Past Hall of Famers To Gather for Induction
COOPERSTOWN
Fifty-three pastinducted National Baseball Hall of Fame members are expected to return this week, July 25-28, to celebrate the induction of the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. As of July 18, 56 total Hall of Famers, including 2025 electees CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner,
are scheduled to be a part of Hall of Fame Weekend festivities in Cooperstown, officials said.
The Class of 2025, which also includes the late Dick Allen and Dave Parker, will be inducted on Sunday, July 27, with the Induction Ceremony beginning at 1:30 p.m. The 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air live on MLB Network,
which has televised every Induction Ceremony since its launch in 2009.
Admission to the July 27 Induction Ceremony is free.
On Saturday, July 26, the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation will be held at 3 p.m. at the Alice Busch Opera Theater in Cooperstown. Thomas Boswell will receive the Baseball Writers’
Association of America Career Excellence Award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing and Cleveland Guardians voice Tom Hamilton will receive the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball broadcasting. As of Friday, July 18, the Hall of Fame members expected to return to
Continued on page 11
Dick Allen, Dave Parker Hall of Fame Legacies Finally Resolved
By CHARLIE VASCELLARO COOPERSTOWN
If Dick Allen’s cleats could talk, what a tale they would tell.
Perhaps they could explain why he chose to walk away from the Chicago White Sox in September of 1974, while leading the American League in home runs with nearly a quarter of the season left to play.
If the enigmatic and outspoken Allen were still alive, he might be able to add some insight as well, and perhaps answer some lingering questions about his often puzzling and controversial career.
Allen’s red and white striped Adidas cleats are on display in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2025 “New Inductees” exhibit on the hall’s second floor. Just like nearly every artifact in the hall’s collection, there is a back story to Allen’s cleats. Although they can’t tell us what happened on the day he decided to walk away,
there is someone who can.
Bob Hemond, 61, is the son of former White Sox General Manager Roland Hemond. The elder was a seven-decades-long Major League Baseball executive and the first recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Award in 2011.
Bob was a 10-year-old kid nosing around where he wasn’t supposed to be in the home team’s clubhouse at Comiskey Park when he witnessed this turning point in Allen’s career.
One of five Hemond children, Bob was breaking one of his father’s three hard and fast rules: 1. Be off the field before the gates open; 2. Don’t ask players for autographs, and; 3. No going into the clubhouse during the game.
“One game day in late August, I ventured up to the clubhouse door,” Hemond said. “The security guard let me in because he had seen me many times before. It was completely empty until Dick Allen walked in, and the game was still going on.
I think this is when he decided he was going to quit baseball. He was very quiet, smoking a cigarette and removing his cleats. He tossed his cleats into the clubhouse trash can and flicked his cigarette butt into the can on top of the cleats.”
Young Hemond walked over to Allen and asked if he could have his cleats.
“Sure, kid,” was Allen’s response. It was a great time to be one of Roland Hemond’s kids.
“Before White Sox games, me, my brother, my sisters, and all the others players’ kids would have pick-up games on the Old Comiskey Park playing field. Many times, Dick Allen would leave the clubhouse early to throw batting practice to us,” said Hemond. “We would also shine shoes for the players in the clubhouse before Sox home games.”
“All of us kids loved Dick Allen, but for me he became my absolute
Continued on page 6
St. Mary’s School To Be Converted to Senior Housing
By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA
St. Mary’s School at 34-36 Walnut Street in Oneonta is about to undergo a major renovation. Within 1822 months, the building will be converted into eight apartments for seniors. Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek called a press conference on Tuesday, July 8 to announce this project, which took three years of planning and approvals.
One of the developers for the project is Al Rubin, an Oneonta resident and chief executive officer, founder, and president of A & D Transport Services Inc.
Rubin teamed up with engineer and architect Lee Marigliano of Delhi, who owns LRM Architect PC, to form SMS Oneonta Realty LLC as equal partners.
SMS stands for St Mary’s School.
Each partner is investing 50 percent of the cost to convert the underutilized school into senior housing. The total investment is “north of $1,000,000.00,” Rubin said. Rubin has been a longtime parishioner of St. Mary’s Church.
“My marriage was blessed in this church and all our kids were baptized here,” he said.
“This is a beautiful, historic building,” Rubin added.
He plans to keep the name of the building and the Madonna statue intact.
“It is a win-win,” according to the Rev. Chris Welch of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
“It cost $250,000.00 per year to keep up [and heat] the school,” Welch said.
He explained that the school was mostly used for “faith formation” in recent years.
Continued on page 8
Photo by Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Dick Allen’s red and white striped Adidas cleats are on display in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2025 “New Inductees” exhibit.
Photo by Monica Calzolari
Father Chris Welch (left) smiles with the red bow in his hand after the ribbon cutting following Mayor Mark Drnek’s (right) announcement that St. Mary’s School will be converted into senior housing by Al Rubin (with scissors) and his partner (not present) in SMS Realty LLC.
NEWS BRIEFS
‘Samurai Baseball’ Opens
COOPERSTOWN—In honor of Ichiro Suzuki’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Art Garage will open a special exhibit on baseballrelated fine arts during Induction Weekend. “Samurai Baseball and More: A Fine-Arts look at Baseball” features an array of work by 15 artists and will open with a reception from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, july 25. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The gallery opens with extended hours at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude with a special activities and autograph session from 4-6 p.m. japanese, English and French will be spoken. Extended hours continue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday for a final look at the display and a grab-n-go baseball art shop. The Art Garage is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and other days by appointment. Contact (315) 941-9607 or leartgarage@gmail.com to set up a viewing.
BFS Tracks Algae Blooms
COOPERSTOWN—SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station announced on Thursday, july 17 that no harmful algae blooms have been confirmed on Otsego lake this season, although conditions are right for them to form. lake users are urged to exercise caution and avoid discolored or cloudy water and surface scums or mats. HABs can form and
COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School’s Violet Bong was chosen as an Honorable Mention recipient for Northeastern AAA’s Safety Patroller of the Year. (Photo provided)
dissipate quickly, and are especially dangerous to children and pets. For more information, visit suny.oneonta.edu/biological-field-station; to report a suspected HAB, use the New York State Department of Environmental Conservations tool
at dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmfulalgal-blooms/notifications.
HoF Parade is Saturday
COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual Parade of legends will return to Cooperstown at 6 p.m. on Saturday, july 26. Featuring more than four dozen returning Hall of Famers and Class of 2025 members CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner, the parade kicks off at the intersection of Chestnut and lake streets and progresses up Chestnut and Main streets to the Hall of Fame. It will include the award-winning Baldwinsville High School Band, Cooperstown Youth Baseball teams and MlB mascots, and is expected to last about 75 minutes. The parade will be livestreamed on MlB.com. The induction ceremony will take place at the Clark Sports Center at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, july 27.
Reception Scheduled
COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Gallery will open its final exhibition of the season with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, july 22. “Music and Movement,” featuring work by more than a dozen Smithy member artists
Continued on page 7
DeMolay Food Drive a Big Success Despite the Unbearable
Heat
By MARIA GRISWOlD ONEONTA
On Monday, july 14, members of the Oneonta Chapter of DeMolay International held a food drive outside of the Oneonta Masonic Temple. The heat was insufferable, the sun was beating down on them, but their attitudes did not fade. The drive lasted from noon to 3 p.m. and was organized by the group on behalf of Oneonta Catholic Charities. They accepted food donations as well as cash to benefit the homeless shelter.
DeMolay International is an organization for young men aged 9-20 years old, with the intent of sending these men into the world as well-mannered leaders. One of the requirements of the organization is that the group hold a charitable event to benefit their community. Members decided to host a food drive, and take all of the donations down the road to Catholic Charities.
Avid constituents of the community, each member expressed pride in the City of Oneonta and their desire to help. In the 80-degree heat, two members—Devin Sailer and Harley VanEtten—were walking downtown to spread awareness about the fundraiser. They approached many community members on Main Street, and brought in a hefty number of donations as a result.
“We’re a youth leadership group, and we really love to get out in the community and help them out,” Sailer explained. “And I think it’s pretty universal that one of the major problems of this community, sadly, is homelessness. So we want to help these people out. It’s one thing to complain about it, and another thing to take action, and we want to take action.”
Sailer, the leader of the group and a teen policy advocate, also commented on his values regarding food allergies in shelters. Separate from DeMolay International, he has founded Safe To Eat, a program advocating for allergy-safe foods in shelters, as well as increased access to epinephrine. Safe To Eat advocates for training of first responders and staff in shelters to safely administer life-saving doses of epinephrine, as well as education on state and federal policy changes regarding food allergies, he elaborated.
No child should have to worry about having safe food to eat, especially in a shelter, Sailer said.
The young men gathered on july 14 expressed true passion on the subject of food insecurity and volunteerism. They are hoping to keep this momentum going and inspire more events like this in the community on a regular basis.
VanEtten remarked, “I love this community…and all I want to do is help.”
The july 14 drive resulted in the donation of many canned goods, drinks and other food products. As soon as the event ended, the group walked down to Catholic Charities to hand over their haul.
The Order of DeMolay teaches seven core values— filial love, reverence, courtesy, comradeship, fidelity, cleanness and patriotism. The Elias light Chapter No. 33216 of DeMolay New York is affiliated with Oneonta lodge No. 466. To learn more, visit Oneonta466.org.
For more information on the Safe To Eat program, contact Sailer at SafeToEatInquiries@gmail.com.
AAA Honors Violet Bong
Local Indivisible Groups Organize ‘Good Trouble’ Rally, Display
By TERESA WINCHESTER
ONEONTA
On Thursday, July 17, Indivisible groups from CooperstownOneonta, Butternut Valley, Cherry Valley and Schoharie County hosted a gathering dubbed “Good Trouble Rally and Live Art Display” in the City of Oneonta’s Neahwa Park. The rally started at noon and was over by 1:30 p.m.
July 17 marked the fifth anniversary of the death John Lewis, the 1960s civil rights leader and, eventually, Georgia Congressman. In 1965, Lewis was brutally beaten by Alabama State Troopers while attempting to march across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama with 600 others. The goal of the march was to proceed from Selma to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, to advocate for voting rights for Black Americans. The incident, occurring on Sunday, March 7, became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Lewis was known for urging activists to “make good trouble.”
The format differed from that of previous rallies. Unlike the “Hands Off” and “No Kings” rallies, which were held on Saturdays and attracted hundreds, the “Good Trouble” rally was held in a park rather than on Main Street or in a field on Market Street. Attendees did not march through Main Street with protest signs. They remained in the park to peruse and collect handouts designed to share information about the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Information about possible impacts of the bill was made available for attendees to take home and subsequently spread the word about the contents of the bill, now a law—which organizers believe may be deleterious to Medicaid recipients, rural hospitals, nutritional programs, and veterans—
and numerous other elements in the bill that local Indivisible organizers feel people are unaware of.
Pre-publicity had urged attendees to bring signs to “plant” in a “sign garden” on the premises. During the rally, people meandered through dedicated space, reading and reacting to the nearly 200 signs protesting ICE and its tactics, especially that of “disappearing” people, “Alligator Alcatraz,” oligarchy, and Project 2025 in general. Other signs advocated for diversity, due process and “good trouble.”
The program included a remembrance for John Lewis by CooperstownOneonta Indivisible leader and prime organizer of the rally, Virginia Kennedy, followed by a moment of silence. Devon LaBoy, Oneonta native and teacher at SUNY Oneonta’s Children’s Center, sang three songs: “Rise Up,” “This is Me,” and “Stand Up.” Leah Bridgers then led those present in the singing of “This Land is Your Land” and “American the Beautiful.”
City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek
spoke with conviction about the fight at hand.
“We’re in a battle that can’t be deferred to another day. There may be no other day. This is a high-stakes contest between people who see government as a means to power, riches, and a capacity to exact retribution and inflict pain, and others who understand that government is meant to serve the greater good. To act on behalf of the people and not the powerful few. And let’s make our plans. Let’s make our ‘good trouble’,” he urged.
Drnek then continued, admonishing protesters to, “Educate and enlist our neighbors and join as soldiers in strategic battles that weaken the enemies of our democracy. And the best way to do that is to target their credibility. And challenge their every indefensible move. John Lewis said, ‘If you see something that’s not right, you must say something. You must do something.’”
The rally also included a food drive of nonperishable food items, organized by Oneontans Linda and Ed Spencer.
The recipient for this collection was the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Donna Schultz of Edmeston appreciated the opportunity the rally provided for freedom of expression.
“I’m thankful that we have groups such as CooperstownOneonta Indivisible, Butternut Valley Indivisible and many others in the area. They give us an opportunity to practice our constitutional rights and rise up,” she said.
Peter Martin of New Lisbon also spoke positively of the rally.
“It was great to see so many people out on a weekday,” Martin said. “The information provided was thoughtful, important, and more people need to hear and read it,” he said, adding, “The next rally, we should march.”
Asked to share her thoughts on the rally afterward, Kennedy replied by e-mail, saying, “Our rally in honor of civil rights icon John Lewis reminded people that together we have the power to fight the cruelty, lies and authoritarian danger of the Trump regime. Our members did research into the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill”— the approximately 900-page bill that passed before anyone knew what was in it.,” Kennedy wrote.
“We provided rally-goers with specific information on Medicaid cuts and cuts to education programs and more to fund tax cuts for the rich; we documented the billions of dollars the bill provides to ICE, making it a bigger masked police force than most countries’ militaries. We used the beauty of art, too: Music from talented local singers and the creation a garden of amazing and creative signs spoke powerfully to the need to fight for a just society that uplifts and unites people, rather than one that divides them against each other and demands fealty to a billionaire whose only concern is his own power and comfort.”
Register Now for Annual SQSPCA Golf Tourney on August 1st
ONEONTA
The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals returns to the links on Friday, August 1 for its annual Robert B. Schlather Susquehanna SPCA Golf Fundraiser.
The event is a one-day tournament, held again this year at the Oneonta Country Club, 9 Country Club Drive.
The tournament is a captain and crew (scramble) format. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. The cost is $125.00 per player, or $500.00 per foursome, and includes 18 holes and cart, use of the driving range, goodie bags, and a barbecue buffet dinner. Drinks are not included. Single
golfers will be paired up. Trophies will be given to the top three teams, and prizes will be awarded for closest to the pin and closest to the line.
“One of only three special fundraising events we do each year, the golf tournament is an opportunity to spend time with supporters who share a love of sports, community and animals,” said SQSPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes. “Last year, we raised over $20,000.00, an amount that covers the cost of nearly 180 spay/neuter surgeries.
“This is truly a meaningful way to support our efforts,” Haynes added.
Golf add-ons are $10.00 each for every nine holes (maximum two per player). They include an add-on mulligan, a
do-over shot to be used anywhere on a hole, and an add-on miracle putt, a free putt to be used anywhere on the green. There will be a raffle at a cost of five tickets for $20.00, and a 50/50 raffle—five tickets for $5.00 or an armslength for $10.00.
The SQSPCA’s annual golf outing was renamed in honor of Robert B. Schlather, a well-known Cooperstown lawyer and philanthropist, after his passing in April 2022.
“Bob was a longtime friend to the shelter and a yearly participant in our golf tournaments. This will be the fourth year the golf fundraiser has been held in his name,” Haynes said.
“We greatly appreciate the Schlather family’s encouragement of this event and are honored
Pharmacy Partnership Announced
BUFFALO
SUNY Oneonta and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have formed a new collaborative agreement providing qualified SUNY Oneonta students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctor of pharmacy degree in seven years, rather than eight.
According to a media release, the collaborative 3+4 agreement guarantees space for qualified SUNY Oneonta biology majors in UB’s PharmD program, offering a streamlined path to a pharmacy degree. By
accelerating program completion, the initiative is expected to help students save time and money while addressing the growing workforce demand for pharmacists.
“SUNY Oneonta is excited to secure this exciting new opportunity for our students,” said Tracy Allen, dean of SUNY Oneonta’s School
Continued on page 11
by their support for the mission and work of the shelter as we serve animals in need across the region,” she added. Those interested in registering for the Robert B. Schlather Susquehanna SPCA Golf Fundraiser can do so online at https://www. sqspca.org/news-events/ In operation since
1917, the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a 501c3 charitable organization committed to caring for homeless, surrendered, and seized companion animals and finding them loving, forever homes. The SQSPCA is a privately funded, state inspected animal shelter prac-
ticing “no-kill” philosophies. Private donations, grants, fundraising and the New Leash on Life Thrift Shop are the shelter’s primary sources of income. The SQSPCA is located at 5082-5088 State Highway 28, just south of the Village of Cooperstown. For more information or to donate, visit www.sqspca.org.
Photo by Teresa Winchester
Attendees at the “Good Trouble Rally and Live Art Display,” held in Oneonta’s Neahwa Park on June 17, look through signs, numbering approximately 200 and created for the rally to raise awareness of the grievances many have against the Trump administration.
Perspectives
EDITORIaL
EMedia Squabbles
arlier this month, almost immediately following President Donald J. Trump’s signature on the “One Big Beautiful Law,” both the Senate and the House passed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which will cancel $9 billion in previously-allocated funding toward both domestic and international programs, including public broadcasting and foreign aid. The bill now goes to President Trump for his signature.
Arguably one of the more controversial components of the Rescissions Act is the federal defunding of National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. Approximately $1.1 billion in federal funding previously allocated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027, are now to be rescinded.
According to its website, CPB is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting and the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services. It is a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act into law in 1967 to support the “instructional, educational, and cultural purposes” of public television and radio broadcasting for the American people, especially “children and minorities,” and to give a “stronger voice to educational radio and television.” Congress then created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which established NPR in 1970 to provide programming to the country’s noncommercial and educational radio stations. At the time, there were primarily three national television networks in the U.S.—ABC, CBS and NBC. Some local and UHF stations were available to viewers depending on location and reception. PBS was founded in 1969.
CPB’s mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services, distributing more than 70 percent of its funding to some 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. CPB does not produce programming and does not own, operate or control any public broadcasting stations, according to its website. Additionally, CPB, PBS, and NPR are independent of each other and of local public television and radio stations.
As with much of today’s U.S. politics, the country is fairly divided regarding these cuts to public broadcasting.
Many believe that NPR and PBS exhibit a liberal bias, catering to one side of the political spectrum, and therefore are not worthy of taxpayer funding. They also argue that government-funded media is unnecessary in what is now an era of “content abundance” and diverse media options versus what was available to citizens more than 50 years ago.
Those in favor of continued funding contend that public broadcasting provides essential news, education, and cultural programming, especially in underserved and rural areas where local news options are dwindling, and, in times of crisis, provides emergency alerts and natural disaster warnings. Both NPR and PBS argue that their reporting is objective and without bias.
Typically, CPB has received roughly $535 million annually in federal appropriations, which is distributed to public radio and television stations across the nation. The Rescissions Act of 2025 eliminates all federal funding for CPB.
Federal funding to NPR and PBS is a relatively small part of their annual budgets—around 1 percent and 15 percent, respectively. However, as local member stations are heavily reliant on CPB funding for their operations, the cuts are expected to have a significant impact on local rural stations, potentially leading to layoffs, reduced programming, and even closures, according to Axios.
Proposed defunding of public media is nothing new. The Cato Institute—a libertarian think tank, the mission of which is to advocate for individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—has been objecting to federal funding for public media since the 1970s. And Congress has been considering this move for several decades, as conservative lawmakers and activists continue to argue that taxpayer money should not be used to fund what they perceive as left-leaning media outlets.
NPR and PBS have each filed lawsuits against the Trump administration. They argue that these defunding efforts are a violation of their First Amendment rights and the Public Broadcasting Act. But according to President Trump’s Executive Order of May 1, 2025, he is “ending taxpayer subsidization of biased media.” His stance is that the CPB’s governing statute “reflects principles of impartiality” and that the CPB may not “contribute to or otherwise support any political party” and contends they are not in compliance.
Maybe both are right.
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Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of William Cooper is in the Fenimore Art Museum
THE PaRTIaL ObSERvER PauL SIngH
Milford Strong
On Friday, July 18, a fire destroyed the Milford Corner Store, Sybil’s Yarn Shop and two nearby residences. This tragedy has shaken our community in ways that words can hardly express. It has taken so much from so many—leaving behind pain, trauma and a void that can never truly be filled. The buildings may be gone, but what hurts more is the loss of what they meant to the people who lived and gathered there. These weren’t just structures. They were homes, a place to gather.
One man was rescued from his second-floor apartment thanks only to the quick actions of our heroic fire department and a neighbor who realized someone was trapped inside. It’s because of that selfless urgency that he is alive today.
And then there’s Sybil’s Yarn Shop—not just a store, but a beautiful place where people come together, week after week, to share their lives, their stories, and their creativity. I’ve known people who would drive from far away just to spend time there, including someone from North Carolina, who made an annual journey just to be part of that special community. That shop was a thread that wove so many people together.
I stood beside the owner of Sybil’s Yarn Shop as the building burned. When the deck roof collapsed in flames, I was right next to her—it all felt so surreal. She shared with me how many people’s memories were tied to that space. So much love, time and effort had been poured into making it what it was. Many had projects in progress and, for her, it was years of dedication going up in smoke. I didn’t have the right words—nothing felt like enough. I just hugged her and said, “This is the last thing anyone should ever have to witness, watching a place they love so deeply disappear before their eyes.” Sitting beside Jeanetta Osterhoudt afterward, looking at her in silence, I couldn’t begin to understand what was running through her mind. To see something she built with her own hands and heart burn down in front of her—it’s one of the hardest, most heartbreaking things a person can go through.
The corner store, a cornerstone of our village for generations, is now gone. It was more than a place to grab lunch or a sandwich before a baseball game. It was a place filled with memories, laughter and tradition. A place where kids felt safe, where neighbors connected, and where the hardworking business owners poured their hearts into serving our village, day in and day out. That store cannot be replaced—not in spirit, not in heart.
The loss of Celeste and Blaine Joslyn’s home is equally devastating. That house stood for over 200 years—and for the last 33 years, it was filled with the memories of a life they built together. Celeste is one of the most generous, selfless people I’ve ever known. I’ve seen her help so many who were struggling—quietly, without asking for anything in return—and far too often, without being repaid. She gives because that’s who she is. They did not deserve this. No one does. But if anyone can carry this unimaginable burden with grace, it’s them. I have the deepest respect for them both.
July 18th was a heartbreaking day in our village. Yet in the midst of this tragedy, I witnessed courage I will never forget. Our fire department, especially Devin Devlin, Will Smith, Bianca Bello, Harold Couse, Damon West, Tammy Continued on page 9
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR … In THEIR OPInIOn
Working Together to Protect Otsego
Chip Northrup’s kind recognition of our contributions toward developing an updated watershed plan for Otsego Lake is greatly appreciated, albeit overstated. In short, efforts to protect the watershed that nurtures Otsego Lake has always been, and must continue to be, a community endeavor. For many decades, the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station, so ably led by Bill Harman, worked tirelessly to address the evolving challenges.
More recently, triggered by the first harmful algal blooms (HABs), The Clark Foundation provided funding for the BFS to acquire equipment to test for the toxins produced by cyanobacteria with additional monies raised from the community through the efforts of Sage Mehta and Michael Robinson. Concurrently, and since the fall of 2022, the Watershed Supervisory Committee, comprised of volunteer representatives of the four municipalities that encompass the Otsego Lake Watershed,
has been laser focused on pursuing a 9 Element Watershed Management Plan (9E Plan)— in addition to our traditional role of monitoring septic systems in the Lake Protection Zone.
The WSC is proud of the progress that we have made, but it would not have been possible without the community in the broadest sense actively supporting those efforts. At the risk of omission: SUNY BFS, Otsego Lake Association, Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District, Otsego County Conservation Association, the Community Foundation of Otsego County and other NFPs, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of State as well as our municipalities and county agencies have all played key roles.
The 9E Plan will ensure that the contributing causes and sources of pollution are identified, that key stakeholders are involved in the planning process, and that restoration and protection strategies are identified that will address the water quality concerns. The comprehensive implementation plan will include a schedule with milestones, the evaluation of progress and the identification of financial assistance required for implementation.
While the WSC has been successful in securing significant grants to support the development of the 9E Plan, matching funds are required to implement the prescribed best management practices (BMPs), support continuous water monitoring and provide for the ongoing management of the Otsego Lake Watershed
Much of what has been accomplished to date has been “below the surface,” but we are now entering the public outreach phase and encourage everyone to attend the first public meeting later this summer to learn more about what is being done and, most importantly, what you can do. In the interim, and to that end, we also encourage you to attend the 2nd Annual BFS Open House at 4 p.m. on July 31, join the Otsego Lake Association, and attend the OLA Annual Gathering at 9 a.m. on August 9 at the Otsego Sailing Club.
Columnists and Contributing Writers Terry Berkson, Monica Calzolari, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Chris Kjolhede, Larry Malone, Cassandra Miller, Wriley Nelson, Joel J. Plue, Sarah Roberts, Tom Shelby, Gayane Torosyan, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin
Compiled
by Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART
135 YEARS AGO
When it was last week announced that Dr. John G. Wight had tendered his resignation as Principal of Cooperstown Union School and Academy, to accept the Principal’s position at the noted high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a salary of $3,000 a year, it was received with mingled feelings of regret and pride—regret that we must part with so useful and valued a citizen, but pride in his deserved promotion. As a leading and successful educator, Dr. Wight has achieved a prominent position in the state; he has endeared himself to scores of young people who have graduated from Cooperstown Union School, and have done credit to their alma mater; and to Dr. Wight’s faithful labors, the school is most largely indebted for its success and standing.
July 25, 1890
110 YEARS AGO
At the afternoon session of the Chautauqua Thursday, the question of Woman’s Suffrage was debated, Miss Helen Todd of California appearing for suffrage and Miss Lucy Price of Ohio opposed. Thirty-five members of the Cooperstown Equal Suffrage Club occupied reserved seats in the center and were generous in their applause of their champion. About the tent was a liberal sprinkling of women and men who thought otherwise and hesitated not to extend applause to Miss Price. Miss Todd presented a forceful argument and cited results in suffrage states, while Miss Price made a logical and well-sustained plea that political activity is not essential to being a potent factor in promoting the welfare and advancement of society.
July 21, 1915
60 YEARS AGO
Campaign starts to preserve Hyde Hall—The future of Hyde Hall, one of America’s great houses, is in the balance. Acquired by New York State in 1963 along with property for Glimmerglass State Park, Hyde Hall may be torn down as a liability hazard on park land—unless the state or the Friends of Hyde Hall, Inc. can find some way of preserving the distinguished landmark. Recently, a number of architects and historians have expressed themselves vehemently about the necessity of saving Hyde Hall.
July 21, 1965
35 YEARS AGO
A four-page questionnaire soliciting information and requesting opinions on the recreational use of Otsego Lake is in circulation by the Joint Lake Committee of Otsego 2000 and the Otsego County Conservation Association. The questionnaire gathers information about the individual respondents and solicits their opinions and concerns about the lake. It has been mailed to the members of various groups associated with the lake. The committee is especially interested in exploring the recreational capacity and frequency of use on Otsego Lake by individual respondents.
July 25, 1990
20 YEARS AGO
Glimmerglass Opera announces the release of the world premiere recording of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s “The Mines of Sulphur” by Chandos Records Ltd. On July 26, Glimmerglass’ criticallyacclaimed production was the work’s American professional stage premiere, recorded live by Chandos in the company’s Alice Busch Opera Theatre during the 2004 season. The recording marks the first time Glimmerglass Opera has been featured on a commercially-produced recording. In other opera news, five Glimmerglass productions will be featured on National Public Radio’s “World of Opera” program in the months of July and August.
Just over 2,500 tickets have been sold for the August 11th Beach Boys/Herman’s Hermits concert at Doubleday Field, about one-fourth of the available seating.
July 22, 2005
news from the noteworthy
OCCA Leads the Way in Local Conservation
Since its founding in 1968, the Otsego County Conservation Association has been a regional leader in grassroots environmental action. What began as a local effort to protect trees has grown into a dynamic nonprofit addressing a wide range of conservation challenges—from invasive species and habitat loss to climate resilience and public education.
One of the most engaging ways OCCA connects with the community is through its Community Science programs. These hands-on, volunteer-powered initiatives invite residents to help monitor and restore local ecosystems. Volunteers team up with OCCA staff to assess stream health, evaluate culverts for aquatic habitat connectivity, track shoreline algae blooms, remove invasive species, and more.
Whether testing water quality in the Butternut Creek watershed, paddling lakes to remove aquatic invasives, or surveying eastern hemlock trees for signs of the destructive hemlock woolly adelgid, participants gather real data that supports science-based solutions. Open to people of all ages and experience levels, these projects include training and help foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
“Involving people directly in the science of conservation doesn’t just protect the environment,” said OCCA Executive Director Amy Wyant. “It empowers communities, builds trust and shows people that their actions truly matter.”
This inclusive, action-oriented philosophy also drives OCCA’s “Community Connections” program. More than a calendar of events, Community Connections is a growing initiative
By MERL REAGLE
ecosystems.
and
designed to strengthen people’s relationships with nature—and with each other. Since its launch in fall 2023, the series has included a wide variety of offerings, such as a popular run of seasonal mushroom walks, all aimed at building community through shared environmental learning and hands-on experience.
Education has always been at the core of OCCA’s work. With Community Connections, education becomes more interactive and personal, designed to spark lifelong stewardship and a stronger, more connected community, one step at a time.
Each year, OCCA honors individuals who exemplify environmental stewardship and community involvement with its Conservationist
For My Next Number…
Acrophobe’s concern: abbr.
Photo provided
community science program volunteers team up with occa staff to assess stream health and to help monitor
restore local
Continued on page 11
1972, winning the AL MVP award in his first season with the Sox after a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Tommy John, engineered by Roland Hemond.
“All of us kids loved Dick Allen, but for me he became my absolute favorite player, mostly because of his on-field playing skills for the White Sox,” said Hemond.
Allen led the league with 37 home runs, 113 RBI, 99 walks, a .420 on base percentage, a .603 slugging percentage and a 1.023 OPS (slugging plus on base percentage). He was named to his fifth All-Star team (first AL squad). Roland Hemond was named AL General Manager of the Year after being advised by his father-in-law, Phillies GM John Quinn, not to sign Allen.
“My father and grandfather were on a flight to Hawaii heading to the winter meetings when a reporter told my dad he was named the GM of the Year, said Hemond, “And dad yelled, ‘Thank you, Dick Allen,’ loud enough for my grandfather, who was seated nearby, to hear.”
A Long Time Coming
Poor Dick Allen and Dave Parker. Both waited a long time to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and neither will be here in Cooperstown to take part in the Induction Day ceremony.
After exhausting their opportunities to be elected on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, both Allen and Parker were elected by the Hall of Fame’s 2024 Classic Baseball Era Committee.
Forgive the editorializing, but it’s a shame that Dick Allen, who died of cancer in December 2020, did not live to see this honor. It stings with added poignancy that he fell just one vote short each of the previous two times his name appeared on an Era Committee ballot.
It’s also tragic for Parker, who died from complications associated with Parkinson’s disease on June 28 of this year, just a month before the scheduled Induction Day ceremony. At least he knew he was a Hall of Famer.
Dick “Don’t Call Me Richie” Allen burst on the big-league scene, winning the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1964, knocking 29 home runs with 91 RBI while playing in all 162 games. He led the league with 13 triples, 125 runs scored and 352 total bases. He finished seventh in NL MVP voting. Despite his objection, Allen was tagged with the moniker “Richie” upon his arrival in Philadelphia. According to biographer Mitchell Nathanson, (“God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen,” 2016), “Richie” was used to connect the team’s hot new prospect in lineage to its most recent former star, Richie
Ashburn. Allen never warmed up to it
“It makes me sound like I’m 10 years old,” Allen was quoted at the time. “Anybody that’s close to me and knows me well calls me Dick. I don’t know why as soon as I put on a uniform it’s Richie.”
Allen was voted to the first of three consecutive NL All-Star teams in 1965 and began establishing himself as one of the league’s top sluggers. He hit a career-high 40 home runs in 1966 and led the league with a .632 slugging percentage and 1.027 OPS, finishing fourth in MVP voting. In 1967, he led the league with a .404 on-base percentage and a .970 OPS.
Despite being one of the game’s rising stars, Allen’s time in Philadelphia might best be described as tumultuous. Right from the start, Allen got off on the wrong foot with members of the media, fans and a few teammates. He infamously brawled with 36-yearold veteran slugger and teammate Frank Thomas in July of 1965, resulting in Thomas’ dismissal.
Whether it was the Phillies organization and the writers referring to him as Richie, or fans and teammates using more offensive racial slurs, Allen responded, or didn’t respond, in his own way.
“No baseball season in my 15-year career had the highs and lows of ’64,” Allen said. “I was the National League Rookie of the Year, but I made over 40 errors at third base. The fans in Philadelphia booed me right from the start, and then at the end of the season they actually had a “Richie Allen Night” for me. The Temptations said it the best baby, I was a ball of confusion,” said Allen in his autobiography “Crash: The Life and Times of Dick Allen,” written with Tim Whitaker.
The Phillies were the last team in the National League to integrate, signing its first Black player, John Kennedy, in 1957. Allen was the team’s first Black star, earning a starting job in his rookie season. It wasn’t easy.
After six tumultuous seasons, during which he averaged 30 home runs, in October of 1969 Allen was traded to the
St. Louis Cardinals in a multi-player swap that would have sent center fielder Curt Flood to the Phillies.
While Allen was eager to get a new lease on life and continue his career elsewhere, Flood was famously furious with the trade, writing in his 1971 autobiography, “The Way It Is”:
“Philadelphia. The nation’s northernmost southern city. Scene of Richie Allen’s ordeals. Home of a ball club rivaled only by the Pirates as the least cheerful organization in the league,” said Flood. “When the proud Cardinals were riding a chartered jet, the Phils were still lumbering through the air in propeller jobs, arriving on the Coast too late to get proper rest before submitting to murder by the Giants and Dodgers. I did not want to succeed Richie Allen in the affections of that organization, its press and its catcalling, missile-hurling audience,” said Flood, who never reported to Philadelphia. But that’s another story.
Allen enjoyed his time in St. Louis and playing for Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst. He had another typically “Allenesque” year in 1970, knocking 34 home runs with 101 RBI in an abbreviated campaign cut short by a torn hamstring in mid-August. Allen was blind-sided by a trade to Los Angeles at the end of the season.
“I was getting to like St. Louis, to feel comfortable,” he said. “Then a couple of weeks after the season, I got a call from Bing Devine, the Cardinals general manager. ‘Rich,’ he said, ‘we’re sending you to the Dodgers.’ That’s all he said. No explanation. No good luck. No thanks.”
Although he continued to put up decent numbers (23 HR, 90 RBI, and a.295 batting average), Allen struggled to fit in in Los Angeles.
“The Dodger organization also emphasizes contact with the fans. They put a lot of pressure on players to sign autographs and have their picture taken. They want you to visit with celebs in the clubhouse before games. Have a laugh with Don Rickles. Eat spaghetti with Sinatra. I kept telling these guys, uh-uh, no, baby, I’m here to play ball. That other
stuff is jive,” said Allen. Another pattern was developing. At season’s end, Allen was traded again, in the deal that sent him from the Dodgers to the White Sox. Four teams in four years.
Allen’s two-and-ahalf seasons with the White Sox amounted to some of the most productive playing time of his career. After his MVP season in 1972, Allen signed a three-year $250,000.00 per-year contract, making him the highest paid player in baseball at the time.
team. He said, ‘There’s only room for one guy to run this team—and that’s me.’ That’s when I knew things would never be the same. I decided it was time to go home.”
Although Allen had unofficially retired, he was still under contract with the White Sox in December, when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves for cash and a player to be named later. Allen did not report to Atlanta.
“I spent a year in Little Rock and I’m not going back [to the Deep
The Prodigal Son If Allen’s cleats could talk, they might fill us in on the details surrounding the circumstances that prompted him to leave the White Sox with another year remaining on his recordsetting contract. Allen spelled it out in his 1989 memoir.
“…in ’74, the Sox went and got Ron Santo from the Cubs. Things got real screwed up both on the field and in the clubhouse after that…He thought he should be the team leader automatically…I had become the White Sox team leader, not by choice, believe me, it just came my way by playing hard, leading by example…The tension between Santo and me began to spread to the other guys in the clubhouse. We stopped being a team. I was still hitting the ball and hitting it good. But we weren’t winning—and we weren’t having fun. Then one day Chuck [Tanner] came up to me and told me the dissension was ruining the
100 percent. Everything wasn’t perfect, but a lot had changed since a decade before. Look at the fashion look in 1964 and 1970,” said Nathanson.
“My first time up as the Phillies’ Prodigal Son, I got a standing ovation. I singled to left and got another standing ovation. Ashburn had been right: Things had changed,” said Allen. In his return to Philadelphia, in 1975 and 1976, Allen’s presence was more important as a mentor and player/ coach to the younger players than as a force in the lineup.
In limited action, Allen hit 12 home runs in 1975 and 15 in 1976. He spent his last uneventful season with the Oakland A’s in 1977.
Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who spent all of his 18-year career in Philadelphia and was a teammate of Allen’s during 1975 and 1976, called Allen “an amazing mentor” and supported his Hall of Fame candidacy every time Allen’s name appeared on a ballot.
“Dick was a sensitive Black man who refused to be treated as a secondclass citizen…labels have kept Dick Allen out of the Hall of Fame,” said Schmidt, when the Phillies retired Allen’s number 15 in September 2020.
Allen finished his 15-year career with 351 homers, 1,119 RBI, 1,848 hits, a .292 batting average and a .912 OPS. In his first year of eligibility for election to the Hall of Fame in 1983, Allen failed to receive the requisite 5 percent to remain on the ballot, garnering just 3.7 percent of the votes and finishing behind 23 candidates.
After a one-year hiatus, Allen’s name magically reappeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1985, after some lobbying by “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” writer Bob Broeg and the creation of another committee to investigate candidates that were deemed overlooked.
South],” he said. The deal was not completed until the Braves ironically sent Allen back to Philadelphia.
Earlier in the spring, while Allen was still in a state of temporary retirement, the Phillies sent a contingent consisting of players Mike Schmidt and Dave Cash, as well as former Phillies legendary center fielder and broadcaster Richie Ashburn, to his home and horse farm in Wampum, Pennsylvania. Ashburn wanted to assure Allen that things had changed in Philadelphia since he left. He was referring to racial attitudes.
“It was the last place he wanted to come back to, but they convinced him to come back,” said author Nathanson.
The Philadelphia that Allen returned to was different from the one he left.
“The world changed between 1969 and 1975. It’s hard to imagine how much America changed in those years. Attitudes changed, not
During his time on the BBWAA ballot, Allen hovered between 15-20 percent, but fared closer on successive Era Committee Ballots until finally being elected this year.
Allen was a controversial character that was never completely understood by his fans or detractors.
“Each side had their arguments, and they were both wrong,” said biographer Nathanson. “One side said he wanted special treatment, and one said he didn’t. He did want special treatment, but not the kind they thought he wanted. He got booed after a race riot that occurred in Philadelphia that happened while the team was out of town and that he never commented on. He was a cypher for how people felt about racial issues. He was an avatar for other people’s opinions. It makes me wonder; what are people talking about when they’re talking about Dick Allen, because they’re not talking about Dick Allen.”
Photo by Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Neither Dick Allen nor Dave Parker lived to see themselves enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Allen died in December 2020; Parker succumbed to illness just one month before the Induction Ceremony.
Graphic provided
Author and artist Kevin O’Malley, a friend of reporter Charlie Vascellaro, created the above caricature of Dick Allen’s famous red cleats.
News Briefs
Continued from page 2
and guest artists, will be on display on the first two floors through August 30. There will also be a free performance and discussion by Duo Extempore, Nicole Brancato and Evan Jagels, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30. The Smithy’s other ongoing exhibition, “Reflections on Glimmerglass,” features local artistic and photography work inspired by Otsego Lake and is on display through August 30. The gallery will be closed on Saturday, July 26 for Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. For more information, visit smithyarts.org.
Tennis Court Dance Returns
ONEONTA—The Sixth Ward Booster Club will revive the popular 1950s and 1960s Oneonta tennis court dance tradition at the Sixth Ward Shindig on Friday, July 25. Held at the Club’s lighted tennis court on Scrambling Avenue, the dance will begin at 7 p.m. Local DJ Tom King will provide music appropriate for all ages. Non-alcoholic beverages, hot dogs and snacks will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public, although donations for the Booster Club’s playground restoration project will be gratefully accepted.
CAA Seeks Event Participants
COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s annual Fine Arts on the Lawn show and sale will return to the Village Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31. Artist CAA members are invited to display up to five framed original works on the porch, with a registration fee of $15.00. Works for display can be dropped off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 29. Artists may also apply for a 10’x10’ tent display space on the lawn, open to works in any medium. There is a $110.00 booth fee and short application. CAA reserves the right to retain a 30 percent commission on all sales. For more information or to register, call (607) 5479777 or visit cooperstownart.com.
BFS Announces Open House
COOPERSTOWN—SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station will host an open house at their Main Laboratory, 5838 State Highway 80 in Cooperstown, from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. There will be displays, specimens and a few brief presentations highlighting BFS research and conservation work on Otsego Lake. Light refreshments will be served and there will be brief boat tours, weather permitting. Registration is encouraged host.nxt.blackbaud.com/ registration-form/?formId=e35a0196-ae30-4bbfb5f9-712e39f24f5a&envId=p-R3D0tdmuhUGDuW 13NglMkQ&zone=usa.
Band Gets Foundation Award
ONEONTA—The Oneonta Community Concert Band received a $2,050.00 grant from the Community Foundation of Otsego County to support its August 17 “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” concert in Wilber Park. The award makes free admission possible. Picnic table seating is available and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and teddy bears. The band will round out its season with a performance at the Grand and Glorious Garage Sale in September and its annual “Salute to Veterans” concert in November. For more information, visit the Oneonta Community Concert Band Facebook page or call (607) 376-7485.
‘Hamlet’ Marks Theatre’s 10th
COOPERSTOWN—The Fenimore Art Museum’s Glimmer Globe Theatre is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bold new staging of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 16 through August 14. Set in a gothic nightmare inspired by classic silent films like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” this haunting production features original music, dramatic scene design and thrilling fight choreography. It stars Jackie Madejski, joined by a talented cast of 17 local and regional performers. Seating is outdoors at the museum’s scenic Lucy B. Hamilton Amphitheater, overlooking Otsego Lake, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring their own seating. Tickets are available at fenimoreart.org.
Event Supports Care Center
COOPERSTOWN—Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network will launch a new fundraising effort with a reception at Fenimore Art Museum from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, August 1. “An Evening Lakeside” will feature live music, a silent auction, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Reservations are $125.00 per person, with all proceeds supporting the fundraising campaign. Individuals or businesses interested in sponsorships may visit bassett.org/friends/events/An_Evening_Lakeside for more information. Tickets are available via the same link. The campaign seeks to raise $500,000.00 in support of Bassett’s $3 million dollar project to build a Convenient Care Center at its Hartwick Seminary Specialty Services Complex, which aims to provide easy access to minor care. Visit bassett.org/friends/ areas-of-need/bassett-convenient-care-cooperstown for more information or to contribute.
Hanft Elected to Lead Board
COOPERSTOWN—Robert Hanft, former J.P. Morgan executive and senior advisor with Strategic Financial Services in Utica, has been elected chair of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors. His three-year term began on July 11. Hanft earned a BA in economics at Hartwick College and an MBA at Long Island University. He served on Hartwick’s Board of Directors for 18 years and has been a member of the Bassett board since 2020. He also serves on the boards of Bassett Medical Center, the Templeton Foundation, Pathfinder Village, Fenimore Art Museum and Springbrook. For more information, visit bassett.org.
Water Flow Testing Scheduled
ONEONTA—A.O. Fox Hospital will conduct a routine test of its fire sprinkler system at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29. It will last one to two hours and may cause a slight drop in water pressure or discoloration for nearby residents. Water safety will not be compromised. For more information, contact Fox Facilities Manager Amanda Twible at (607) 341-5405.
The job scene
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Applicants are currently being sought for the position of advertising sales agent to represent
“The Freeman’s Journal,” “Hometown Oneonta” and “AllOtsego” media outlets. Required skills include:
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Must be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Experience preferred but not necessary; will train the right candidate.
Please send cover letter and resume to info@allotsego.com, with “Sales Position” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. $16--$18/hr + plus commission
St. Mary’s
Continued from page 1
Every Sunday, about 2530 people would gather there after service for bible study.
The former school building also contains a food pantry, which the developers plan to keep.
Each floor of the two-story building will be converted into four apartments for a total of eight apartments. A new elevator will be installed.
“Addressing the community’s needs has been at the heart of this project since those first discussions more than three years ago,” Drnek recalled.
“We plan to keep the corridors wide,” Rubin said. “The basement will become an event space for up to 120 people.”
Rubin referred to this million dollar project as a “mid-level project.”
“When you team up with the right people, you set a precedent,” he said.
Rubin hopes that the lessons learned from repurposing this building to fill current commu-
nity needs will be an example to other developers looking to invest in similar housing projects.
SMS Oneonta Realty LLC will not be relying on tax incentives to complete this project.
“The city has been here every step of the way,” Rubin said.
He hopes a fence will go up around the property in the next few days to signal that the project is underway.
St. Mary’s Church approached Mayor Drnek three years ago with the intent to sell the property and the desire to create housing for seniors.
It took time to find the right buyer, and for the Diocese of Albany to approve the sale.
“As the saying goes… the Good Lord works in mysterious ways,” Drnek said.
Continued from page 4
and the 9E Plan. To that end, we have collaborated with the Community Foundation of Otsego County to create the Otsego Lake Watershed Sustainability Fund. The Letters
fund will be a reliable resource for projects that will monitor and improve the quality of water in the Otsego Lake Watershed.
In conclusion, we have always believed that we all share responsibility to be good stewards of the precious resources that nourish us. We respectfully ask that you join us in taking responsibility and ownership by making a contribution to the Otsego Lake Watershed Sustainability Fund and, if possible, consider making it a five-year commitment: https://cfotsego.fcsuite. com/erp/donate/create/ fund?funit_id=1047
Doug and Rhonda Willies Cooperstown
Just Release the Darn List
Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted pedophile: a man sexually attracted to children. For years we have been told he had a long list of clients who were also sexually attracted to children. Ugly, ugly ugly.
The Trump administration has those files. His attorney general said
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she had Epstein’s client list “on her desk.” The president has alleged over and over again that Democrats were on the “client list.” He created a vision of Democratic elites in government at their worst. But the truth?
Now, the president has refused to release the list. He has savaged those who are calling for the release. He has called some of his supporters “stupid” and “foolish,” for demanding the Epstein files release.
Mr. President: Clear your name and others. Do not engage in a coverup. Release the list. After all, who would not do so, unless they thought they or their supporters were guilty?
And Mr. President: The entire list, not with redacted names.
Sherwood Guernsey Schoharie Native Williamstown, MA
Should Illegals Be Protected?
Some say the feds are monstrous and scary
As they stalk migrants who are weak and unwary
And when they round
up our dear foreign “guests” With baskets of convoluted arrests, They accord them complete sanctuary.
Waldo Johnston Vero Beach, Florida and Cooperstown
Dueling Limericks
Biden’s win was at least seven million Trump called his Proud Boys to rebellion They pooped in the halls
That’s not what I call Respect for a fair-won election.
Cleo Mook Cooperstown
In Support of Reciprocity
Under the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Americans privileged to have income subject to tax benefitted by having their tax rates maintained at their 2017 levels; those subject to high state and local income and property taxes (e.g., New Yorkers) also benefitted by having the federal deductible limit for those taxes substantially increased. Those not so privileged
“gave” up substantial amounts of their benefits for food aid because of the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” draconian cuts to food programs and non-profit food providers. For whatever motive suits—altruism, philanthropy, religion, morality, or just plain decency— we privileged ones should take a bit of the largesse bestowed upon us and make it available for the benefit of the unprivileged. A check to the Cooperstown Food Pantry, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, would serve that purpose nicely. And, by the way, donations are tax deductible.
John A. Rudy Cooperstown
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Photos welcome, too! info@allotsego.com
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Jones, Casey Eckler, Carey Eckler Sutphin, John Ashe, and others, responded with incredible speed and bravery. My liquor store footage shows Devin and Will were the first on the scene, followed by Tammy and Damon. They acted with urgency and compassion, risking their lives to protect ours. I saw the flames leaping high and embers flying over the firehouse. The wind made it so much worse. Even when the communication systems went down, cutting off other responders, our local heroes didn’t waver. I bow my head to them.
There are more heroes we must recognize: Austin Partridge and Seth Edson. Austin’s mom saw the fire and called him right away. Without hesitation, Austin ran to alert neighbors. He knocked on doors, woke people up—including my own tenants, DD Yerdon
and Caitlin. He then rushed over to Celeste and Blaine’s home and warned them to evacuate. Seth, too, went door to door, making sure others got out safely. What they did was nothing short of heroic. Because of them, people are alive today. And DD Yerdon—she didn’t just escape danger herself, she acted. She
Charles Joseph Hudson 1937-2025
COOPERSTOWN—
Charles Joseph Hudson, MD, whose life served as an inspiration to friends, colleagues and family, died on July 11, 2025 after a long illness. He had recently moved to Stroudwater Lodge Assisted Living in Westbrook, Maine from Cooperstown, New York where he and his wife, Dorothy, lived for over 50 years.
Chuck was born on June 12, 1937 in Oak Tree, New Jersey. He attended Princeton University, where he excelled in track and cross-country running. In 1959, after marrying Dorothy Underwood of East Brunswick, New Jersey, he began his medical education at McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Quebec. After graduation he joined the U.S. Public Health Service in Alaska, working in Dillingham and Anchorage, providing medical service throughout the state, often flying by bush plane into villages. He completed advanced studies in psychiatry in Vermont, then returned to practice in Anchorage for several years before moving with his family to
Cooperstown. He worked at the Bassett Hospital Schoharie County Mental Health Center, and retired as the director of the geriatric program at the Capital District Psychiatric Center in Albany.
A longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, New York, Chuck was a man of unusual depth. He was devoted to social justice and felt deep compassion for those without access to good medical care. He was a longtime advocate for a single payer healthcare system. Chuck was a devoted athlete from a young age. He was the New Jersey state mile champion in 1954. He ran his first marathon in 1972 with almost no training. He loved snowshoe racing and competed against the best snowshoers of Quebec while in Lewiston, Maine. He also loved fencing, biking, peddle boating, and was a competitive swimmer into his 80s. He and Dorothy often swam in Cooperstown’s Otsego Lake, referring to it as a sacred place. Chuck’s other passions included astronomy, amateur radio, Greek philosophy, playing baroque music and making musical instruments. His sense of humor was infectious, whether it was insightful satire or dad jokes.
He and Dorothy celebrated 66 joyful years of marriage. Together they raised three children, Beth, Andrew and Landis. In addition to his wife and children, he leaves four granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, Maine.
told the first responders that someone was trapped, and because of her, Zack was rescued. These actions mattered. These actions saved lives. I am also thankful to our local government officials—Brian Pokorny, Mike Strong and Dave West, who were on-site from the early hours of Friday morning when
the fire started and remained through the evening. These are three extremely wellconnected individuals who were able to get us access to much-needed resources quickly.
At 2:30 a.m., as I walked through our village, I saw people doing everything they could to save others, without thinking of
OBITUARIES
William Ralston
1948-2025
COOPERSTOWN—
William “Bill” Ralston was born on November 29, 1948 to John Ralston and Lois Van De Walle Ralston and grew up in Irondequoit, near Rochester, New York. He passed away suddenly on July 5, 2025 at his house just outside Cooperstown, while doing one of the things he loved best—working on his beloved wilderness property. He spent his final hours raking up fresh grass for his treasured compost pile. He was 76 years old.
Bill graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in chemistry and went on to Colgate University to earn a graduate teaching degree, but soon discovered his real passion of woodworking and furniture making. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he apprenticed under a master craftsman.
In 1979, he opened his first shop, Ralston Furniture Reproductions, in Cherry Valley. He focused on American 18th-century furniture. Later, he moved his shop to Cooperstown, first located for years on Pioneer Street, and subsequently outside the village on Route 28—spaces he shared
themselves. Multiple fire companies arrived, and in my eyes, prevented an even greater disaster. It could have been worse. Much worse. But because of these selfless heroes, it wasn’t.
We lost so much that night. Homes, history and the beating heart of what made our village feel like home. But in our loss, we also saw the best of humanity: neighbors looking out for neighbors, strangers becoming heroes, and a community pulling together. When I ran down the street at 2:30 a.m., I couldn’t believe my eyes. In the midst of a surreal site, I saw people trying to rescue others, I saw people I see every day become heroes. Mr. Ashe Sr. was there doing everything he could to help those in need.
On the day of the tragedy, Devin shared a heartfelt memory with me about going into the corner store as a little girl. It reminded me just how deeply connected so many people are to the corner store. Over the years, I’ve heard
Bill developed an appreciation for the Art Deco aesthetic and designed and created pieces reflecting this taste, most recently a cocktail tray featured in his final exhibition this spring. He was widely recognized for his meticulous work and dedication to excellence in his craft. Over the years he developed and maintained a wide range of customers and clients, from local families and collectors to religious clerics and national historic sites.
Bill’s interests were numerous and varied. He was an avid reader on many topics, at one point devoting himself to reading “The New Yorker” magazine coverto-cover. He seemed to possess an encyclopedic retention of the articles he carefully set
aside to read when time permitted—especially the film reviews. He was also active in town and civic affairs, with a particular interest in conservation. Bill was especially involved in Friends of the Parks; as a fervent ice skater, he was instrumental in urging the Village of Cooperstown to maintain the skating rink in Badger Park for the pleasure of all area residents.
Bill loved to canoe and was a veteran of many strenuous canoe races, often leading a team on the annual 72mile General Clinton Memorial Day race down the Susquehanna River. He taught himself to build and play the hammered dulcimer, and more recently became a skilled bridge player, playing weekly with friends right up until his death. One of his most endearing passions was taking children and adults on a walk that conveyed the size of the solar system. He used a bowling ball as a model of the sun and a peppercorn as a model of the earth, and then paced out distances to scale on local railroad tracks. Although Bill would never call himself a good cook, he was a determined baker;
stories from longtime community members about when the Crowleys owned it, then Keith Velasco, followed by Scott Pickwick, and most recently Laurie Burch. Each chapter brought its own warmth and meaning. It truly was the heart of our neighborhood—a place woven into our lives. This loss is deeply felt, and the memories made there will always hold a special place in our hearts. To all who acted bravely, to all who stood in harm’s way for the sake of others—I am humbled. I am grateful. I will never forget. We will never forget. I am in tears as I write this. When I saw the firefighters fight the fire, I felt helpless and was thinking, what I can do to help? It was way too much to watch the cornerstone of your community burn down. I bow my head to the first responders. We will always be Milford Strong.
Paul Singh is a Milford community member.
friends and family were often the beneficiaries of homemade apple pies and strawberry shortcake. He was known for his salads that were loaded with shredded carrots, his contribution to the countless potluck dinners he attended over the years in Cooperstown. Always active, his recent travels included trips exploring California and the West Coast with his cherished son, Dan. This spring, Bill completed a two week rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. He recounted the journey vividly, as if he were still there paddling and looking up at the canyon walls, although he critiqued the trip as being too luxurious for his taste. At the time of his death he was planning a canoe trip in the far Northwest Territories with two long-time friends and fellow paddlers. Bill was predeceased by his wife, Sarah Hall. He is survived by his dear son, Daniel Ralston, who is earning a PhD in mathematics at the University of California in Santa Barbara, and his older sister, Martha Wales, in Manchester, Massachusetts.
with stair builder James Dean.
Photo provided WILLIAM RALSTON
Photo provided
CHARLES JOSEPH HUDSON
Photo courtesy of the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office
A structure fire on Friday, July 18 in the Village of Milford destroyed the Milford Corner Store, Sybil’s Yarn Shop and two nearby residences.
LegaL nOtice
Notice of formatioN of Fly N66 LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 2/13/25.
Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 391 Airport Rd., Oneonta NY 13820. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalJul.24
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Notice of formatioN of 4JAS, LLC
Articles of org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 6/9/25. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 8-12 Dietz St., Ste. 202, Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalJul.24
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Notice of formatioN of Pierce Creations LLC
Articles of organization for Pierce Creations LLC were filed with the New York Department of State on June 13, 2025. The office of the LLC is in Otsego County, NY. The Secretary of State is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Secretary of State shall mail process to:7014 13th Ave., Ste. 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. The LLC is formed to engage in any lawful activity under the New York LLC Law.
6LegalJul.24
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name:
GAUGHAN TRUCKING LLC.
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 16 May 2025.
Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 189 Hinds Road, Springfield Center, NY 13468. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalJul.24
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY:
The Center of ME LLC,
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 04/11/2025.
Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to P.O. Box 381, Oneonta NY 13820. Purpose: to engage in any lawful purpose.
6LegalJul.31
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Notice of formatioN of White Pine Acres LLC
Art. of org filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 05/22/2025.
Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served & shall mail a copy of process to 37 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown NY 13326. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
6LegalJul.31
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY (LLc).
Name:
Clover Field Landscapes, LLC
Articles of organization of Clover Field Landscapes, LLC were filed with the New York Secretary of State (SSNY) on May 14, 2025. The office location is Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to 809 Co. Hwy. 22, Burlington
Flats, N.Y. 13318. The LLC purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalAug.7
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Notice of formatioN of FST PROPERTIES LLC.
Filed with SSNY on 06/11/2025. Office: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 42 MEDALLION DR, OTEGO, NY 13825. Purpose: Any Lawful. 6LegalAug.7
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Notice of formatioN of HOLLY HOPS FLOWER FARM LLC
Arts. of org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/23/25. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 8200 W. Lake Dr., W. Palm Beach, FL 33406. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 6LegalAug.7
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Notice of formatioN of Caleb Backus Farrier Service LLC
Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on March 14th, 2025. Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Caleb Ley Backus, 190 Butternut Rd Unadilla, NY 13849. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalAug.14
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Notice of formatioN of
Hat Trick Homes, LLC, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on June 30, 2025. NY office Location: OTSEGO County. SSNY is desig-
LEGALS
nated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served upon him/her to: C/O Hat Trick Homes, LLC, 31 Pioneer Street, Suite 3, Cooperstown, NY 13326. General Purposes.
6LegalAug.14
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Notice of formatioN of
GLEASON HOLDINGS LLC
Articles of org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 6/30/25. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 5445 Rt. 67, East Durham, NY 12423. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Principal business loc: 9 Elm St., Worcester, NY 12197. 6LegalAug.14
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name:
TIM ELLIS & SON GENERAL CONTRACTING LLC.
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 1 July 2025. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 341 Morton Road, Cherry Valley, New York 13320. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalAug.14
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name: TITCHENERS LLC.
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 1 July 2025. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall
mail copy of process to 15 South Street, Cooperstown, New York 13326. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalAug.14
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Notice of formatioN of The Bremo Group LLC
filed Arts of org. on 07/03/2025 . Office: Otsego Co.
SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 418 Broadway STE N, Albany, NY 12207 USA
Purpose: Any Legal Purpose.
6LegalAug.21
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reQUeStS for bidS
Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) pursuant to New York General Municipal Law 103 and on behalf of the project Landowner, will be receiving sealed bids for a water well BMP (642) regarding Project #08-37-1 funded through NYS Dept of Agriculture and Markets Climate Resilient Farming Grant. The successful bidder must have technical knowledge and experience with the water well BMP systems to be installed as well as conducting a Step-Down aquifer performance pumping test.
The Step – Down Pumping Test should follow the following parameters:
• Step pumping rates: 50%, 100%, 150% of the max design production rate (maxDPR)
– performed at 15, 30, 45 gpm or based on the well drillers estimated yield*.
• Step duration:
• Step 1: One hour after stabilization
• Step 2– 3: Two hours each after stabilization
• The air life method for the pumping test is Not allowed by NRCS or NYS DEC.
Additionally, if the 150% maxDPR gpm pumping rate appears to over pump or drawdown the well to the depth of the pump then the well driller will need to decrease the pumping rate to the 100% maxDPR gpm. At which the test will continue for 2 hours after
stabilization.
*Step pumping rates dependent on well drillers estimated yield after installation. If a lower yield is estimated, then the step rates will be 25%, 50% 100% of the estimated yield. If possible, a 4th step can be performed at 150% of the estimated yield.
Attendance by the contractors or their representatives at the site showing at 10 a.m. on 07/25/2025 will be MANDATORY and by registration only, and failure to do so will result in an automatic rejection. Bid packets will be picked up at the site showing and shall be returned, sealed and labeled “Water Well CRF Project #08-37-1” in the lower left corner of a 13”x9” manila envelope addressed to the Landowner in care of Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District, 967 County Highway 33, Cooperstown NY 13326. email or electronic bid submissions will Not be accepted. The project will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, with both the engineer and the landowner reserving the right to reject any or all bids. Bids will be received up until 08/07/2025 by 4:00 p.m., with the opening of the packets will be at the SWCD office (967 County Hwy. 33 Cooperstown, NY 13326) on 08/08/2025 at 10:00 a.m.
Additional BMP and event information (addresses, landowner contact, etc.) may be obtained from District Manager, Christos Galanopoulos, at Christos@otsegosoilandwater. com or requested by phone at 607-547-8337 ext. 4. Requests for hard copies and registering for the field event will be due by 07/23/2025 at 4:30 pm.
2LegalJul.24
LegaL
nOtice
Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY.
Name: KD RISING LLC. Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 11 July 2025. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been
designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 12 Commons Dr, Apt 201, Gilbertsville, NY 13776. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.
6LegalAug.21
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Notice of formatioN of Mountainside Farm LLC
Office Location: Otsego County N.Y. articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on July 3, 2025. SSNY is designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served and SSNY shall mail process to Mountainside Farm LLC located at 135 Chestnut Ridge Road, Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Any lawful purpose.
6LegalAug.21
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Notice of pUbLic HeariNG
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board for the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard:
• Meeting to be held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.
67 estli avenue - Applicant seeks permission to install a solar panel array
The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Public comments must be provided by email to the Zoning Officer at zoning@cooperstownny.org or by regular mail to the address below no later than Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
Jenna Utter, RMC Village Clerk Village of
Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
Tele: (607)5472411
Email: jutter@ cooperstownny. org
1LegalJul.24
LegaL nOtice
Notice of pUbLic HeariNG
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board for the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard:
• Meeting to be held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. 26 Walnut Street - Applicant seeks permission to demolish existing shed
The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Public comments must be provided by email to the Zoning Officer at zoning@cooperstownny.org or by regular mail to the address below no later than Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
Jenna Utter, RMC Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
Tele: (607)5472411
Email: jutter@ cooperstownny. org
1LegalJul.24
LegaL nOtice
Notice of pUbLic HeariNG
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board for the Village of Cooperstown will hold the following public hearing on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard:
• Meeting to be held in the Village Office Building, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.
37 Walnut Street - Applicant seeks permission to
demolish existing shed
The plans for this project are on file with the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village Office, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, and may be seen during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Public comments must be provided by email to the Zoning Officer at zoning@cooperstownny.org or by regular mail to the address below no later than Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
Jenna Utter, RMC
Village Clerk Village of Cooperstown 22 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326
Tele: (607)5472411 Email: jutter@ cooperstownny. org
1LegalJul.24
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Notice of formatioN of
MBHHL, LLC, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on July 10, 2025. NY office Location: OTSEGO County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process served upon him/her to: C/O MBHHL, LLC, 295 Emmons Hill Rd, Oneonta, NY 13820. General Purposes.
6LegalAug.28
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Notice of formatioN of a NY Limited LiabiLitY compaNY
Name:
CHERRY VALLEY ORCHARD LLC
Articles of organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 22 June 2025. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 410 Oneill Rd., Cherry Valley, NY 13320. Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws. 6LegalAug.28
OCCA
Continued from page 5
of the Year award. This year’s recipients, Matt Albright and Holly Waterfield, have dedicated their careers to the protection and preservation of Otsego Lake and the upper Susquehanna River watershed through their longstanding work at SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station. Their efforts represent the best of what a collaborative, community-based approach to conservation can achieve. Over the decades, Albright and Waterfield have gone far beyond their dayto-day responsibilities, working tirelessly to advance environmental education and scientific literacy across all ages and backgrounds.
They have played integral roles in shaping and running the field station’s summer internship programs for high-school and college students, mentoring young scientists and providing them with hands-on experience in field research and water quality monitoring. Their outreach also extends to pre-college field trip groups, local schools, and community members, all of whom benefit from their approachable teaching style and deep knowledge of local ecosystems.
Albright, who has served at the station for more than 35 years, has led applied research on stormwater runoff, nutrient cycling and invasive species, providing vital data that informs local water management.
Waterfield, a staff member since 2007, has led critical studies on septic systems, fisheries and harmful algal blooms. After the major HAB event in 2022, she spearheaded toxin monitoring efforts and successfully guided the lab’s certification through New York State’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program.
For the first time, OCCA is also recognizing a Junior Conservationist of the Year. This year’s honoree, Elias MacLeish, a senior at Cooperstown Central School, has revitalized the school’s LaCava Nature Center, rebuilt trails, volunteered at Earth Festival events, and led nature walks with OCCA. He plans to study geology after graduation.
From schoolyards to state forests, OCCA is building a conservation movement as diverse and dynamic as the ecosystems it protects. With volunteers at its core and science as its compass, the future of environmental stewardship in Otsego County looks bright.
You can hear from OCCA’s Conservationists of the Year and cheer them on at the Annual Dinner, taking place on Sunday, August 24 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at www.occainfo.org or by calling (607) 547-4488.
To learn more, volunteer, or support OCCA’s work, visit www. occainfo.org.
Shelby MacLeish is the project and education coordinator for the Otsego County Conservation Association.
Induction
Continued from page 1
Cooperstown to honor the Class of 2025 include: Jeff Bagwell, Harold Baines, Adrian Beltré, Johnny Bench, Craig Biggio, Bert Blyleven, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Rod Carew, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Carlton Fisk, Pat Gillick, Tom Glavine, Ken Griffey Jr., Todd Helton, Trevor Hoffman, Reggie Jackson, Fergie Jenkins, Derek Jeter, Randy Johnson, Jim Kaat, Sandy Koufax, Tony La Russa, Barry Larkin, Jim Leyland, Juan Marichal, Edgar Martinez, Pedro Martínez, Joe Mauer, Fred McGriff, Paul Molitor, Jack Morris, Eddie Murray, Tony Oliva, Tony Pérez, Tim Raines, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken, Mariano Rivera, Scott Rolen, CC Sabathia, Mike Schmidt, Bud Selig, Ted Simmons, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, John Smoltz, Ichiro Suzuki, Jim Thome, Joe Torre, Alan Trammell, Billy Wagner, Billy Williams, Dave Winfield and Robin Yount.
The Induction Ceremony will be held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown starting at 1:30 p.m. on July 27, unless severe weather forces the event cancellation. Lawn seating is free and the ceremony is expected to last two-anda-half hours. The ceremony will be televised live on MLB Network and broadcast nationally on Sirius XM Radio.
The complete schedule for Hall of Fame Weekend and other information can be found at https://baseballhall. org/visit/hof-2025.
Participants Sought for Author Expo 2025
ONEONTA—Huntington Memorial Library and the Community Arts Network of Oneonta will hold their Author Expo 2025 at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 12. Authors of published books are invited to sell and sign their work and chat with readers. To participate, fill out an application at canoneonta.org/ by September 12. Writers Salon will organize a separate event for self-published authors at Wilber Mansion at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 18; contact writers-salon@canoneonta.org for more information.
Onondaga County Reports WNV, EEEV
SYRACUSE—Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Kathryn Anderson announced on July 16 that the county’s first human case of West Nile virus since 2019 was detected in an elderly individual in the Town of Cicero. They were hospitalized and have since been discharged to recover. Additionally, Eastern equine encephalitis virus was detected in mosquitoes on East Taft Road in the Town of Cicero. View the full report at healthnews.ongov. net/human-case-of-wnv-eee-in-mosquitoes-7-16-25/.
Partners
Continued from page 3
of Sciences. “Working together, SUNY Oneonta and University at Buffalo can proactively and efficiently address a workforce need, improve the health of our communities, and provide relevant educational experiences for our students.”
“The 3+4 PharmD partnership will leverage SUNY Oneonta’s biology major as strong preparation for success in a rigorous program and facilitates a streamlined approach to support students in their academic pathway to UB’s PharmD program,” said Tami LaPilusa, director, Office of Health Careers, SUNY Oneonta.
The program will guide students to complete three years of undergraduate study at SUNY Oneonta, then apply to the UB pharmacy program. Once accepted, students will have their first-year phar-
macy courses applied toward completion of their bachelor’s degree at SUNY Oneonta. Rather than taking four years to complete a bachelor’s degree and another four years to complete
the doctor of pharmacy degree, students will complete both programs in seven years. The pharmacy program will guarantee spaces each year for qualified SUNY Oneonta students.
►Friday, July 25
NOMINATIONS 3rd
Annual Dr. Yoshiro Matsuo Compassionate Care Award seeks nominees. Deadline is 8/22. Helios Care, 297 River Street Service Road, Oneonta. (607) 432-5525.
BASEBALL
8-10:30 a.m. “Turn Two with Ozzie Smith.” Reception, photos, commemorative gifts, baseball instruction and stories with Hall of Famers at Doubleday Field. Fees apply. Fundraiser for the Hall of Fame’s educational mission. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 5470385.
READING 10 a.m.
“Summer Reading Program: Nature Walk.” Lead by Shelby MacLeish of the Otsego County Conservation Association. Registration required. Kinney Memorial Library, 3140 County Highway 11, Hartwick. (607) 2936600.
CRAFT 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Knitting/Crochet. Richfield Springs Public Library, 102 Main Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-0230.
MOBILE MUSEUM
Noon to 3:30 p.m. “Utica Children’s Mobile Museum.” Presented by the Richfield Springs Public Library, 102 Main Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-0230.
ACTING 1 p.m. “The Creative Acting Show.” Featuring local kids who learned to act in the “Creative Acting Class.” Free; all welcome. Strawberry Hall, Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.
BLOOD DRIVE
1-5:30 p.m. New Lisbon
Town Hall, 908 County Road 16, Garratsville. RedCrossBlood.org
BASEBALL
1-6:30 p.m. “MLB Play Ball.” Presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Children learn how to play baseball at its most basic level. No equipment necessary. Free; registration requested. Continues 7/26. Doubleday Field, 1 Doubleday Court, Cooperstown. (607) 5477200.
POTTERY
1:30-4:30 p.m. Open Studio. Experienced potters work on personal projects. No instruction provided. Fees apply. Held Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and 6-9 p.m. on Thursday. The Smithy Clay Studio, 1 Otsego Court, Cooperstown. Gallery@ SmithyArts.org.
HISTORICAL MARKER 2 p.m. New historical marker arrives for The Sixth Ward, 70 River Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-6450.
BASEBALL ART
4-7 p.m. “Samurai, Baseball and More: A Fine-Arts-Look-at-Baseball.” Continues 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 7/26 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 7/27. The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, Cooperstown. (315) 9419607.
LIVE MUSIC
5:30-7 p.m. Yolanda Bush. Free. Al Gallodoro Memorial Stage, Muller Plaza, Main Street, Oneonta.
CIRCUS 6 p.m. “Circus On Ice.” Elegant ballet on ice combined with traditional circus acts. Tickets required. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.
COOPERSTOWN ESTATE SALE
Fri. Aug. 1st and Sat. Aug. 2nd, 9:00 to 3:00 both days 203 Main Street, Cooperstown Estate of Jean Johnson Cash only sale/Street parking. Check Craigslist/Oneonta for photos. Conducted by Never Move Alone and Glimmerglass Move Managers
BENEFIT 7 p.m.
“Sixth Ward Shindig: A Tennis Court Dance to Support the Playground.” Presented by Lower Deck Events. Free; donations accepted. Scrambling Avenue, Oneonta.
FILM 7:30 p.m. “Free Outdoor Movie Night.” Pathfinder Village, 3 Chenango Road, Edmeston. (607) 965-8377 or pathfindervillage.org THEATER 7:30 p.m. “Magdalen.” A fictional exploration of the women and children who passed through the real-life Magdalene Laundries as slave laborers in 20th-century Ireland. Free; donations appreciated. Also showing at 7:30 p.m. on 7/26 and at 5 p.m. on 7/27. Franklin Stage Company, 25 Institute Street, Franklin. (607) 829-3700.
►Saturday, July 26
COMMUNITY
8 a.m. to noon. “Laurens Community Day.” Yard sales, Utica Zoo live animal booth, Laurens Fire House and EMS Open House, food, more. Laurens.
BASEBALL 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “MLB Play Ball.” Presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Children learn to play baseball. No equipment necessary. Free; registration requested. Doubleday Field, 1 Doubleday Court, Cooperstown. (607) 5477200.
YARD SALE 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Household items and furniture priced to sell. Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, 10 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. (607) 432-3491.
MUSEUM 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Beginning Blacksmithing Workshop.” Fees apply; registration required. Hanford Mills Museum, 51 County Highway 12, East Meredith. (607) 278-5744.
BLOOD DRIVE
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Southside Mall—Oneonta YMCA, 5006 State Highway 23, Oneonta. RedCrossBlood.org
• Ser ving Otsego County and the Neighboring Communities Call Martha Frey for a Free Consultation : (607 ) 4 3 7 - 3 200 • glimmerglassmove.com
LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Music at the Market: Dave Breslau. Huntington Park, Wall Street, Oneonta.
WORKSHOP 10 a.m. to noon. “Gel Printing Workshop.” Fees apply; registration required. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.
PLANETARIUM Family-friendly shows open to the public. Fees apply. SUNY Oneonta Planetarium, Perna Science Building, Room 018A, Oneonta. (607) 4362011.
• 10:30 a.m. “Worlds of Curiosity.”
• 11:30 a.m. “The Sky Tonight.”
DINNER 11:30 a.m. until sold out. Chicken BBQ Dinner. Eat in or take-out available. Laurens Legion, 11 Main Street, Laurens.
CAR SHOW Noon to 4 p.m. “7th Annual Antique Car Show Cruise-In.” Vendors, refreshments and nice cars. Free admission; fee to show a car applies. Windfall Dutch Barn, 2009 Clinton Road, Cherry Valley. (518) 7740134.
LATTES & LITERATURE 1-3 p.m. Book discussion group presented by the Morris Village Library. The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 285-4111.
OPENING RECEPTION 1-4 p.m. “Radiance and Release.” Works on paper by Marcia Scanlon and Marcy Edelstein. On view through 9/6. Edmeston Free Library, 26 East Street, Edmeston. (607) 9658280.
LEGO CLUB 2 p.m. Kinney Memorial Library, 3140 County Highway 11, Hartwick. (607) 2936600.
BASEBALL 3 p.m. Awards Presentation. Hosted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at the Alice Busch Opera Theater, 7300 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5477200.
RECEPTION 4-6 p.m. “Taste of Japan” reception, autographing and
more with the exhibit “Samurai, Baseball and More: A Fine-Arts-Lookat-Baseball.” Free. The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, Cooperstown. (315) 9419607.
LIVE MUSIC
4-5:30 p.m. Jacqueline Marsh. Free. Al Gallodoro Memorial Stage, Muller Plaza, Main Street, Oneonta.
DINNER 4-6 p.m.
“Free Community Dinner.”
Hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, summer salads, beverage and desserts. Held 4th Saturday of each month. Church of Christ Uniting, 22 Church Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-1553.
OPEN MIC 5-8 p.m.
Cozy evening of music, poetry, comedy and more hosted by Khalil Jade. The Gatehouse, 129 Main Street, Morris. (607) 2854111.
BASEBALL 6 p.m.
2025 Parade of Legends. Hall of Famers ride through Cooperstown from The Otesaga Resort Hotel down Main Street to red-carpet arrival at the Baseball Hall of Fame for a private reception. Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-7200.
OPEN MIC 7-9 p.m.
“Coffee House.” Singers, writers, musicians, and more are invited to share works. 10-20 minute slots. Light refreshments available. Free, open to public. Held each 4th Saturday. Schuyler Lake United Methodist Church, 128 Church Street, Schuyler Lake. (609) 234-7769.
CONCERT 7:30 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. “A Haven—Musical Experience.” Presented by Cherry Valley Artworks. Fees apply. The Star Theater, 44 Main Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 2643080.
►Sunday, July 27
MEDITATION
11 a.m. “Sundays at Samye: The Practical Bodhisattva—How to Be a Spiritual Hero in Everyday Life.” Meditation, study and discussion. Held Sundays through 12/21. Samye New York, 412 Glimmerglen Road, Cooperstown. (607) 5475051.
PRESENTATION
1-3 p.m. “Shhhh! Secrets for You About Good
Writing.” Presented by Tom Morgan. Part of the Swart-Wilcox House Museum Summer Sunday Series. Free and open to the public; accessible facilities. Bring own folding lawn chair. Front lawn of the Swart-Wilcox House Museum, Wilcox Avenue, Oneonta.
BASEBALL 1:30 p.m. 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, 124 County Route 52, Cooperstown. (607) 5477200.
►Monday, July 28
BREAKFAST WITH THE BOARD 8-9 a.m. Casual meet and greet with Cooperstown village trustees to discuss local projects, agenda items, more. Includes coffee and donuts. All welcome. Held fourth Monday of each month. Village Board Room, Village Hall, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. COURSE 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. “ServSafe Food Handlers Certification and Renewal Course.” Fees apply; registration required. Presented by the ExCL Center at SUNY Oneonta, Butternut Valley Room, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta. (607) 436-2831.
BASEBALL 10:30 a.m. “The Road to Cooperstown Live.” Presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 2025 Hall of Fame inductees share stories of a lifetime spent in baseball. Tickets required. Doubleday Field, 1 Doubleday Court, Cooperstown. (607) 5470397.
SENIOR MEALS Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal MondayFriday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $11 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of chef’s salad, gouda twist, three-bean salad and watermelon. (607) 547-6454.
• 11:30 a.m. Each Monday-Friday. Nader Towers Housing, 2 Mitchell Street, Oneonta. • Noon. Each Monday and Wednesday. Cherry Valley Facilities Corporation Café, 2 Genesee Street, Cherry Valley.
HEALTHY SNACKS 1 p.m. “Summer Reading Program: Color Me Healthy Class.” Presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Kids learn to make fun, healthy snacks. Held each Monday through 8/25. Kinney Memorial Library, 3140 County Highway 11, Hartwick. (607) 293-6600.
