$500 MEDALLION still out there •F
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Police Say He Peeped At 14 Bassett Staff COOPERSTOWN
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decades-old tradition will cease when the Oneonta Veterans’ Club closes its doors on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, in a counter-protest to NFL players who “took a knee.” “We want to honor our flag and our country,” said manager Wayne Gregory. “When those players took a knee, we voted to no longer show football games at the club.” The governing body of the Oneonta club – made up of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, DAV, VVA, Legion Auxiliaries, Sons of the Legion and Legion Riders – voted in mid-October to cease showing professional football games at the club, following the ongoing national debate about players declining to Please See PROTEST, A7
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BODEN, SCHNEIDER CHALLENGE FALK, DEAN
Oneonta’s Vets’ Club Closes For Superbowl
Surprise Entry In Mayor Race
By LIBBY CUDMORE
Cooperstown’s Audrey Dutcher, assistant principal violist, plays St. Paul’s Suite for String Orchestra in C Major by Gustav Holst Sunday, Jan. 28, at the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble’s concert at Hartwick College’s Anderson Theater.
For 210 Years
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, February 1, 2018
Cooperstown’s Isn’t, Saying Pats, Eagles Won’t ‘Take A Knee’
Ian Austin/The Freeman’s Journal
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COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
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Volume 210, No. 5
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FOR SECOND CLUE, SEE A3 • ALSO, POEMS PRAISE WINTER, A4
Lawyer Jonathan Becker Emerges At 11th Hour To Challenge Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch For Top Job By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN
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elieving he lacked a candidate for Cooperstown mayor, Republican Village Chairman Vince Casale, no less, had made a motion to give GOP support to the Democratic candidate and crossendorse Deputy Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch. Then Jonathan L. Becker spoke up. An attorney living in the village since 2013, Becker said he recently bought a house on Beaver Street just as village trustees approved a tourist-accommodation law limiting how much he and wife Meredith, a Bassett
nderson Lee, 27, of Cooperstown, the Bassett Hospital nurse arrested for allegedly placing cameras in an employees-only bathroom, remains in the Otsego County Jail after being charged with 28 counts of unlawful Lee surveillance. He was arrested Thursday, By LIBBY CUDMORE Jan. 25, for 12 counts of unlawful surveillance, second degree, a Class E felony. On MILFORD Friday, two more victims, unday, Jan. 21, when Lola both female, were found to Rathbone looked at the signhave been filmed. Orders of up sheet for the new Senior protection were issued for Meal Site at the Milford United all 14 victims. He remains jailed on $100,000 cash bail.
For that reason, he told 10 Republicans caucusing Tuesday, Jan. 30, in the Village Board chambers at 22 Main, he wanted the GOP nomination for mayor. He added, “There are other things that have niggled at me over the years.” Casale had already proposed a “unity ticket,” with double-endorsement for Tillapaugh, but he beat a strategic retreat. Bill Waller, First Man during former mayor Carol Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal B. Waller’s administration, Deputy Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, left, won the had made the motion for Democratic nomination for mayor of Cooperstown Tillapaugh, but he withdrew Monday, Jan. 29, and almost won the GOP nomiit and put Becker’s name in nation the following evening, until attorney Jonacontention. than L. Becker, right, asked for and received it. The gathering then voted for the newcomers, with nurse, can rent their home to “I just think that’s weird,” only one abstention: Repubgenerate income during the he said, “and a bizarre takPlease See SURPRISE, A7 summer months. ing.”
Milford Hosts 7th Senior Meal Site – And It’s Packed
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IN MEMORIAM: Word has been received that Bill Parsons, the preservation contractor and well-known Cooperstown personality, has died. More details at
Methodist Church, there were only four names. But Wednesday, Jan. 24, all 40 seats at the tables were full. “We thought it would be received well by the community,” said Tamie MacDonald, Otsego County Office
Columnists Zagata, Kuzminski To Explore Spectrum Of Issues
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wo eminent observers of public life, locally and nationally, are www. OTSEGO.com joining the editorial pages of Hometown Oneonta, The ROPERS ROMP: CoopFreeman’s Journal and www. erstown Elementary’s Red AllOTSEGO.com. Hot Ropers will perform at Mike Zagata, Gov. George halftime at the SUNY CoPataki’s DEC commissioner bleskill home game vs. Penn and a top environmental State Berks Saturday, Feb. 3. executive for Fortune 500 The game starts at 1 p.m. companies, and Adrian Kuzminski, the philosopher, author and founder of Sus-
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County Office Now Serves 7,700 Elderly Diners Monthly for the Aging director. “This is a three-month pilot program, so if we want to keep it going, it’s up to you to bring family and friends.” While the diners enjoyed roast pork, spinach and sweet potatoes, Doug Hallberg played piano, and
state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, gave a brief talk at the conclusion of the meal. “When Pastor Sylvia Barrett called me, I accepted,” he said. “I’m qualified by age, and I love roast pork!” With that successful launch, Milford’s becomes the seventh senior Please See MEALS, A7
RARE CRMO HAS YOUNG ONEONTAN IN PAIN
Polar Plunge Offers Cecily Hope Cecily Ellis with parents Heather and Jonathan at Sunday, Jan. 28, benefit auction in Milford.
By PARKER FISH MILFORD Zagata
Kuzminski
tainable Otsego, will write columns that will appear on alternate weeks on the OpEd page, A5. The Please See ISSUES, A6
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ecily Ellis, 7, Oneonta, was among volunteers helping to read ticket numbers at the annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump Chinese Auction on Jan. 28. But she’s more than just a volunteer. Cecily is one of this year’s 11 recipients Please See CECILY, A2
Parker Fish/The Freeman’s Journal
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD