care Coordination Services in Albany. “By providing a non-judgmental environment, users are more likely

Make Your Resolution Stick!

Join Board-Certified Hypnotist, Cheryl DeDecker, for an informative and fun workshop to help make those 2015 dreams a reality. Participants will learn the secrets to maintaining motivation as well as tools for overcoming conscious and subconscious obstacles. Don’t let those important goals fade away!

January 10 from 1 to 4 in the Parish House, First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street, Oneonta.

To register, contact Cheryl at 607-287-7907 or cheryl.dedecker@gmail.com.

Registration fee is $45.

Compass Coaching and Hypnosis

607-287-7907 · www.cherylscompass.com

to come forward and get the care they need to live the life they want to live.”

The initiative is called Project Safe Point, a program designed to connect with IV drug users and offer them clean syringes, referrals for treatment, HIV and Hepatitis-C testing, Naxolone kits to prevent overdoses and more. “It’s isolating to be a drug user,” said Brown. “But with Project Safe Point, these people don’t have to hide.”

The project is one piece of the proposed Mohawk Valley Population Health Collaborative, a state-driven initiative to address regionspecific health care issues, including obesity, access to preventative care and child health. “Over the last few

years, the state has been increasingly focused on health assessments in each county,” said Dr. John May, director of Bassett’s Research Institute. “We’re trying to put forth a plan and work with community stakeholders to solve these problems.”

With $30 million funded towards the 11 specific regions of New York, each county put together a list of their health care priorities, and battling the epidemic of opiate abuse was at the top of Otsego County’s.

“We haven’t had a needleexchange program here before,” said May. “But we haven’t had a heroin epidemic either.”

Clients in Project Safe Point – Brown hopes to use the back entrance of Catholic Charities on Main Street in Oneonta for anonymity – will also be advised on finding housing, and they can get help with legal, insurance and issues they may be facing.

“That’s where the magic happens,” said Brown. “Our people build trust.”

They also instruct users to inform police officers they do have legally obtained syringes from Project Safe Point on them. “Police tell us that encounters with users go much better when they’re up front about their needles,” said Brown. “It protects the officer from needle sticks.”

By removing contaminated devices from the population, the risk of passing on infectious diseases drops considerably. “This really is a public health problem,” said May. “Because of heroin abuse, we’re seeing increased diagnosis of HepC in the area, and HIV is always a risk.”

safer. “Last year, hunters took over 6,000 deer,” he said. “Some people think deer are running from hunters, but the majority of collisions are at night – it’s a weak argument.” And this year, more doe permits were issued in hopes to cull the population a bit.

“You always have to keep your eye on the road,” said Devlin.

“You have to realize that they’re out there. You have to be prepared.”

AllOTSEGO.homes Retail Space for Lease Cooperstown Commons

Join Tops Supermarket, Family Dollar, Subway, Bassett Healthcare, Pizza Hut & McDonalds Storefronts from 300 to 1000 sf, starting at $500/mo.

Call for more information 919-280-0070 kris@glenwoodco.com

John Mitchell Real Estate

216 Main Street, Cooperstown • 607-547-8551 • 607-547-1029 (fax) www.johnmitchellrealestate.com • info@johnmitchellrealestate.com

MLS#97569 Cherry Valley $136,500 This renovated center-hall Colonial home is situated in the heart of Cherry Valley. Many new upgrades including the kitchen, new windows, and new hickory hardwood floors installed on the main floor. The home has 3 BRs and 2 baths, with a possible fourth BR, if needed. A beautiful soapstone woodstove keeps the main house cozy. Most of the work has been completed but some projects still remain. Owner is a NYS licensed real estate salesperson.

This home is priced to sell.

Dave LaDuke, Broker 607-435-2405

Laura Coleman 607-437-4881

Mike Winslow, Broker 607-435-0183

Madeline K. Woerner 607-434-3697

Lakeside Custom Contemporary

ProPerty DetaiLs —0.74 acres and 0.38 acres —2 separate surveyed parcels —Cherry Valley-Springfield school district —Screened gazebo —Sitting deck lakeside —Mature perennial gardens —Stone walls interior Features —2,322 total living space

Don Olin REALTY

This home features the best of year-round lakeside living. In addition to the house there is a separate 0.74 acre lot (surveyed), directly on the water. There is a total of 130' of lake frontage. Both parcels are included in the sale. There are endless possibilities for this amazing property.

—4 BRs and 2½ baths —4 large BRs —Maple flooring/first level —Cedar closet —Oak flooring/lower level exterior Features —Porcelain tile in baths —Custom built in 2006 —Open LR/DR/kitchen —Ranch style on 2 levels —New appliances in laundry —Poured concrete foundation —Ceiling fans —Andersen windows —Fully applianced kitchen with —Vinyl siding granite countertops/island —Covered entry —Library on lower level with —2 decks custom-built shelves —2-car attached garage 37 Chestnut street · Cooperstown · 607-547-5622 · 607-547-5653 (fax) parking is never a problem!

For Appointment Only Call: M. Margaret Savoie, Real Estate Broker/Owner – 547-5334 Marion King, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5332 Eric Hill, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5557 Don DuBois, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5105

Tim Donahue, Associate Real Estate Broker – 293-8874 Madeline Sansevere, Real Estate Salesperson – 435-4311 Cathy Raddatz, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-8958 Jacqueline Savoie, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-4141 Michael Welch, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-8502

For reliable, honest answers to any of your real estate questions, call 607.547.5622 or visit our website www.donolinrealty.com

Home of the Week

ASHLEY

CONNOR REALTY

Very Special Fly Creek Location —This 2,556+/- sq ft l800s farmhouse was renovated by the current owners in 1970 and reflects that period. Large kitchen w/sunroom dining space, woodstove, and lovely view of 2-acre pond. Front-to-back LR w/raised hearth fireplace, master BR, ¾ bath and laundry on first floor. Upstairs: 3 BRs, good hallway space and 1½ baths. Covered front porch and side stone patio. Systems seem to be in good shape. 6.25+/acres w/lawn, fenced garden, pond and pretty open areas. More land possibly available.

Large 2-story barn can be used for small animals or, w/some changes, probably horses.

Across the country road, garage w/cute 2-story, 2-BR, 1-bath guest or rental apartment.

The house and barn sit beautifully on the property w/views of pond and hillside. The house offers lots of sunlight and the setting certainly justifies a current renovation.

Offered Co-Exclusively by Ashley Connor Realty $599,000 · With 80+ acres—$699,000

29 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown · 607-547-4045 · www.ashleyconnorrealty.com

Perspectives

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL

EDITORIAL

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Hager Family Has A Vision, And They’re Acting On It

ditorially, this newspaper’s interest in the fracking fight – early and intense – was to prevent the despoiling of the Glimmerglass watershed, a national symbol of environmental purity.

Once the foursome – Lou Allstadt, Chip Northrup, Brian Brock and Jerry Acton – argued convincingly that there was too little gas beneath our county to be profitably fracked, our interest shifted elsewhere. Now, with the Town of Middlefield ban upheld and Governor Cuomo’s decision to ban fracking statewide, it’s only moreso. Let’s move on.

What IS to be admired and applauded is the determination and organization of the anti-frackers, who showed that citizens, banded together, can effectively tilt at windmills and stop them cold, even in this post-Citizens-United America. If the governor’s decision was political, it was the antifrackers who created the political climate that influenced Cuomo’s reasoning. Well done.

But, as a local issue, fracking is done. Glimmerglass is safe. It’s over, and has been for a while.

Parochial, perhaps, but there it is.

• Here’s an issue that may be less dramatic. How it plays out won’t save or ruin the globe. But it is mightily consequential to our local world.

The annual ONC BOCES projections, comparing local births for the past four years with current high school enrollment, came out a couple of weeks ago, and show the number of local students will drop 18 percent overall between now and a decade and a half

Chris Salata/Special to The Freeman’s Journal This newspaper’s Citizens of the Year – from left, Whit, Alicia, Lou and Louis III Hager – are partners the vertical integration of beer production in Otsego County, from hops to steins, with the idea of expanding Cooperstown Brewing Co. brands down the entire East Coast.

hence.

Among the 19 school districts in this BOCES, only Oneonta’s numbers are projected to be stable.

Cooperstown enrollment might drop 30 percent. Milford’s, 46 percent. Most school districts can anticipate percentile drops in the 20s or 30s.

If nothing is done, BOCES Superintendent Nick Savin said.

That’s the operative phrase: If nothing is done.

•

Into this milieu comes a truly visionary idea. It’s more than an idea, it’s an action plan, and it’s been largely implemented in 2014.

The Hager family, members of the Anheuser-Busch clan who have lived among us since the 1880s, are vertically integrating the beer business – from hops to stein – within Otsego County’s borders.

In 2014 alone, siblings Louis III and Alicia have guided the planting of 11,000 bines – yes, bines –

on a 10-acre hillside in Pierstown, creating one of the largest hop yards in New York State.

Dad Lou Hager’s Northern Eagle Beverages has acquired the equipment – harvesters, balers, driers and pelletizers – to process the hops, and bought Cooperstown Brewing Co. to turn those processed hops into beer.

Northern Eagle is expanding: Ground has been broken on an 82,000-square-foot warehouse in the Town of Oneonta that will

include a new brewery to replace the aging Milford plant.

Once the beer starts flowing, what’s still to be done is marketing, sales and distribution to expand the local brands – Old Slugger, Nine Man Ale, Benchwarmer Porter and Backyard IPA – throughout the Eastern seaboard.

“Why not bring together two of America’s favorite pastimes?” asked Alicia Hager. “Baseball and beer.” Why not indeed.

• The Finger Lakes, with its more than 100 wineries, with hundreds of jobs and related tourism dollars, is a model. (In fact, at one point didn’t Ommegang President Simon Thorpe actually use the term, “Finger Lakes of Beer,” to describe his vision of what might happen here?)

It’s particularly encouraging that Otsego County’s Golden Age of Hops – mid-19th century through the start of Prohibition – was the only prosperous period in local history.

The Hager vision isn’t inwardly focused: The plan is to make its hops and processing equipment available to other local breweries, so others may flourish as well.

Indeed, the Hagers – Lou, Louis III, Alicia and 9-year-old Whit, who’s been recruited to the cause – are bent on creating a whole that is greater than the parts, perhaps much greater.

Joining this newspaper’s past Citizens of the Year, they share a way of thinking about the future, of envisioning a sustainable local society – peopled, varied and prosperous – and of acting to make their vision come true.

Well done! And much success.

Observers See ‘Significant Economic Benefit’ To County In Hager Plan HAGERS/From A1 Northern Eagle President George Allen made it explicit for the first time publicly: “Our goal is from dirt to beer,” he said.

That afternoon, the NEHA tour ended at Hager Hops 10-acre site on a hillside visible from Pierstown Road, where 11,000 plants were under cultivation.

Lou Hager’s older son and daughter, Louis III and Alicia, who had planted many of the vines themselves, welcomed the visitors. ► Finally, on Thursday, Sept. 18, dignitaries gathered on an 11-acre parcel in the Town of Oneonta, just north of the former National Soccer Hall of Fame (now Ioxus), for a groundbreaking

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combine a warehouse with a new home for Cooperstown Brewing. Among those wielding shovels were the father and his three partners.

The picture was now complete: The Hagers, members of the AnheuserBusch clan, are intent on reinventing the golden age of Otsego County’s prosperity, and doing it one better by creating a complete cycle of At the Thursday, Sept. “dirt to beer,” with sufficient 18, groundbreaking for capacity for smaller brewerthe brewery and wareies to take advantage of the house in the Town of new beer infrastructure.

Oneonta, Whit Hager, The visionary scope of 9, the youngest partner, gets a hug from his the undertaking, placing this grandmom, Peggy Poul- county in the center of New son of Cooperstown.

York State’s hops and brewon a new 82,000-square-foot ing revival, made the Hagers – Lou, Louis, Alicia and headquarters for Northern Eagle Beverages that would Whit – the inevitable choice for this newspaper’s Citizens of the Year for 2014.

“They were able to enter the market at a scale that Cooperstown’s Newspaper For 206 Years makes them a significant player right out of the gate,”

said Rebecca Morgan, ex James C. Kevlin Mary Joan Kevlin ecutive director of CADE,

Editor & Publisher Associate Publisher the Center of Agricultural Tara Barnwell Development & EntrepreAdvertising Director

neurship in Oneonta. “They are bringing a lot of positive Thom Rhodes • Susan Straub Kathleen Peters Katherine Monser Advertising Consultants Graphics Office Manager attention to Otsego County.”

She added, “It will have a significant economic benCeleste Brown Thomas Libby Cudmore Ian Austin Copy Editor Reporter Photographer efit.”

“As they tap into our Judith Bartow Stephenie Walker Tom Heitz blossoming hops indusBilling Production Coordinator Consultant try, the Hagers are putting Otsego County on the map OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR Otsego County • Town of Cherry Valley • Town of Middlefield again,” said state Sen. Jim Cooperstown Central School District Seward, R-Milford. “They Subscriptions Rates: Otsego County, $48 a year. All other areas, $65 a year. are investing time and First Class Subscription, $130 a year. money into this segment of the economy. This only Published Thursdays by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 means great things for our Telephone: (607) 547-6103. Fax: (607) 547-6080. area.”

E-mail: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com Contents © Iron String Press, Inc. “The hops project and partnering with other local Periodicals postage paid at USPS Cooperstown 40 Main St., Cooperstown NY 13326-9598 growers firmly establishes DG

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USPS Permit Number 018-449 Postmaster Send Address Changes To: Box 890, Cooperstown NY 13326 _____________

Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Judge Cooper is in The Fenimore Art Museum

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal

Under the watchful eye of Northern Eagle Beverages President George Allen, right, Ron Ross of Ken Ross Excavating, Town of Maryland, on June 23 lowers a Wolf hops harvester onto a pad at Cooperstown Brewing Co. in Milford. Pedro Neira of Harbor Freight Transport, Port Newark, N.J., steadies the heavy load. The Wolf was one of two acquired that will be used to harvest Hager Hops crops, and will also be available to other local hops growers.

our county as a long-term player in the revitalization of this valued ag sector.” said Sandy Mathes, the county IDAs “single point of contact” for economic development. “The brewing of their own craft beer completes the full cycle of growing hops and brewing a locally recognized craft beer with national appeal.

The expansion of this brand and its strong retail potential will help strengthen other envisioned local development projects.”

“We congratulate Lou,” said Simon Thorpe, Brewery Ommegang president.

“He’s made a huge investment in infrastructure that will be self-sustaining, and

all craft breweries, including Ommegang, will benefit from that.”

If the enterprise is, at base, organic, so is the family’s interest, emerging from generations in the beer business and a heritage of hops growing here in Otsego County: The very land where Hager Hops is now was purchased in the 1880s from hops farmer Simon Uhlman by Lou’s greatgreat grandfather, Adolphus Anheuser Busch, founder of the Anheuser-Busch Co. of St. Louis, (which was sold to the Belgian InBev for $52 billion in 2008.)

“A few years ago,” said Lou, “we were trying to find a useful purpose for the

field. I said at one point – I was walking the property – these fields used to be filled with hops.”

About that time, the state Home Brewery Act was passed, going into effect on Jan. 1, 2013, requiring 90 percent of hops and other ingredients in state-licensed breweries to be grown instate by 2024. “New York hops were only meeting 28 percent of New York microbrewery needs,” said Hager.

“And they commanded a fairly high price. It seemed like a great move.”

The father raised the idea with Louis, part owner of a juice bar and health-food market in Florida, Please See HAGERS, A5

AllOTSEGO.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WELCOME • E-MAIL THEM TO info@

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5

Utimate Goal: To Sell Otsego County Beers Up, Down East Coast HAGERS/From A4 and Alicia, who operated a personal-trainer business there. “It didn’t take much convincing. I thought to myself: This is a very cool idea,” said Alicia, who set aside her business and immersed herself in the study of her new vocation. Louis was another easy sell: “I’ve always wanted to work in the beer business,” he said.

The three introduced the idea to Whit on his birthday.

“I hope he can learn from all of us and grow up as a hops farmer, as a distributor and as a brewer,” said the boy’s dad, “that it’s something he’d like to do in the future.”

The partners sought out Steve Miller, the Madison County cooperative extension agent who has taken the lead in hops development regionally, and he came out to the Pierstown site for a look. “We had a pretty long conversation,” Miller said.

“The site has good slope, and is well-drained. And there was the possibility for water there. All the things they would need were there.

One thing led to another.”

The Hagers also raised the idea of building or buying a brewery with Miller.

“They liked the whole idea of Cooperstown Brewing,”

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal

Louis Hager III describes the planting of 11,000 vines to 110 Northeast Hops Alliance members during NEHA’s annual Field Day Aug. 1. At left is his sister and business partner, Alicia. The NEHA tour started at Northern Eagle Beverages in Oneonta, and the group lunched at Cooperstown Brewing in Milford, where the Wolf and New-York made harvesters were demonstrated.

he said. “It was close. They could use the name. They wanted that connection.”

Lou Hager, who had been working for AnheuserBusch, lastly as Northwest Pennsylvania district manager, had moved back to the county in 1985. The following year he bought Lamonica Beverages, the Budweiser distributorship,

from Diz Lamonica, which became today’s Northern Eagle. “We had been looking to expand Northern Eagle for some time,” Lou said. “When the opportunity” – the Browne Street site – “became available, we jumped at it.”

He observed, “I believe we’re the only wholesaler in the country that does that

– vertical integration.”

Last May, Louis and Alicia found themselves in the 10-acre hop yard – another 10 acres will be added next year – on the Pierstown hillside. “We started planting: 11,000 plants, seven different varieties. Eight people total helping us. It was very labor intensive,” said Louis.

The siblings and their team

– with the help of family and friends – then started again at the beginning, weeding, and training the plants to run up 11,000 lines of coconut twine. “It was non-stop,” said the son.

The undertaking was sufficiently capitalized to meet challenges. As Miller anticipated, a consistent source of water was necessary, and a lined pond was installed on the property’s east side. “That’s something smaller fields do not have the capacity of doing,” said Lou. “Obviously, it’s an expensive endeavor.”

And there was an unexpected adjunct. “We found the best way to weed your hops field is with sheep,” he continued. “They do it in Canada.” The sheep, it turns out, only eat blade grass, so they can graze amid the “bines” – as hop plant stems are called – and do the valuable plants no harm. Hager Hops now owns 20 Dorper sheep, and expects to expand the herd to 50 as it doubles the hop yard to 20 acres by 2016.

When complete, the Pierstown field will have 24,000 plants, producing 35,000 pounds of hops annually, enough for Cooperstown Brewing’s purposes, with

enough left over to sell to Brewery Ommegang, which Lou said “has been very helpful” to the family’s undertaking.

As Louis and Alicia have concluded through hard experience, one of the challenges will be “finding people to help us, to stick with it through the tedious work,” the brother said.

“That’s a very interesting question,” added the father. “It really is very labor intensive.”

For now, Cooperstown Brewing’s beers – Old Slugger Pale Ale, Nine Man Golden Ale – are being brewed under contract in Glens Falls by Davidson Brewing. But as the initial concept – the hop yard, the hops-processing equipment, the brewery (opening in 2016), expanded warehousing – is coming into place, the partners are contemplating the next steps.

“We would like to be up and down the East Coast,” said Lou, although that may be “a real pie-in-the-sky dream.” Alicia looks forward to taking on that challenge: “I’d love to work on the branding side. Why not bring together two of America’s favorite pastimes: baseball and beer.”

LETTERS

Cuttting Tax Rate, Otsego Town Board Still Shows Compassions To Employees To the Editor: As 2015 opens with its possibilities, it is definitely worth noting positive actions taken by the Otsego Town Board, particularly in light of allegations made by Mrs. Ross in her Nov. 21 Letter to the Editor in your newspapers.

Supervisor Geddes-Atwell did a good job in her letter that you published on Dec. 18-19, making it clear that the town did NOT award raises to many at the expense of the highway workers, as implied

by Mrs. Ross. Indeed, the only raise in the budget was a cost-of-

living increase to the town clerk, which after taxes amounts to about $7 a week.

And the monthly stipend for town board members, as well as the supervisor’s salary, remains at the level set during former Supervisor Kiernan’s term years ago.

“Huge wages” for elected officials? Hardly.

Among the positive actions of this town board: a lowering of the overall tax levy for 2015 by 22 percent. This is good news.

The board is also considering how to save energy costs to the

town using solar and other green energy technologies. The solar initiative is structured so as not to cost taxpayers; the panels are owned by investors who can take advantage of the tax credits (municipalities can’t) while the town enjoys lower electricity costs.

This would benefit everyone.

It’s part of saving the town money – our fiduciary responsibility – plus stewardship of the environment and the community that we cherish.

It is clear that the town board takes its financial responsibili-

ties very seriously. In alignment with that, the terms of a three-year union contract for the highway employees compensation, with yearly raises and benefits, were set over a year ago, with the union representative’s and workers’ agreement.

That said, a compelling case for higher compensation was made during the Nov. 12 board meeting

by Deputy Superintendent Thayer, pointing out how our highway worker’s wages compare to that of other towns. The board not only got the logic in Mr. Thayer’s pre-

sentation - but has a heart as well.

The town is in a position to respond to the highway department’s request for a raise, and it did so – in a fiscally responsible and compassionate way.

There are many reasons for optimism moving forward. This latest action of the town is one of them, characteristic of a dedicated board with intelligence, vision, and heart.

JULIE HUNTSMAN, DVM Fly Creek Member, Otsego Town Board

BOUND VOLUMES Compiled by Tom Heitz with resources courtesy of The New York State Historical Association Library

175 YEARS AGO

Tobacco – We are of the opinion that tobacco has a much more deleterious effect upon the constitution than is generally apprehended, either when snuffed, chewed, or smoked. Tobacco chewers and tobacco smokers are worse off, if possible, than snuff takers. They may live longer than the rum drinker and some constitutions possibly may not suffer essential injury in the moderate use of tobacco. But there is a danger that moderate smoking and chewing may create an inordinate desire for the weed, which is certainly poisonous, and likewise create an irrepressible thirst for strong drink. Whether used for chewing, smoking or snuffing, we challenge any lover of tobacco to the proof of its having accomplished a greater good in any case than to allay the toothache for the moment, or settle the stomach after eating too much dinner.

January 6, 1840

200 YEARS AGO

telephone girl. If the telephone girl would tell all she knows it soon would be a gale, engulf us in trouble and land us in jail. She would let go a story which, gaining in force, would cause half our wives to sue for divorce. She would get all the churches mixed up in a fight, and turn all our days into sorrowing night. In fact she could keep the whole town in a stew, if she told the tenth part of the things that she knew.

Now, doesn’t it put your head in a whirl when you think what you owe to the telephone girl?

January 6, 1915

75 YEARS AGO

The largest number of deer ever reported to the Conservation Department was taken in New York State by hunters during the 1939 fall hunting season. Figures compiled by the Bureau of Game and released last week by the Conservation Department show that a total of 14,511 elusive whitetail deer were killed during the open season in November. This figure represents an increase of slightly more than 20 percent over the previous year. In Otsego County, the total take was 173, a decrease of 25 from the 1938 season.

January 3, 1940

150 YEARS AGO

The capture of Savannah, which forms the brilliant culmination of one campaign, opens another campaign, the majestic outlines of which must loom up on the mind of any intelligent student of the military map. Before Sherman could begin effective work, it was necessary that he should secure a base and point of supply for his army. Now, of all available military lines on which to establish a base for interior operations, that of the Savannah River is the very best. Emptying into the Atlantic, its headwaters touch the great central mountain ridge dividing the eastern from the western theatres of war. A glance at the map will show that possession of this river severs every line of rail communication between the Atlantic seaboard States and those of the Gulf. Much has been said about the bisection of the Confederacy; but until this line was held by a Union force, the South could hardly be said to be really rent in twain.

January 6, 1865

125 YEARS AGO

Literary Association – The essay of Mr. C.C. Edgerton on “The Decline of Literature,” delivered last Saturday evening was a well-written and scholarly production, which showed familiarity with the topic discussed and a thorough acquaintance with books and the drama. The essayist contrasted the literature of past ages with that of the present, greatly to the disadvantage of the latter, and quoted a large number of authorities in support of his position. He deprecated giving over much attention to the reading of magazines and newspapers, and recommended the careful study of the works of the great writers of all ages.

January 3, 1890

25 YEARS AGO

100 YEARS AGO

Forty years after William C. Smalley organized Little League locally and the village’s first Little League game was played at Doubleday Field, long-term plans are underway for the league’s own playing fields which will be located south of the village at the end of Linden Avenue. “The irony is that Doubleday Field was created for the youth of the village as a suitable place for them to play ball,” said January 1815 Baseball Hall of Fame Librarian Tom Heitz, “but over the years for a number of reasons, it has been more associated with adult baseball.”

December 27, 1989

The Telephone Girl sits in her chair and listens to voices from everywhere. She hears all the gossip; she hears all the news; she knows who is happy and who has the blues.

She knows all our sorrows; she knows all our joys; she knows every girl who is chasing the boys. She knows of our troubles; she knows of our strife; she knows every man who is mean to his wife. She knows every time we are out with the boys; she hears each excuse every fellow employs. She knows every woman who has a dark past; she knows every man who is inclined to be fast. In fact there’s a secret beneath each saucy curl of the quiet, demure looking

10 YEARS AGO

Four descendants of Judge William Cooper gave the Otsego Land Trust stewardship over 361 acres of land in the Red Creek Valley which has been owned by the Coopers for more than 90 years. Katherine L.F.C. Cary, Susan F.C. Weil, and their brothers, James F. Cooper, and Henry S.F. Cooper, Jr., made the gift to ensure that the rural the property will be protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

January 7, 2005

A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL

OBITUARIES

wednesday, december 31, 2014

Ernest D. Woodin, 81; Oversaw Bassett Computers COOPERSTOWN – Ernest D. Woodin, 81, who retired in 1990 as Bassett Hospital’s director of information services, passed away Thursday evening, Dec. 25, 2014, at the Cooperstown hospital.

He was 81.

Born on Jan. 24, 1933, in Marseilles, Ill., Ernie was the third of five children of Eugene and Helen née Morey Woodin. He graduated in 1951 from Marseilles High School, where he was class president. The first in his family to have the opportunity to attend college, he earned his Associate Degree in 1953 at LaSallePeru-Oglesby (LPO) Junior College, where he studied pre-veterinary science while working for a local veterinarian.

He went on to University of Illinois, but forced to withdraw after suffering a foot injury, he was drafted into the Army. He served in Germany as a water supply specialist with the H&S Company 5th Engineer Battalion and was honorably discharged in 1955.

Ernest then embarked on an 18-year career with

the phone company, starting as a lineman for Illinois Bell. After successfully completing a test Ernest D. for proWoodin gramming aptitude, he rose from programmer to programming manager, which led to him becoming a programming instructor.

In 1964, Ernie came to Cooperstown and taught programming courses for the AT&T Company’s Data Communications Training Program at The Otesaga.

He and his family returned to Illinois in 1966, and later moved to Somerset, N.J., where he was “on loan” to Bell Labs.

In March 1972, the Woodins returned to Cooperstown, where Ernest joined Bassett’s computer department, rising to director.

Ernest is survived by his wife of 57 years, Arlene née Viviani. They were married in their hometown of Marseilles, Illinois, on Dec. 21, 1957. Also, their two

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Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special.

Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.

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children, Beth Torruella and her husband, Reese, of Garner, N.C., and Alan Woodin and his wife, Allison, of Cobleskill; three grandchildren, Connor and Logan Torruella and Erika Woodin; a sister, Helen Peek of Ottawa, Ill., and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Martin and Richard, and a sister, Marlene.

Ernest had a life-long love of country living and

was skilled at making things with his hands. A master carpenter and woodworker, he built his families first home in Illinois, a garage in Cooperstown, and “Bennie the Burrow”, a rocking horse he crafted for his grandchildren.

He also he enjoyed gardening, his Schnauzers and seeing draft horses at the fair.

Arrangements are entrusted to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

Thursday, January 1

Happenin’

FIRST DAY HIKE - 1 p.m. Join guide Becky Gretton for a hike in Glimmerglass State Park to look for golden eagles and winter birds along the path to Otsego lake. Free. Recommended gear: hiking boots, binoculars.

Meet at the Nature Center in the Park, 1527 County Hwy 31, Cooperstown. Warm drinks & snacks at the center following the hike. Info, res., at friendsofglimmerglass@gmail.com or (607) 547-8662.

Saturday, January 3

COOP FARMERS MARKET

Otsego

- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Seasonal fruits and veggies, local meats, fresh fowl, eggs, cheese, honey, maple syrup, handmade goods. Pioneer Alley (behind Key Bank), rain or shine. Market continues 10 a.m.2 p.m. January-April, then 8 a.m.2 p.m. May-Labor Day. Info, (607) 547-6195, www.otsego2000.org ONEONTA FARMERS MARKET - 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cakes and decor, honey, maple products, preserves, apples, etc. Indoors at municipal parking garage hallway, on Main at Dietz. Market continues indoors Saturdays

SPECIALIST DIRECTORY

To list your business and reach 30,000 customers weekly, Call Sue at 607-547-6103

HOMETOWN ONEONTA & THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-7

January-May, then returns Tuesdays and Saturdays to Muller Plaza. Info, www.oneontafarmersmarket.com FISH & GAME CLUB - 6 p.m.

Milford Fish & Game Club annual meeting. Bring a dish to pass.

Hartwick Seminary Firehouse.

Info, (607) 286-9478.

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USED VEHICLES TO CHOOSE FROM

Sunday, January 4

FILM - 1:30 p.m. Free screening of “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring” a 2003 South Korean film about a Buddhist monk. Part of free film series (next on Jan. 18). hosted

by Cooperstown Rangjung Yeshe Gomde. Key Bank (third floor), 300 Main St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-5051.

Voted The Daily Star’s

YOGA CLASS - Every Mon. 5:15-6:15 p.m. (Also every Sat. 10-11 a.m.) Gentle Yoga, $7 per class, with Judith Allen. 7:108:10 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga (also every Fri. & Sat. noon-1 p.m.), $8 per class or $70 for 10 classes, with Valerie Bolger.

Green Earth Health Food Market, 4 Market St., Oneonta. Info, www.greenearthoneonta.com DRAWING GROUP - 7-9 p.m.

Open Drawing Group, every Monday. $10 per class donation.

Cooperstown Art Association, 5 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown. Info Janet Erway, (607) 547-9777.

QI-GONG - 6-7 p.m. Every Tuesday, $7 per class, with Daniel Blacklock. Green Earth Health Food Market, 4 Market St., Oneonta. Info, www.greenearthoneonta.com.

MEDITATION CLASS - 2015 classes resume Every Tues. 6-7 p.m.; Thurs. 6-7:30 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Rangjung Yeshe Gomde, taught by Matthew Zalichin. Winter classes (till Meditation Hall re-opens) at Key Bank, 300 Main St., Suite 304, Cooperstown. Info, www.rygcooperstown.org

Thursday, January 8

CHESS CLUB - 6-11 p.m. Every Thursday; all levels welcome.

Free. Hunt Union cafeteria, SUNY Oneonta (summers at Capresso on Main St in Oneonta). Info, Don (607) 206-0510.

Friday, January 9

BLOOD DRIVE - 1-7 p.m.

American Red Cross hosts blood drive at Bassett Medical Center.

Dunkin’ Donuts will provide a $5 gift certificate to all donors.

Appointments preferred, but walk-ins welcome. Bassett Hall Auditorium, corner of Beaver and Pioneer Streets, Cooperstown.

For an appointment visit www.

RedCrossBlood.org, or call 800733-2767 or contact the Clinical Lab office at (607) 547-3701.

CABIN FEVER FILM - 7 p.m.

Kickoff of annual free Friday night “Cabin Fever Film Series” at the Fenimore Art Museum.

This week’s film: “West Side Story” (1961, NR). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 Route 80, Cooperstown.

Info (607) 547-1400 or www. fenimoreartmuseum.org

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2013

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2011 equinox awd lt2 Full Pwr, Lthr, Snrf, 56K, Stk: 100161A sale Price

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2013 sentra sv 2011 sorento lx awd 31K, Stk: C100352A sale Price

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2012 sentra sl 45K, Stk: C940530 sale Price

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grand caravan 2012 silverado k1500 2014 sxt crew 4x4 lt Z71, Full Pwr, 45K, Stk: 100264A Pwr Equip, 28K, Stk: R941340................ $18,495 sale Price 2014 grand caravan $27,495

2009 civic lx

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Full Pwr, Lthr, 67K, Stk: C100469A.............. $20,995

2012 frontier crew cab sv

2013 oPtima ex

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2011 juke sv awd Pwr Equip, Nav, Snrf., 32K, Stk: C100126A sale Price

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2013 frontier crew sl 4x4 2009 suburban lt 4wd Full Pwr, Running Bds, 64K, Stk: 100671A sale Price

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Full Pwr, Lthr, Nav, 24K, Stk: C100644A.............. $26,995

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2008 liberty ltd 4x4 Full Pwr, Snrf, 54K, Stk: 941320A sale Price

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A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

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OneOnta • 75 Market Street 607-433-1020 COOperStOwn • State Hwy 28 607-547-5933

MLS # 97290 $65,000 Affordably Priced! Renovated! 3 BR double-wide home w/finished basement, attached garage, almost 2 acres. New roof, windows, vinyl siding, flooring.

Call Thomas Platt @ 607-435-2068 (cell)

MLS#96917 $129,900 Quality, All New! Including roof, vinyl siding, windows, door, appliances, bathrooms, floor, etc. Pole barn w/2 bays and space for workshop. Over ½ acre yard.

Call Thomas Platt @ 607-435-2068 (cell)

MLS#93004 $224,900 Selling Under Value! 25-acre horse farm w/large Morton barn in Morris! 3-BR, 2-bath ranch, riding arenas, fenced pastures.

Call Lynn Lesperence @ 607-434-1061 (cell) Virtual tour: www.morrishorsefarm.com

MLS#96105 $85,950 Great Deal! 3-BR home with fenced yard is close to Oneonta. Low taxes ! Large 2-car garage.

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lis NE tiN W g!

MLS#93225 $86,000 Adam Karns 607-244-9633 (cell) MLS 97849 $105,000 Sidney - This home has 4 BRs, 3 baths on a 0.4 acre Spacious 4 BR,lot.

2 bath house isfloors, close tolarge I-88.kitchen, Large corner village Hardwood backyard, workshop/garage, smallpool, shed.fenced Make your multi-tiered deck, above-ground yard. appointment today. Priced to go this week!

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MLS#97402 Rare Cooperstown Area Land! Owner must liquidate! 138 acres w/views selling below market!

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MLS #96570 $239,900 Investment Potential! Positive cash flow ! This pristine lakefront home features 4 BRs and 2 baths. It is completely renovated and finished.

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Motivated Seller! Beautiful log home in a country setting w/almost 7 acres. This home features 3 BRs and 3½ baths, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, open living/dining/kitchen area w/vaulted ceilings and loft area. Master BR has master bath w/walk-in closet. Basement is finished w/bar and family room. This home has huge wrap-around deck, detached 2-car garage w/electric and paved parking area. House sits off the road w/mountain views. This is a must see. $209,900 MLS#93821

MLS#97019 $89,000 Great location close to Chobani and New York Central Mutual w/many revisions. 2 pellet stoves, gas fireplace.

Call Adam Karns @ 607-244-9633 (cell) Virtual tour: www.realestateshows.com/740477

lis NE tiN W g!

MLS#97672 $29,900 Exceptional Value! Highly desirable location! Relish the tranquility of brook and 10 wooded acres just a short drive to the NYS thruway. Priced to sell.

Call Leanne McCormack @ 607-287-8965 (cell)

lis NE tiN W g!

MLS 95904 Waiting for You on Over 80 Acres! This charming center-hall Colonial offers wide pine, maple and cherry floors. LR has inviting fireplace, DR has original cupboards, and French doors to the 40’ covered porch.

Kitchen has cherry cabinets and tiled floor. Downstairs offers 2 BRs and 2 baths; upstairs are 4 BRs and 3 baths.

Master BR suite has dressing room and private bath w/double shower. Front and back staircases, 2-car heated garage w/workshop, pond, 30’ x 70’ horse barn w/3 box stalls and land on both sides of road.

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MLS#97606 $119,000 Quaint 3 BR, 1½ bath home in Oneonta’s east end is minutes from downtown. Fenced yard, spacious deck.

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lis NE tiN W g!

MLS 97828 $109,900 Deposit - Across from Steam Mill State Forest w/5,600 acres. 4 other NYS Forest areas nearby. Easy access to I-17. 3 BRs, 2 baths, central AC, hot tub on 2.36 acres.

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lisliNE NE tisNtWi W gN! g!

MLS 97868 $329,000 Located in Roxbury, this home sits on 1.15 acres with mountain views. It features 3,130 sq ft with 5 BRs, 2½ baths, and family room with stone fireplace.

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MLS # 90930 $129,900 Like New! This completely renovated home has been gutted to the studs, and rebuilt to the highest standards and current code regulations. The 4-BR, 2-bath home features all new roof, vinyl siding, windows, appliances, flooring, walls, vaulted ceilings, recessed lighting, fixtures and ceiling fans. New deck overlooks spacious 1-acre backyard bordering creek.

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Call Thomas Platt @ 607-435-2068 (cell)

MLS#94842 $149,000 Location, Seclusion and Beautiful Views! Solid 3BR, 2-bath contemporary on over 26 acres is ideal for working living and playing in the Cooperstown area.

Call Adam Karns @ 607-244-9633 (cell) Virtual tour: www.realestateshows.com/710440

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for complete listings visit us at realtyusa.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

MLS#97877 $189,000 2+ BR, 2½ cedar-sided house on 12-acre wooded lot w/pond! 2-car garage, security system, dry partially Cooperstown VillageTown home.ofSeller paysOtego closingSchools. costs (up finished basement.

Laurens, to w/acceptable Call$3,000 Suzanne Darling @offer).

607-563-7012 (cell)

MLS#88858 $13,900 Priced Below Assessed Value! Level open fields and scenic country views. Start the new year crafting your dream home in rural Otsego County.

Call Leanne McCormack @ 607-287-8965 (cell)

MLS#97599 $139,000 Modernized 3 BR, 2 bath farmhouse on nearly an acre of fenced land w/new roof, floors and paint.

Call Adam Karns @ 607-244-9633 (cell) Virtual tour: www.realestateshows.com/745530

$153,900 MLS#96745 Quality Home at an Affordable Price! Nicely upgraded throughout, this Oneonta

Lizabeth Rose, Broker/Owner

home offers all the comforts you could ever want without the high price tag. Lightfilled open living areas on the first floor with gorgeous oak hardwood floors, natural woodwork, radiant heat and a spacious upgraded kitchen. All of the bedrooms have very large closets and the spacious full bath has been nicely upgraded. Walk-up attic for extra storage space.Fenced backyard is like a mini-park with large yard, play area, tree house and garage complete with workshop and woodstove.

Cricket Keto, Licensed Assoc. Broker Peter D. Clark, Consultant

HUBBELL’S REAL ESTATE 607-547-5740•607-547-6000 (fax) 157 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326

ASHLEY

E-Mail: info@hubbellsrealestate.com Web Site: www.hubbellsrealestate.com

29 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown · 607-547-4045 Patricia Bensen-Ashley – Licensed Real Estate Broker/Owner

Cooperstown on one aCre

Cooperstown ClassiC

(7732) Superbly kept 3-BR expanded Cape. Center-hall layout w/hardwood flooring, 6-panel doors, gracious LR w/ fireplace, formal DR. Custom kitchen w/cherry cabinets, eating area, large windows and skylights. Patio, deck, finished basement, garage, large yard.

Hubbell’s Exclusive—$385,000

Kevin

KurKowsKi

1802 Federal BriCk estate

(7925) Gorgeous 4 BR, 2+ bath Colonial on a tranquil street. Highly desirable residence offers elegant gardens, full landscaping w/accent stone wall, deck. Large rooms, formal DR, woodstove, family room, eat-in kitchen w/cherry cabinets, quartz countertop. Come home to an air of comfort and welcome. Cooperstown Schools.

Hubbell’s Co-Exclusive—$479,000

Since 1947, our personal service has always been there when you need it most. With comprehensive coverage for all your AUTO • HOME • LIFE insurance needs.

BUSINESS

Hours: M-F 8am-5pm Phone: 607-432-2022 22-26 Watkins Ave, Oneonta, NY 13820

REALTY

CONNOR

(7447) Historic center-hall 4-BR Federal brick residence on 16 acres w/spectacular valley views. Extensive gardens, spring-fed pond, smokehouse, carriage barn. Spacious LR w/fireplace, DR w/built-ins, library nook, wine cellar, original millwork.

Hubbell’s Exclusive—$425,000

Thinking of Remodeling?

Think of Refinancing!

LGROUP@STNY.RR.COM www.leatherstockingmortgage.com 607-547-5007 (Office) 800-547-7948 (Toll Free)

New Purchases and refinances • Debt Consolidation Free Pre-Qualification • Fast Approvals • Low Rates Registered Mortgage Broker Matt Schuermann NYS Banking Dept.

Loans arranged by a 3rd party lender.

31 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown (directly next door to Stagecoach Coffee)

AllOTSEGO.homes

Located on Tree-Lined Nelson Avenue—Circa 1913 Craftsman home has 3 full floors totaling some 3,600+/- sq ft. Renovated by the current owners, this gracious home has a welcoming front entry w/beveled glass sidelights and wide staircase. French doors to front-to-back LR w/fireplace, back office area, period DR w/oak built-ins, French doors and leaded glass windows.

Renovated kitchen w/original oak cabinets and new cabinets, small woodstove, tiled floor and countertops, all new appliances, powder room, walk-in original pantry and enclosed back porch. Delightful screened porch. Second floor has 4 BRs and newly done full bath w/footed tub. Third floor has new bath and 3 rooms, 1 of them renovated. Refinished wood floors throughout, original details and hardware, newly painted walls. Lots of storage under the eaves, plus full dry basement. Small garage, perennial and vegetable gardens. offered exclusively by Ashley Connor realty— $469,000 Visit us on the Web at www.ashleyconnorrealty.com Contact us at info@ashleyconnorrealty.com

For Appointment: Patricia Bensen-Ashley, Broker, 607-437-1149 Jack Foster, Sales Agent, 607-547-5304 • Donna Skinner, Associate Broker, 607-547-8288 Christopher Patterson, Sales Agent, 518-774-8175

CALL 607-547-6103 TO ADVERTISE IN REGION’S LARGEST REALTY SECTION/MORE ADS, A3