Hometown Oneonta - The Otesgo-Delaware Dispatch

School Spirit Strong

Thursday, September 25, 2008

The fans were ready, the stage was set. The atmosphere was electric as the Oneonta High School Yellowjackets emerged from the locker room in a surreal scene that made me feel like I was in one of the big budget Hollywood football movies. The pee wee football players were lined up across from each other, creating a path for the team to walk through. “Yellowjackets, Yellowjackets” they were chanting. I found myself humming along with the beat, and screaming the lyrics in my head. “Yellowjackets, Yellowjackets”. It was an amazing sight to witness.
Covering the Oneonta football home opener, I noticed a lot of great things. The community really gets behind these guys, and they give it their all (the OHS high school programs are nicer than Hartwick’s!). One thing however that I loved to see was the amount of young players. In my area, it is so political in football that young kids often times don’t get a chance to show their worth. Also, the young guys are Oneonta football from the start, so it creates a sense of unity that we did not have. You see, these kids are Yellowjackets from the time they step into uniform from the time they walk across the stage. Back home, they have all sorts of different teams with different names and it all depends on whose father you know. Not here, not in the City of the Hills and the Home of the Hive.
I found myself humbled by the creativity of the cheerleaders as well. Nobody has any creativity anymore. They were doing all sorts of things, and it seemed like they had a different chant for every situation. They were more like a dance team and cheer team mixed into one. Most cheer squads are the same drab all game, “GO TEAM! YAY! GREEN AND WHITE LET’S FIGHT!” or whatever colors the team sports, and quite frankly it is boring to listen to. This squad gets their fans into it as well as keeps them entertained. Bravo.
I also noticed that the Oneonta football team tends to have a sense of unity, probably because they played together from age 10. On the sidelines when there was a bad play, they didn’t cut each other down but they tried to pick up the pieces. I have seen players get into fights on the sidelines over finger pointing and blame placing, but this team seems to be a team in every sense of the word. Whatever happens to them happens to all of them, and more teams should be this way. I feel that football is becoming too much like a business now instead of like a sport. Players are always looking for their individual statistics and trying to pamper their name. Not this program. Everybody is a Yellow Jacket, and whether they sting or get stung they are all in the hive together.
So, my first Oneonta football game was a success. Yeah, they didn’t win, but there is more to it than that, at least for me. They showed me something that I am not accustomed to seeing. They showed me high school football. Real, true, passionate and emotional football. Yellow Jacket football. I feel like I am part of something special when covering this team because they have something, even when they lose, that more teams need to have, a sense of pride. I feel like a Yellow Jacket myself….If their sweatshirts are as comfortable as their hotdogs are appetizing; show me the line to buy.

Chris McSwiggin, a Hartwick College student, is covering OHS sports for
HOMETOWN ONEONTA.

Labels: 09-26-08, Football, Hometown Sports, Oneonta High School

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 1:35 AM 0 comments

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Walton Couple Heads To Cooperstown Competition

By LAURA COX

When asked if they have any children, Randy and Debra Sundstrom respond, “No, just pumpkins.”
Growing giant pumpkins started for Randy and Debbie after a neighbor who had come over to get some garden vegetables said the pumpkins in her garden were larger than theirs.
The Sundstroms – their vegetables will be competing again this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Pumpkinfest in Cooperstown, against big gourds from several states – took this as a challenge.
The following year they went to a giant pumpkin growers’ convention in Niagara Falls with pen and paper in hand. While listening closely to a question-and-answer session about the methods of four different growers, the Sundstroms quickly learned there was no one sure way to grow a giant pumpkin.
The next summer the couple shared in the nurturing process of their first pumpkin.
A day in the life of the Sundstroms during giant pumpkin growing season starts at 6 a.m., out in the pumpkin patch tending to their pumpkin’s needs, until about 7:45 a.m., when they leave for work.
At 4:30 p.m., they return to the garden and remain there until 9 p.m. or dark.
Preparation for growing pumpkins starts the fall before planting, when the soil in the patch is assessed and amended as needed. The Sundstroms fertilize their soil with animal manure; they receive on average 1,500 yards of manure each year after the Delaware County Fair. The manure is then left to mature, decompose and be turned over for at least a year and a half before being mixed into the soil.
The giant pumpkin seeds are started on May 1, indoors. After two weeks they are moved to a larger pot, and eventually to a cold frame outside.
Once the pumpkins are rooted into the ground they really take off. One plant requires at least 400 square feet. One leaf alone can measure 3-feet across, and a bloom is often 8-9 inches in diameter. The Sundstrom’s watering rig holds 3750 gallons of water and they water their 4 plants with approximately 600 gallons of water every day, taking the weather into account.
Giant pumpkins are sensitive to heat, and the juices inside can boil if left untended, so the Sundstroms have built canopies over their pumpkins to prevent this from happening.
“The pumpkins need early morning sun to warm them up and promote growth, and then they need very late afternoon and evening sun to maintain warmth through the night,” explains Debbie, “then starting in mid-august we cover the pumpkins with blankets each night to help them keep warm.”
All of this work pays off as an average giant pumpkin will grow approximately 25-30 pounds in a day, but with the right environment can grow even larger amounts. As the season nears end, plant growth slows down to just 5-10 lbs a day.
The Sundstroms use a giant pumpkin growth chart to track the estimated weight of their pumpkins. The chart uses measurements of the circumference, side-to-side and end-to-end to determine the volume of the sphere and then the estimate weight.
Randy explained some of the features he and others have determined make a pumpkin veer off the chart, “lighter colored skin means a pumpkin will often be heavier than the chart, while the opposite is true of darker orange colored skin.
A heavy rib often distracts from the weight, while ‘cantalouping’ veins often add, and in general a low and flat pumpkin often weighs heavier than a high and round pumpkin.”
Randy and Debbie are in their 6th year of growing giant pumpkins, and this year they decided they would compete together, instead of against each other as they have in the past.
“We enjoy the camaraderie of spending time with other growers, and this way we can compete in more weigh-offs,” said Randy.
They have four giant pumpkins and will compete in 4 weigh-offs including Cooperstown, Granville, Elmira, Jamestown. Two of the pumpkins were grown from seeds of Debbie’s choosing and the other two of Randy’s choosing. They will use a 5th smaller pumpkin to compete in the Pumpkin Regatta at Pumpkinfest in Cooperstown.
Randy has three things to tell anyone thinking about starting to grow giant pumpkins, “it takes more time than you think, once you’re successful you will want to grow bigger, and if your family is in to it, it makes it extraordinarily enjoyable.”
The Sundstroms reside in Walton and were featured in the PBS special, Lords of the Gourd. Their pumpkin patch is camouflaged by beans, sunflowers, and corn to inhibit the stop of passersby, a time consuming activity. After the weigh-offs their pumpkins usually become giant jack-o-laterns, but in the past have been donated to the Victory Gang Junction Camp in North Carolina, a camp for children of various chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses, for the enjoyment of the children there.

Labels: 09-26-08, Pumpkinfest, The City of the Hills

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 1:16 AM 0 comments

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Face to Face

SAM GOODYEAR

ART BEAT

It’s amazing what keeping one’s ear to the ground will produce, even if one is (as I am) hearing impaired.
Ever on the lookout for an arts angle, especially an unusual one, I hit pay dirt with a small exhibition called “Face to Face” at the Main View Gallery, 73 Main St., Oneonta.
Despite the Main Street address, the gallery is off the most heavily traveled part of the beaten path. You may know the police station and the fire department?
Just past those two essential services, on your right, you will come to an attractive compact set of display windows with an awning over the front door right on the corner. It is adjacent to, and in fact an adjunct of, ARC Otsego Center for Self-Expression.
In one window you will see an enormous papier mache two-sided, double-faced, head with all the grotesquerie and vivid color of the Berlin cabaret scene of the 1930s.
It is beautiful, stunning, moving, alive. In the window on the other side of the front door, you will see a more conventional, but still striking, terra cotta-colored mask.
Moving on into the interior, you will see a variety of media: balsa foam and acrylic, paint on canvas, ceramic, plaster carving, watercolors. On one wall, a stenciled quotation of Michelangelo reads: “I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. A Jackson Pollock quotation on another wall says, “The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through.”
The sculptures and paintings on display are all creations of residents of ARC Otsego. Some are drop-dead beautiful. Search out Jeffrey Peterson’s “I Am Bacchus” in particular.
Anne Holahan has three items of especial note. Everything is worth a look, though, from the small busts, to the larger watercolors (some inspired by Tibetan music), to the earth-toned oil portraits of friends’ faces.
Not to sound too stuffy, but I am generally shocked by the lurid and clashing colors of much of what passes for art in expensive galleries these days.
The colors on display by the “Face to Face” artists are vivid, to be sure, but there is an inviting harmony and understanding of tonal relationship here that, in my humble opinion, more “successful” painters would do well to study. You will linger with pleasure, I guarantee.
It is not a big exhibition, but it is an edifying one. And there is a rack of works that are for sale; you might just find something to brighten a wall at home. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by having a look.

Sam Goodyear’s column on the arts in Otsego and Delaware counties appears weekly.

Labels: 09-26-08, Art Beat, Sam Goodyear, The City of the Hills

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 1:14 AM 0 comments

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Funk Meets Zappa

EVAN JAGELS

MUSIC SCENE

Last Thursday, September 18, witnessed a showdown between SUNY Oneonta ensembles What the Funk, Universal Funk Dispersal, and Frank Zappa band, the Mothers of Intention at the General Clinton Pub in Clinton Plaza, Oneonta.
The pub seemed near saturation as college students, faculty, and community members grooved to funk classics such as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and rocked out to Frank Zappa’s eccentric and challenging compositions.
Kicking off the evening were the two funk ensembles, under the direction of Professor Jeremy Wall. Wall, best known as a founding member of the 1970’s jazz fusion band Spryo Gyra, has received several Grammy nominations as producer, pianist, and composer and plays keyboard for both bands – letting the students stretch out, while never shirking an opportunity to show his chops on the keys. Thick horns, heavy bass, confident guitar, and charged vocals also forced people to turn what little free space there was into a dance floor.
With a career spanning over 30 years, 60 recordings, and repertoire influenced by jazz, rock, avant-garde, rhythm and blues, and classical (to name a few) the music of Frank Zappa is no easy task to arrange, rehearse, and perform, even at the university level. It requires musicians as diverse as Frank Zappa’s influences and a musical director with a similar musical virtuosity – or is it a perversion? Over his career, Zappa put out albums leaning toward the avant-garde such as Weasels Ripped my Flesh, flawlessly covered and parodied hits by the Beatles and the Turtles, testified in front of Congress attacking Tipper Gore’s Parents Music Resource Center (an organization of concerned parents intending to censure lyrics with strong sexual or satanic content) and was even honored among composers John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Alexander Knaifel in the world acclaimed Frankfurt Festival in 1992, shortly before his death. Surprisingly, this creative genius was not influenced by drugs or alcohol, as he was staunchly opposed to such substances.
Leave this challenging directorial task to Mark Pawkett, who has been running the Mothers of Intention (a pun on Frank Zappa’s original band, the Mothers of Invention) since its establishment as a student ensemble four years ago. Pawkett teaches guitar, electric bass, and rock combo at SUNY Oneonta, and lands musically somewhere between classical theory, be-bop, and Megadeth. In addition to leading the Mothers, he arranges the scores and covers Zappa’s signature deep vocals. At his right hand assisting with arrangements and taking on much of the transcription work is Oneonta native and SUNY Oneonta graduate Darcy Gibson, who plays keyboard in the band and provides the typical upper octave backing vocals.
Most exciting, however, was new SUNY Oneonta professor Julie Licata, who showed no sign of struggle playing the virtuosic marimba parts the band so desperately needed in past semesters. This is Licata’s first semester at SUNY Oneonta, where she is Assistant Professor of Percussion and leader of the World Percussion Ensemble. Licata comes from the highly competitive University of North Texas College of Music.
SUNY Oneonta ensembles will continue to claim Thursday nights at the General Clinton Pub for the remainder of this fall semester. This Thursday (Sept. 25) will feature the college’s blues bands, under direction of Professor Tony Scafide. Wednesday’s feature the SUNY Oneonta Jazz Octet, which plays everything from standards to Chic Corea, modern jazz and funk. The Jazz Octet invites all musicians to come and sit in. Both Wednesday and Thursday night’s programs begin at 10 p.m. and charge no admission.

Evan Jagels is a graduate student in SUNY Oneonta’s musical production program.

Labels: 09-26-08, Columns, The City of the Hills, the music scene

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 1:11 AM 0 comments

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I’m Back, Baby!!

Surprised to see me again? You know you missed me ... admit it!
When I signed off last time I figured that my career as a Hartwick blogger had ended with my career as a Hartwick student ... but it turns out that alumni are still people too.
So here I am again to entertain you with my witty commentary on the political world ... and, oh man, have I missed some goooooooood stuff while I was settling in to my new post-Hartwick life.
Before I get back into the punditry, let me update you on what’s been going on with me (in case you care). As most of you know, I graduated from Hartwick in May and had about four days worth of a summer vacation before I moved to Boston on May 30 and began my life as a real-world 9-5 adult on June 2.
I currently work for a start-up company in downtown Boston doing research and I owe it all to my Hartwick degree.
Most of the people I work with are young professionals like myself and many have graduated from or are currently attending some of the top schools in Boston and the Northeast (MIT, Northeastern, BU, Dartmouth…just to name a few).
When I applied for the job they liked me and my grades, etc., but one of my bosses (who happens to have his MBA from Harvard) was skeptical about hiring me because he had never heard of Hartwick ... weird ...
So to make a short story even shorter, he asked my other boss to investigate Hartwick to make sure it was legit. Needless to say they liked what they found and they hired me.
Oh, and just for propaganda purposes, I proudly display a Hartwick pennant above my desk so that my co-workers can catch a glimpse of the blue and white as they walk by.
I live a few miles outside the city with my roommate and fellow Hartwick alum Dave Altman (yes, folks, he graduated!) and we’ve got a sick apartment. We came back for alumni weekend and had a great time.
I got a chance to walk around Golisano when I was on campus and man is that place b-e-a-utiful. I’m pretty jealous of the next batch of ‘Wick students who get to take classes and just lounge around in there, it’s definitely a pretty sweet addition to Hartwick.
Dave and I never thought it would happen … but we actually miss the ‘Wick. Being an adult and having a job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and I miss the days when my biggest worry was having to get up for a 10:10 Karl Seeley class ... I’d give anything to be able to sleep in until 10 a.m. now and just roll out of bed and walk to class. But oh well, time to grow up.
Just let me tell all of you who are wishing your days at Hartwick away ... slow down ... take a second and look around and, even if you hate classes, at least enjoy the scenery.
OK so enough about me for now, I’ll post more about my life later (if you’re lucky). It’s been a craaaaazy summer in politics and I have been itching to put my 2 cents in on all the nonsense that has been going on.
Since (somehow) Obama and McCain seem to be tied-ish in the national polls right now, I think that’s a good place to start my next blog.
As always, please read and comment on my blog as I am always interested to see what people have to say about politics and especially what you all think about my views and my blogging. Thanks in advance for leaving encouraging and disagreeable comments ... I look forward to reading them all!
Until next time ...
Dan Riviello is an ‘08 Hartwick grad now living outside Boston and working as a research associate for Book of Odds Enterprises Inc. He wrote the "Spin Zone" blog while a student, and has revived it for the rest of the presidential campaign, at least. You can access his blog through www.hartwick.edu

Labels: 09-26-08, Dan Riviello, Hometown Views

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Hometown History

125 Years Ago

Advice for ladies & girls – Dr. Frank Hamilton says that at least once a day girls should have their halters taken off and be turned loose like young colts. Calisthenics may be very genteel and romping very un-genteel, but the former is the shadow while the latter is the substance of health-giving exercise – a fact for teachers and others to keep in mind. Facts for fashion: Velvet is much used for trimming. Madras plaids are worn over plain woolen goods. Straw is the preferred material for hats and bonnets. Riding habits are made longer and a new color is very dark crimson. The "thatched roof" hat, with a fringe of wild oats and a profusion of red poppies is worn at seaside. "The Brighton" is the name of a new short jacket, designed for young women who ape the English craze of cutting the hair short and wearing a jockey cap.
September 1883

100 Years Ago

It now seems likely that the drought which prevails in this section at the present time will be one of the long-remembered kind and the children of today will probably describe the terrible drought of 1908 to their own children in the years to come. For many weeks reports have been coming from various sections that wells and streams were drying up. Springs have failed that never did before and village water systems that were supposed to be good for all time have no longer proved adequate. The railroads have had more trouble than ever before to get water enough for their use. In some places water is being sold by the gallon and farmers are carrying it many miles for cattle. Even ice has been melted to obtain water for this purpose.
September 1908

80 Years Ago

Henry Morgenthau, former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, in his radio address, blasted forever the preposterous claims of the Republican Party to responsibility for economic prosperity. "The Weather Bureau," said he, "reports daily what weather we may expect, but this does not mean that it is making the weather." Mr. Morgenthau emphasizes the operation of the Federal Reserve Act, which he declares to be the most important law ever put on our statute books, and which furnishes security against sudden depression in the economic life of the nation. This system, first devised by President Woodrow Wilson, is now the real foundation of whatever prosperity the nation is at present experiencing.
September 1928

60 Years Ago

Hartwick College, the College of the Catskills, in Oneonta, has made pioneering news with the recent introduction of sculpture classes into its academic program under the direction of a professional sculptor in her own studio. It is an attempt to promote and encourage community interest in sculpture and pottery-making. The new classes are under the direction of Miss Genevieve Karr Hamlin who has studied both here and abroad. Miss Hamlin is an exhibiting member of the Sculptor’s Guild and is widely known for her own sculptor work, for her lectures and traveling art exhibits. The class will be conducted off-campus in Miss Hamlin’s own studio where she plans to capture and teach art from the natural feeling of the people in the Oneonta area.
September 1948

40 Years Ago

While students in Otsego County will have a holiday from school on Monday, September 30, their teachers will be attending the 123rd Eastern Zone New York State Teachers Association Conference at four Oneonta locations for the 9:30 a.m. morning session. Twenty-one special interest groups will meet in the afternoon. Lozere Thompson, III, president of the 12,000-member Eastern Zone, NYSTA, says the Oneonta programs are designed to deal realistically with the needs and problems of today’s education. Programs will include "Moving Ahead with NYSTA," "The School as Agent of the Establishment," Urban Problems," "Health Education," The Humanities," and "Changing Patterns."
September 1968

20 Years Ago

Advertisement – Bresee’s 89th anniversary sale – six big days – September 19th-24th Monday – Saturday; Over $5,000 in free gifts – be sure to see our huge gift window on Main Street! You can register by placing your name in one of the three registration barrels in the store to win one of the merchandise prizes in the window! After you have finished shopping for the day, take your cash and charge slips to the front of the store where our IBM girls will help you. They will add your tickets and let you select an IBM card that will print out the discount to which you are entitled. Your discount will not be less than 2 percent, but may be 5-10-15 percent etc., up to a maximum of 50 per cent on all your cash or charge purchases during our anniversary sale.
September 1988

10 Years Ago

The New York Yankees will no longer be the major league affiliate of the Oneonta franchise in the New York-Pennsylvania League it was announced at a press conference on September 17. Though the long relationship with the Bronx Bombers has ended, Oneonta will not be without a team in the league for long. In a matter of weeks a new affiliate will be named. Oneonta’s affiliation with the New York Yankees was established in 1967, making it the longest continuously operated farm club of the parent club. Oneonta is the only club in professional baseball that does not sell beer at its concessions. During the 32-year span from 1967 through the 1998 season, the Oneonta Yankees won 15 division titles, 12 league championships and attracted 1.5 million people to Damaschke Field.
September 1998

Resources for Hometown History have been provided courtesy of the New York State Historical Association Library.

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown History

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Hometown Briefs

Soccer HoF Hosts Myernick Tourney

The National Soccer Hall of Fame will host the 1st Annual Glenn "Mooch" Myernick Memorial Middle School Soccer Jamboree Friday-Saturday, Sept. 27-28, featuring boys and girls middle school soccer matches, an appearance by U.S. Women’s National Team star Abby Wambach, and educational programming.
Sixteen area and regional teams will attend the program, with teams from Cherry Valley, Franklin, Milford, Morris and Schenevus.
Wambach, described by U.S. Soccer as "the most dangerous striker in the world" will speak with the teams during the lunch break each day. She is also providing a featured presentation open to the community on Saturday, September 27th at 7:00 PM in the Museum.
Various events of the day have been made possible with funding by the Otsego County Bed Tax Event Grants.

Student Coalition Promotes Turnout

A coalition of four SUNY Oneonta student groups is sponsoring a voter-registration drive, featuring locally prominent politicians.
At 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, will appear in the Craven Lounge of the Morris Conference Center.
At 7 p.m. Mon., Oct. 6, Oneonta Mayor John Nader will speak on the topic of "Think Again" in the Red Dragon Theater of the Hunt College Union.
The series, sponsored by Students Alternative Voice, the Political Science Club, Open Minded Unity, and Democracy Matters.
Yager Museum
Displays Murals
A traveling exhibit, "From Protest to Peace: Murals by the Bogside Artists of Northern Ireland," is on display until Nov. 3 at the Yager Museum of Art and Culture at Hartwick College. The museum’s open noon-4:30 Tuesdays through Saturdays.
The display includes 11 murals originally located on buildings along Rossville Street in the Northern Ireland city of Derry.
They were created by Tom Kelly, his brother William, and their friend, Kevin Hasson, known as The Bogside Artists.

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown Briefs

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 1:02 AM 0 comments

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Hometown People

Hartwick To Install President

Hartwick College will install Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich as its 10th president at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, atop Oyaron Hill.
On Sept. 12, SUNY Oneonta installed its seventh president, Nancy Kleniewski; this will mark the first time that the presidents of both local institutes of higher learning are women.
Drugovich, who holds a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve, came to Hartwick July 1 from Ohio Wesleyan, where she was vice president for strategic communications and university enrollment.
Delegates from colleges and universities across the country will join the Hartwick community for the celebration.
From 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, faculty, students, and alumni will discuss their work and how it relates to and reflects the value of a liberal arts education during a Scholarship Symposium, "Hartwick: Sustaining Connections."
A Harvest Supper, featuring Brooks Bar-B-Q and fresh local produce, will be from 5-7 p.m. at Yager Hall.
At 7:30 in Binder Gymnasium, filmmaker Rory Kennedy will present "The Camera Doesn’t Lie: Social Change Via Documentary Filmmaking."
Reservations were due by Sept. 19, but it will also be Webcast on http://www.hartwick.edu/.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Oneonta resident Carleigh Bettiol, a 2004 OHS graduate, now a senior business economics major at the SUNY Oneonta, is the choreographer of the Orpheus Theatre’s "A Chorus Line," which opens on Friday, Sept. 26, in OHS’ Belden Auditorium. Bettiol gained experience in choreography with Terpsichorean, the SUNY Oneonta student dance company. She choreographed two dance pieces in Terpsichorean’s fall 2007 show, "True Hollywood Story," and performed in four productions, and served as treasurer, secretary and vice president.

POET RETURNS: Former Oneonta resident-poet Graham Duncan and New York City writer Patricia Eakins will read original works at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Bright Hill Literary Center, Treadwell. All present will be invited to read from their original works. Duncan, who retired in 1991 after 35 years at SUNY Oneonta, has published 479 poems in 136 publications.

Labels: 09-26-08, Carleigh Bettiol, Graham Duncan, Hartwick College, Hometown People, Margaret L. Drugovich, Patricia Eakins

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For 8 Years Now, Venison-Donor Program Has Aided Needy

Needy follks in Otsego and Delaware counties are literally tons farther away from hunger than they might have been, Al Bowers, a retired teacher and long-time avid hunter, can say with some satisfaction.

"If you can, you should help people who need help," said Al. That’s what his father, Jack, used to tell him.
And that, in a way, is a credo of a program Bowers has been championing for the past eight years, and he will report on income and outlays, to the penny, again at 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, at an annual donors dinner to be hosted this year at Oneonta’s Holiday Inn.
It started simply enough. Al was visiting the Syracuse Outdoors Show at the state fairgrounds when son Jarrod, now 32, came across a booth run by the Conservation Alliance of New York, and saw the information on its venison donation program.
"This is just right for my dad," said the son, and soon Al Bowers was in the midst of organizing a program locally.
For years, Bowers had been intrigued by the most successful effort of all, run by the Buckmasters American Deer Foundation which, mostly in the South, had distributed tons of venison to charities.
The idea is that many hunters shoot deer, but don’t particularly like venison or have no way to store it or preserve it.
Through Bowers’ program, donated deer are taken to Don Toombs, who runs a butcher shop in Laurens.
Don turns the venison into ground meat, and is paid $1 a pound. Last year alone, he processed 988 pounds of venison.
The hamburger is then turned over to Delaware Opportunties in Delhi and Opportunities for Otsego in Oneonta, the agencies responsible for poverty programs in the two counties.
Anyone wanting to donate to the effort or to make a reservation for the dinner may call Al at 432-6398, or Losie’s Gun Shop, 432-6452, or Rich Gravelin at Scavo’s Body Shop, 432-6212, or Ron Martini at 432-5945, or John Brooks at 432-0111.
When flooding hit the region two years ago, Al had a formidable fund-raising apparatus at hand.
His group raised $5,000 for flood victims, $2,500 for each county.
As for Al, he’s been hunting for 47 of his 63 years, first with his dad, later with his wife, Nancy, another retired teacher who was raised in New York City and had never picked up a gun before meeting her husband. The couple ended up with a hunting camp in the Rockies, where they have hunted with sons Jarron and Jason, who is now 28.
"The hunter is the best conservationist in the world," said Al. "Hunters saved the elk population, brought deer to Pennsylvania and saved the water fowl population."

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown Sports

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Don’t Let Rentals Ruin Quality of Life For Everyone Else

EDITORIAL

One of the many pluses of hosting institutions like SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College is that they make the community virtually recession-proof.
Main Street, Oneonta, is cushioned from Wall Street’s woes, (although individual portfolios are not.)
Institutions of higher learning are also magnets that attract a lot of brainy people to town – both professors and students – and many of the latter remain, enriching the greater community, as the SUNY College Council’s Tom Hughson observed in Hometown Oneonta last week.
Universities can also be engines for innovative economic growth, evident in the way SUNY Albany’s $4.2 billion Nano Tech Center – it develops tiny, less-expensive manufacturing options – is changing the nature of the Capital Region.
SUNY Oneonta’s initiative in serving New York City’s fashion industry also holds this kind of promise. Haute Couture, Upstate, perhaps?
•
Like any venture, there are also downsides, one being a tendency for students to migrate off campus into neighbhorhood housing.
Communities that fail to control or regulate the way that happens see major degradation of their housing stock and quality of life generally.
Such purportedly enlightened communities as Ithaca have failed to address this challenge, and the result is evident in the dog-eared homes, big and small, that mar that small city, a small city that’s a lot like Oneonta.
Evidence of similar deterioration may be observed by anyone driving around The City of The Hills, and City Councilman Paul Robinson, in particular, is raising the alarm.
"Student housing is being over-occupied," he said in an interview the other day. "It’s not safe. Then there are big parties, and you can hardly squeeze another body in. And third-story attics being turned into student bedrooms: I’m just having a hard time with that."
Plus, they force out housing costs for everybody else.
Robinson is particularly concerned that mansions in historic districts – they should be a source of community pride – are under threat.
Further, downtown apartments – a more suitable neighborhood for student housing – are going empty as the newly converted homes chew up the neighborhoods.
This year alone, he said, he knows of eight houses being converted. Even if the rate doesn’t accelerate – and there’s no guarantee of that – that adds up to 80 houses in 10 years, enough to have a significant impact.
"It’s getting to be a crisis," the councilman said.
•
Paul Robinson doesn’t just complain; he suggests solutions.
He points out that the city’s revised Comprehensive Plan, adopted just two years ago, has numerous clauses that, if implemented – and they should be – would go a long way toward enhancing the city.
Second, he said, declare a moratorium on conversions in historic districts until the proper regulations can be put in place.
Third, redefine "family" in historic districts to include no more than three unrelated people.
He also suggests that Common Council rule on every conversion, and that might be a little iffy. If the proper regulations are in place, these kinds of matters don’t have to go into the political arena.
Councilman Robinson has issued a clear challenge. Will the profit motive alone guide Oneonta’s future? Certainly not. There are many stakeholders, and landlords are just one of them. City Hall needs to do what’s best for the greatest number.

Labels: 09-26-08, Editorial, Hartwick College, Hometown Views, Rentals, SUNY Oneonta

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OHS Alumni Announces ‘Hall of Distinction’ Honorees

Five honorees will be installed on Oneonta High School’s "Wall of Distinction" at 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, at OHS’ Belden Auditorium, part of the OHS Alumni Association’s homecoming activities. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
This second class of honorees were selected from 30 nominees.

John L. Carline, Class of 1946

John Carline earned 12 OHS varsity letters, a bachelor’s Oneonta State Teachers College, and advance degrees from the University of Nevada, the Army Command & General Staff College, and a master’s and Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He taught for more than 25 years at the University of West Virginia, retiring in 1993 as director of the Division of Education, professor emeritus. At WVU, he was instrumental in designing, implementing and advancing many cutting-edge educational programs used nationwide. Since retiring, he helped develop Trinity Christian School, a private school in Morgantown, W. Va.

Ronald C. Crosby, Class of 1960

Six years after graduating from OHS in 1960, Ronald C. Crosby became known to the world as Jerry Jeff Walker, an American icon in the country-rock outlaw-music genre. Jerry has released 36 albums and written hundreds of songs during his more than 40 years in the entertainment business.
His most popular song, "Mr. Bojangles," was recorded by more major names in entertainment during the 1970’s than any other song in history. The song, performed by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, hit the top ten in 1973. Jerry Jeff and his wife Susan started and managed the Tried and True Foundation, which seeks opportunities to help young people gain the skills and training needed for a successful career in the music industry.

Irving McNeil Ives, Class of 1914

Irving McNeil Ives was born in Bainbridge in 1896. He graduated from OHS in 1914 and joined the Army serving through 1919. In 1930, Irving was elected to the state Assembly for Chenango County. He was elected a U.S. senator in 1946, serving until 1959. He is best remembered for the success of his Ives-Quinn Act, passed in 1945, one of the first laws prohibiting racial discrimination in employment.

David C. Hurley, Class of 1958

After graduation and a stint in the Army, David C. Hurley came home to found ski shops on Main Street and at Scotch Valley Ski Resort in Stamford. After selling his ski shops, he went through Hartwick College and was promoted to regional, then general sales manager of The Citation, a new corporate jet. After years at Cessna, Dave started his own corporate jet-leasing business, eventually acquired by PrivatAir, and Dave became its CEO and, currently, is vice chairman. He is chairman of the National Air & Space Museum.

Joseph P. Molinari, Class of 1919

Born in 1901, Joseph P. Molinari’s first job was selling newspapers. He served a clerkship for a local assemblyman as well as in the law office of Everett B. Holmes, then studied law at Union College and Albany Law School. He became a partner in the law firm Molinari & Deery and served as Otsego County district attorney starting in 1935. He was elected Otsego County judge in 1943 and state Supreme Court judge.

8 Standout Athletes To Join OHS Hall of Fame

Eight honorees will be inducted into Oneonta High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame at 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, at OHS’ Belden Auditorium, part of the OHS Alumni Association’s homecoming activities. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)

Clay Bellinger, Class of 1986

Clay played varsity basketball and varsity baseball as a junior and senior. He was selected Senior Player of the Year for baseball. He was voted to STAC League all-star baseball team in 1985 and 1986, was Empire State Game Selection player in 1986 and Oneonta Daily Star Baseball Player of the Year in 1986. He holds the OHS record for most home runs in a season. He received a baseball scholarship to Rollins College and was drafted in the 2nd round of the major league draft by the San Francisco Giants. He advanced from the minor professional leagues to play for three major league teams, including the New York Yankees. He earned two World Series rings while a member of the Yankees. He was selected to play in the 2004 Olympic Games and represented the Greek National Baseball team in those games.

John Bertuzzi, Class of 1972

John Bertuzzi was a three sport athlete, playing three years of varsity football, as a starting quarterback, playing three years of varsity basketball, as a guard, and three years of varsity baseball, as a pitcher and outfielder. He captained each of those teams in his senior year. He was voted OHS Athlete of the Year in 1972. John went on to play football at SUNY Albany where he was the starting quarterback for four years. He was also a pitcher on the SUNY Albany baseball team as a freshman. Following graduation from SUNY Albany, John went on to the University of Michigan for graduate work, where he earned an MBA degree. John is now with Goldman Sachs working as a trader.

Joe Hughes, Class of 1976

Joe played and excelled in three sports, soccer, basketball and baseball, earning eight varsity letters. He earned All-STAC League recognition eight times. Joe earned four varsity letters in soccer and earned All-STAC League recognition all four varsity years. He was the starting goalie for the 1st OHS STAC championship soccer team. Joe earned two varsity letters in basketball and earned all-star recognition in both varsity seasons. Joe earned two varsity letters in baseball and All- State recognition both varsity baseball seasons. Joe was named OHS Athlete of the Year in 1976. Joe went on the lead Florida International University to the College World Series and was named First Team All-American third baseman his senior year. He was College World Series Regional Tournament MVP and a first team All-American while at Florida International University. Joe was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round in 1980 and played professional baseball in the Oriole system, as well as in Venezuela, where his team won the Venezuelan World Series. Currently, Joe teaches, serves as Athletic Director and varsity baseball coach at OHS.

Harold (Hal) Hunt, Coach

Hal Hunt was first and foremost a baseball coach, coaching at OHS for 34 years, 1928-62. He also coached football, 1945-51. Hal’s record as a baseball coach was 297-108, and including two undefeated seasons, 1929 and 1959. Hal’s baseball teams won seven Iroquois League championships and the Southern Tier championship in 1932. Hal was inducted into the Section IV Coaches Hall of Fame in 1974. He was awarded a citation from the Cooperstown Hall of Fame as Section IV All-Star coach in 1939, 1949 and 1950. In 1968, he was awarded the first OHS Varsity "O" Patron of Athletics Award for his support and dedication to OHS athletics. Hal was also an excellent history teacher, and whether coaching or teaching, he was always a worthy role model.

Rick Page, Class of 1975

Rick was a three sport athlete at OHS, earning eight varsity letters, three in soccer, three in baseball and two in basketball. He earned All-STAC League all-Star honors for soccer in 1973 and 1974. Also in 1974, he earned All- State honors, STAC League MVP and All-American honors in soccer, Rick played varsity basketball on the 1973-74 and 1974-75 teams. He played varsity baseball, as the starting shortstop on the 1973, 1974 and 1975 teams. In 1974, he was named All-STAC League shortstop with a .463 batting average, in 1975 again named All-STAC League shortstop winning the batting championship that year with a .533 batting average. In 1975, Rick was named OHS Athlete of the Year.

Joe Pidgeon, Class of 1956

Joe Pidgeon earned nine varsity letters as an athlete at OHS, four in football, two in basketball and three in baseball. He played starting fullback and punter, kicked off and played on the defensive side of the ball. He was captain of the 1955 football team and earned All-Iroquois League honors that year. In 1956, he made the National Prep Football Magazine All-American Honor Roll. Joe played two years of basketball and three years of baseball, where he also earned All- Iroquois League All-Star honors as a catcher. Joe was named OHS varsity Athlete of the Year in 1956. Joe went on to play football and baseball at Morrisville Ag & Tech for two years.

Kelly Sosa, Class of 1988

Kelly was a four-sport athlete who excelled in soccer, basketball, track & field and badminton. She earned four letters in soccer and was co-captain of the 1997 soccer team which won the Sus-League championship , the Section IV championship, were Regional champions and New York State semi-finalists. For her soccer achievements, Kelly was chosen Daily Star All-Star in 1994 and 1995, Player of the Year in 1997, Sus League All-Star 1st Team in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, and Class B 1st Team All- State in 1997. In track and field, Kelly lettered at OHS for six years and was named to the Sus League Track and Field All-Star team. Kelly played basketball for four years . Her basketball team earned the Sus-West League championship, Section IV championship, Region 1 championship, and the NYSPHSAA, Class B championship in 1996-1997. In 1998, Kelly teamed with Louise Hecker to win the Section IV doubles badminton championship. Kelly went on to play three years of soccer at Princeton University. She earned all-Ivy League honors three times during her college soccer career. Without ever having played high school lacrosse, Kelly was a walk-on in her senior year and played goalie on the Princeton lacrosse team.

Kristen Zeh, Class of 1999

Kristin started on the varsity soccer and varsity basketball teams at OHS for four years, winning four Susquenango League championships and three Section IV, Class B championships. She was named to the All-Sus Team four times and was named the 1st Team All-State defender her junior and senior year. During Kristin’s tenure as a basketball player at OHS, her teams compiled a record of 94-6, including three undefeated regular seasons and a Section IV record of 56 consecutive wins. They won three Sus League championships, three Section IV Class B championships, two New York State Public High School championships and one New York State Federation championship, the only one ever won by a girls basketball team from Section IV. For basketball, Krissy was named four times to the 1st team All Susquenango League, three times named to the All-State team and, as a junior, she was named the Class B Player of the Year in New York State. She was named 1st team Oneonta Daily Star 4 times and the most valuable player three times. She was named to the Binghamton Press All Metro 1st team three times. Krissy is the all-time leading scorer at OHS, boys or girls, with 1,698 points. During her career at St. Rose, the team went on to the Division II NCAA tournament twice, reaching the finals once.

Labels: 09-26-08, Clay Bellinger, David Hurley, Harold Hunt, Irving Ives, Joe Hughes, John Bertuzzi, John Carline, Joseph Molinari, Joseph Pidgeon, Kelly Sosa, Kristen Zeh, Oneonta High School, Rick Page, Ronald Crosby

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Local Teens Staying Out of Trouble

LEAF Findings Positive

by LAURA COX

More Otsego County teens are wearing seatbelts and exercising, and fewer are using drugs and alcohol, according to LEAF – Leatherstocking Education on Alcohol & Addictions Foundation.
Over the last 10 years LEAF partnered with United Way and the SUNY Oneonta Center for
Economic & Community Development to distribute and analyze four surveys of Otsego County youth, and the foundation reported on the findings at a "Youth In Focus" Town Hall meeting Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Foothills Performing Arts Center.
The survey, titled "Youth Risk Behavior Survey," was given to students in 10 of the 12 high schools in the county in 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2007, reaching nearly 2100 students.
Data collected from the survey displayed a variety of significant trends in behavior over the past decade.
Some of the encouraging significant trends include the number of students who reported always wearing a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else, went from 31 percent in 1997 to 59 percent in 2007, reports of suicidal consideration are down from 21 percent of students in 1997 to 10 percent in 2007 and the number of students reporting to have ever tried cigarette smoking, even one of two puffs, has gone down 66 percent in 1997 to 43 percent in 2007.
While the results above are encouraging, there were some significant trends which pose a challenge to the Otsego county youth.
The report shows bicycle helmet use is low among teens who ride bikes, girls reported suicidal ideation and having seriously considered suicide at a much higher rate than their male counterparts, and teens are reporting smoking marijuana at approximately the same rate as they are smoking tobacco.
Julie Dostal, the executive director of LEAF, presented the significant data along with Tim Hayes, the director of the Center for Economic and Community Development. Data was collected in the schools and remained anonymous. It was then processed by Bassett Healthcare Research Institute.
Dostal challenges the community to now use this data as a starting place for interacting with youth and making a difference.
"Enhance youth development for Otsego County and support youth-serving organizations" said Dostol, "We have room for improvement, celebrate success and face the challenges."
Hayes pressed that the weight of the challenge could not be laid just upon the schools, but "beyond the school to parents, pastors, and anyone who interacts with youth."
As a result of the survey trends, Dostal will be conducting an Outcome Based Planning, Funding, and Evaluation training for youth serving organizations or programs who would like to learn more about outcome-based planning using data as their guide. More information is available through LEAF.

Labels: 09-26-08, Front Page, LEAF, Otsego County

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‘Mr. Bojangles’ Creator Joins ‘Wall of Distinction’ Honorees

Jerry Jeff Walker Among 13 Cited By Oneonta High

By JIM KEVLIN

When Ronald Crosby, just out of Oneonta High School, hitch-hiked out of town in 1960, the last thing on his mind that he would become a favorite son of his native City of the Hills."I thought it was real nice of them to do that," said Crosby, now better known as Jerry Jeff Walker, the man who wrote "Mr. Bojangles" and an entertainer with a huge following in Texas and the South.As it happens, he was sick last year and has to catch up on some contracted concerts he wasn't able to play, so he'll be in San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 4, the day he'll be honored locally with 12 other celebrated Oneonta High School graduates.But two of his pals from the old days, Mike Kaiazza and Bruce Clark, will be delivering a "special message' in his behalf, Walker said.While he doesn't make it back to Oneonta often from Austin these days – his mother, Alma, still lives in the city although his dad, Mel, died a couple of years ago – he remembers his boyhood fondly.For one thing, he was surrounded by music. His aunt, Norma Galvin, was a jazz piano player. His mom performed with the Southside Trio, an Andrews-Sisters-like act. Pianist Kirby Walker, who would come up from New York City during the summers, befriended the young man. His grandparents, the Conrows, were well known in the square-dancing circuit. A piano player, grandmom Jessie lived until age 106.Plus, he was a pretty good basketball player, remembers Tony Drago, the retired teacher and basketball coach, who just happened to have Walker's autobiography, "A Gypsy Songman," by his side when he answered the phone the other evening.Ron Crosby was a forward on Drago's 1959-60 undefeated basketball team, the only one in OHS history.But, graduating in 1960, he hung up his sneakers and went on the road, "busking" his way – playing for tips – through New Orleans, Florida, Texas and New York.He honed his folk-singing skills in Greenwich Village and, in the late 1960s, founded Circus Maximus, a band that achieved some success.Through all this time, he was writing songs, "simple songs that had a lot of story telling ... I was really getting to my peak with story telling" when he wrote "Mr. Bojangles."At the time, he said, he was "playing around" with internal rhymes – "I knew a MAN, Bojangles AND" and "He danced for THOSE at minstrel SHOWS" – and it all came together in 1972.The result was huge."Everybody in show business could see a place to do this song," said Walker. Within a very few years, more than 100 recordings – by such diverse performers at Sammy Davis, Jr., Joanie Collins, Tom Jones, John Denver – had been issued.Yes, he agreed, the song had brought him some satisfaction, "and income. But it is satisfaction, too."Since hitting the big time – "He's a big draw in Texas," said Tony Drago, "and he puts on quite a show" – he's played a couple of concerts back home, one in Neahwa Park, another – smaller and more recent – at the Foothills Performing Arts Center.Now 64, he's settled in the Texas capital with his wife, Susan. He has a son, Django, who is in his 30s and "footloose" like his dad. And Jessie Jane, who is 30 and, with her husband, getting into politics.His hometown City of the Hills has been his occasional inspiration. One song, featuring the DAR, including a reference to how he "grew up on a country road, RD3."And another, "Rolling Wheels," recalls early incidents of his early days. "The wheel carries us in a hurry through life," he recounted.

Labels: 09-26-08, Front Page, Jerry Jeff Walker, Oneonta High School

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WEEKEND’S BEST BETS

Friday, Sept. 26

Stroll on down to Main Street between 6 and 9 p.m. and enjoy classic cars, antique cars, hotrods and street rods at the “Cruise-in on Main Street,” hosted by Main Street Oneonta.

Saturday, Sept. 27

Enjoy an evening of music at the Catskill Symphony Orchestra opening concert. The first of a five-concert season, this performance will feature the Parnas Duo, sisters Cicely and Madalyn on Cello and violin. Concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Hunt Union Ballroom.
Meet and greet with Abby Wambach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, at 7 p.m. at the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

LOOKING AHEAD

Centennial Celebration Hits Stride

Mark your calendar for the weekend of Oct. 4-5. It’s full of must-do activities.

Saturday, Oct. 4

At 9 a.m. in Belden Auditorium, five OHS grads will be added to the Alumni Association’s Wall of Distinction and eight into the schools Athletic Hall of Fame. For details of all the events, visit www.oneontahighalumni.org
At 11 a.m., Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich will be installed as Hartwick College’s 10th president at a ceremony atop Oyaron Hill.
At 1:30 p.m., the Yellowjackets meet Verona-Sherrill at home in a OHS Homecoming Weekend match-up.
The City of Oneonta’s Centennial Parade steps off at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, down Main Street. Details at www.oneonta100.org

Sunday, Oct. 5

The 10K Pit Run, marking the 15th anniversary of the death of Trooper Ricky Parisian in the line of duty, takes off at 10:45 a.m. from Neahwa Park. A 5K run and 2K walk are also featured. Details at www.pitrun.org

Labels: 09-26-08, The City of the Hills, weekend's best bets

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Oneonta Goes Garlic

Labels: 09-26-08, Front Page, Milford, Susquehanna Valley Garlic Festival

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Auction Action - And More

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown Briefs

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Outage Dims Business on Southside Saturday Night

Much of Southside Oneonta missed the usual Saturday night business Sept. 20, after a crash on Route 48 on Franklin Mountain knocked out power at 4 p.m., leaving the neighborhood without power into the busiest evening of the week.
Hannaford’s was out of power and clerks were waving customers away. So was Home Depot, Christopher’s, Aldi’s and nearby establishments.
Traffic lights were knocked out at Main and Route 28 -- troopers directed traffic at that busy intersection into the early evening hours -- and as far to the east as Lettis Highway and 28.
The Southside’s loss was the Northside’s gain, as restaurants and stores along Route 7 reported bumper crowds, with many customers reporting they have been diverted from the other side of town by the outage.
No injuries were reported in the Franklin Mountain crash, and NYSEG crews had power restored by 8 p.m.

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown Briefs, Southside

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Director Seeks Core On 'A Chorus Line'

Orpheus Theater Brings Broadway To City

By JEANNINE BOHLER

The creak of the old wooden stairs at 99 Main St. whispers of the arts. There is something about the way the old paint peels from the edges, the way they lead without presumption up the side of building to the Orpheus Theatre rehearsal space.
The door opens to a small hallway. There is a door to the right. A few theater posters grace the wall. An impassioned conversation intensifies behind the door to the left. It is the voice of actors about their trade. The conversation is cut short. Silence. And then an equally impassioned conversation with the director ensues about the characters and what is motivating them to do the things they do.
The door opens to a well lit studio space. The show is "A Chorus Line," an Orpheus Theater production that will run this weekend.. The director is Cooperstown native R.B. Schlather. Many of the cast and crew in attendance are recent Ithaca College graduates who have worked together before.
Schlather himself graduated from Ithaca College in May, but he is not the typical new college grad. He is well spoken and professional, equally passionate and serious about his work in the theater. His demeanor is one of confidence and determination.
It is impossible to doubt success will follow him. With five days left until opening night, he and his cast members are busy at work, igniting the space with the unique energy one hopes to find at the theater.
“A Chorus Line” is the longest running musical in Broadway history, having made its debut in 1975. There are few musical lovers who haven’t seen it preformed, and even those new to the theater might be surprised to recognize a few of its well-known songs.
But this is what draws Schlather to it.
“I am interested in pieces that have an expectation,” he said. “Everyone knows ‘A Chorus Line.’ It is full of clichés. It is full of expectations for how it will be performed. I am interested in sweeping those expectations aside and exposing the psychology of the characters, why they are acting the way they are and creating an invigorating experience for the audience.”
Schlather’s personal and professional experience may lend him a little insight. His own love of the theater began at age 9 in his first performing role, a member of the ensemble in the Orpheus Theatre’s production of “Oliver.”
Theater has played a center role in his life ever since. He created and managed his own production company, R.B. Productions for 10 years. Locally, he has been an assistant director at the Glimmerglass Opera for the past three seasons, and was on the directing staff of the opera’s Young American Artists program.
Opera, Schlather said, is where his true interests lie, and what he eventually hopes will be the focus of his directing career. His wait won’t be long. He already had two jobs lined up, one as a director at the Ashlawn Opera in Virginia and another as an assistant director with the Chicago Opera.
For now, he is happy to focus on his work with Orpheus Theatre, happy to be rediscovering the area and working with a cast that shares his passion with the craft.
“R.B. is going more in depth than most productions of ‘A Chorus Line’,” said Lauren Wightman, another Ithaca College graduate who plays the role of Val. Her face is lit with excitement and intensity as she describes the play. “We are really looking at the baggage these characters are carrying and getting down to their core.”
“A Chorus Line” illuminates motives that drive those trying to succeed and the sacrifices they are willing to make in order to achieve their dreams.
“People should expect to see ‘A Chorus Line’ as we have discovered it,” Schlather said. “It is about the business of Broadway. We would like to make people think beyond the singing and the dancing. Why do these actors show up? Why is it important? Why do they sing? Why do they dance?”
And while the audience is sure to enjoy the song and dance, Schlather hopes they will take away a little more.
“Hopefully this is an appealing show for our American Idol culture,” he said. “I hope it makes people think about why people stand in front of a crowd, why they make themselves so vulnerable to win approval.”
In the well lit space at 99 Main, Schlather and his young cast may be wondering the same of themselves, but they are also enjoying an opportunity to act and create they know they couldn’t find in a larger venue like New York, a chance that can only be found in a small town.
“We have the freedom here to work and create without hassle. We have the freedom to be artists. The audience won’t have the giant expectations. In New York, there would not be a lot of opportunities like this,” said Jeremy Pickard, who plays the role of Zach.
The conversation comes to an end. There is still work to be done. Schlather and the actors head out of the studio for a break, down the old wooden stairs and into the brilliant fall day, their conversation still a buzzing discussion of the characters, the play.
Schlather is clearly a driven young man, one who has managed to meld his passion with profession.

Labels: 09-26-08, Front Page, Orpheus Theater

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‘We Definitely Have A Problem’

Editor’s Note: Here are excerpts from City Councilman Paul Robinson’s presentation to Common Council on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

During the Special ZBA meeting Sept. 8, 2008, this question was posed by the ZBA:
"Why hasn’t the zoning ordinance been changed in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan?"
I could not answer.
The ZBA asked me to bring this to the Council for action.
Mr. Robert Martella has purchased 7 Walnut St. and had applied for a variance to allow the third-floor attic to be "living" space. Mr. Martella has rented this home to students. This is the second home on this block to be rented to students in the last two years. This variance was denied even though the chair pointed out that there were no grounds to deny. Walnut Street is on the National Historic Register.
Mr. Martella has also purchased 12 East St. and turned this beautiful home into a student rental home. This past Saturday night there was a party at 12 East St. and the house was crammed – I am sure this was in violation of occupancy levels. The neighbors are in an uproar. Two said they called the police.
As I was passing 25 East St. on Monday the 9th, I noticed what looked like students moving their gear into the house. This has always been a single-family residence.
These are two homes and possibly a third I know of that have been converted to student rentals this year. Won’t be long and there will be no rentals available for families – student landlords rake in the dough.
We definitely have a problem.
•
(At this point, Councilman Robinson details sections of the Comprehensive Plan, adopted two years ago, that addresses these kinds of issue.
(In the Quality of Life section, the plan calls for revisions in the zoning ordinance to reflect the vision it contains, as well as to include specific setback and other changes.
(He also calls for creation of a "mechanism" so owners seeking to convert single-family homes into rental units must receive Common Council approval.
(The Destination and Image section asks that the city’s Department of Community Development develop a Neighborhood Action Plan to "define strategies for enhancement."
(The Downtown section calls for preserving the historical significance of Main Street.
(The Relationship Between the City & Colleges section calls for incentives that "encourage residential, commercial and industrial development consistent with the character of this traditional small city."
(Finally, Robinson calls for the city to track and study housing conversion into rental units.
(He then requests the following action.)
•
I hereby request:
A. That an immediate moratorium be placed on the granting of variances of any kind in any area of the city designated as "historical" while (B, C & D) below are carried out. This of course would be with the review and approval of the city attorney.
B. That the appropriate zoning codes be written to alter the definition of a "family" in residential areas that are part of a historical district (such as Walnut Street). I ask that the "three unrelated individuals" be precluded from this definition.
C. That the zoning code be rewritten to require that owners of single-family homes who wish to convert such homes into rental units must receive Council approval.
D. That the zoning code in its entirety be studied and revised to reflect the vision contained in the 2007 Comprehensive Plan.

Labels: 09-26-08, Hometown Views, Housing

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In the City of the Hills

ANOTHER GUS: The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced $91,240 in funding for the City of Oneonta. The funding will be used to purchase a new cutaway bus – a bus body attached to a smaller truck chassis. The county’s Gus the Bus system carries 3,656 passengers a year. The new vehicle is expected next April 15.

NETWORK! The Otsego County Chamber’s next networking luncheon is Tuesday, Sept. 30, at The Depot Restaurant, 4 1/2 Railroad Ave. Seating is limited and the last two have been sellouts, so make your reservation now by calling 432-4500, ext. 207, or e-mailing shellyi@otsegocountychamber.com. It’s $15 for members, $20 for non-members and $50 for a table.

SENATOR SPEAKS: State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, delivered welcoming remarks at the HOMETOWN ONEONTA kickoff reception Friday, Sept. 19, at Brooks Bar-B-Q.

READ ON: Renovations are under way at 198 Main St. on a new bookstore, The Green Toad. It’s next to the Latte Lounge, and owner Michele Pondolfino plans to have an interior walkway between the two operations.

RABID: A bat captured by a cat on a porch in Oneonta Sept. 17 tested positive for rabies, the Otsego County Health Department reported. Officials reminded pet owners that their animals must be vaccinated against rabies.

LEAD BIDDER: Anyone wanting anything at the Main Street Oneonta auction Saturday, Sept. 20, had to be pretty determined to outbid Marshal Webster, who swept down on desirable items from his perch in the back of the room at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. Mayor John Nader and his family were among other bidders.

Labels: 09-26-08, Front Page, In The City of the Hills

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In Memoriam

Peter A. DiNardo
Distinguished SUNY Oneonta Professor

Dr. Peter A. DiNardo, 62, a SUNY Oneonta psychology professor who was honored as a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor and recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, passed away unexpectedly at his home Monday, Sept. 15. 2008.
He was born June 15, 1946, in Schenectady, the son of Silvino and Lena (Pilla) DiNardo, and was a graduate of Linton High School and State University College at Cortland.
Local survivors include his wife, Judith M. Waring, whom he married Aug. 9, 2003, at St. James Episcopal Church, and three cherished pets. Also brothers and sisters in Schenectady, and others.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. Peter A. DiNardo Memorial Fund, care of Wilber National Bank, 245 Main St., Oneonta, NY 13820 or any Wilber Bank Branch Office, or to the SPCA, 4845 Route 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Frances ‘Marie’ Brienza
Oneonta Native’s Brother Died in WWII

Miss Frances Marie Brienza, 76, a lifelong resident of Oneonta whose brother, John, was killed in World War II, died Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City.
Born Jan. 22, 1932, in Oneonta, she was the daughter of Frank and Jennie M. (DeAmbrosini) Brienza. She spent her career at several local hospitals.
Survivors include close friends Mary LeoGrande, Raffaela Chicorelli, Annette Foster and Rosemary Holbrook. In addition to John, she was predeceased by a brother and three sisters.
Contributions may be made to Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Dr., Oneonta, or to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 39 Walnut St., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Labels: 09-26-08, In Memoriam

posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 12:00 AM 0 comments

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