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Hometown People
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
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David Bouley, Ph.D., Joins NC State
David Andrew Boulay, Ph.D., son of Gil and Erna Boulay, Oneonta, has joined the Industrial Extension Service at North Carolina State University as its first deputy director.
Most recently, he has been workforce and development specialist at the Ohio State University South Centers at Piketon.
As deputy director, David will coordinate a statewide team of IES specialists who work with companies to inprove quality, efficiency, productivity, and to meet international environmental, health and safety standards.
Boulay, a 1985 graduate of Unatego Central School, received his bachelor’s from SUNY Binghamton, his master’s from Franklin University and his doctorate in workforce development and education from Ohio State.
Through the Franklin Rotary Club, he was a Rotary Exchange Student in Finland and a Rotary Foundation Scholar at the University of Helsinki.
Boulay has extensive experience in private industry and, while at Ohio State, serviced on management teams advising Luigino’s, Cintas, Franklin International and Pillsbury.
 Jamie Reynolds, senior vice president of NBT Bank, and his wife Carolyn (Carrie) Laden-Reynolds, of Oneonta, announce the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Anne Reynolds, born Oct. 9 at Bassett Hospital.
Elizabeth weighed 8.5 pounds and was 20 inches long.
She joins a sister, Hannah Marie Reynolds.
Maternal grandparents are Jim Laden and Mary Laden, both of Cooperstown. Paternal grandparents are Ford and Sarah Reynolds of Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County.
 Labels: 10-24-08, Hometown People |
posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:59 PM   |
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Kidney Walk Needed; Duo Proves It’s So
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By LAURA COX
 When SUNY Oneonta sophomore Lindsay Cowen was 6 years old, her father received his first kidney transplant. Last summer, 13 years later, he received his second.
“A lot of people don’t know that when you have a kidney transplant, they don’t take the old kidney out. So my dad has four kidneys in his body,” said Lindsay.
For Lindsay and for Bob Apicella, director of SUNY Oneonta’s Migrant Youth Program – he donated a kidney to a friend – the first-ever Oneonta Kidney Walk, this Sunday, Oct. 26, at the college’s Alumni Field House, has special meaning.
When she first saw the posters advertising the event, she jumped at the opportunity to do something to benefit others like her father.
She recruited 25 friends, named their team “Live Life, Proceed, Progress,” and together they have raised nearly $2,500 for the cause so far. Lindsay’s motivated: Alone, she raised $1,500 of that.
“I sent out hundreds of e-mails to friends and family explaining the event and what it means to my family, I talked to people in my classes and to people on campus on weekends and my friends did the same,” she said.
Lindsay also made bracelets – a simple piece of twine with three green beads tied on it; green is the color for organ donation – and sold them to raise money.
“Organ and tissue donation saves lives and helps families, if it weren’t for my father’s donors I don’t know where my family would be,” said Lindsay.
Because of her family’s experience with organ donation, Lindsay has started to volunteer for the organization, Donate Life, which works to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and enroll people in the state Donate Life Registry. She would also like to start something on campus to raise donation awareness among her fellow students.
As for Bob, when he was 54 he ran into a friend, Sister Beverly, whose friend Sharon needed a kidney.
He told Beverly that Sharon would be matched against family members first, “but if it came to it I would be interested in seeing if I was a match,” said Bob.
One full year of tests later, Bob was scheduled for the surgery.
When asked by psychologists during the testing why he wanted to donate, Bob told them, “Because I could, and somebody needed it.”
Bob promotes the act of living donation, he thinks everyone should consider being a living donor and he wants people to know that his life went back to normal very shortly after the surgery.
“It hasn’t affected my life one bit, I don’t have any restrictions,” he said. “Sharon is off dialysis and just has to take anti-rejection drugs; she can live a full life now too. Unfortunately you can only do it once, because I would do it again.”
Bob and his wife will also be participating in the Kidney walk this weekend.
This event will combine an indoor kidney walk with family activities. Hosted by the Center for Social Responsibility & Community and SUNY Oneonta’s Phi Sigma Sigma, activities include free kidney screenings, live music, and a kid zone with bouncy bounce and face painting.
People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at the greatest risk of developing chronic kidney disease, as well as those with a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease. African Americans, Hispanics, seniors, and Asians are also at increased risk.
Participants of all ages are invited to walk individually or to form a team. You can register on site, or pre-register at www.nkfneny.org or at 436-2633.Labels: 10-24-08, Front Page, Kidney Walk |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:39 PM |
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Mayor’s List Of Violators A Who’s Who
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2 Council Members Take Blame, But Say Needed Reforms Stalled
By JIM KEVLIN
The Code Enforcement Office at City Hall was one of the busiest places in Oneonta Tuesday, Oct. 21, according to Common Council Member Veronica Diver.
As one of two council members identified by Mayor John S. Nader as owners of properties that fell short of city standards, she called Ordinance Inspector Lee Adele Ferris to straighten her situation out.
The phone had been ringing all day, Diver was told. “They were swamped.”
Both Diver – “I am at fault” – and the other city council member identified by the mayor, Eric Miller, both acknowledged they inadvertently fell short of city codes.
In Diver’s case, the yearly smoke-detection system inspection of 13 Parish Ave. had been due Sept. 9. In the past, she said, she had received a notice alerting her of the requirement. That she didn’t this year “is not their fault, because I am at fault.”
In Miller’s case, his house is still classified as a two-family home – it used to be, but only he and his family live at 64 Elm St.
The four inspections lacking are required for multiple-family dwellings, Miller said, so even though the home is being used as a one-family home, “yes, I am guilty of not having my house up to a certificate of compliance.”
That said, both council members turned the conversation to the future: There is no schedule of fines for landlords who fail to comply. Both Diver and Miller have been pushing for that to happen. But the matter has been bottled up in the council’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee for two years.
“They’ve been looking at these regulations for two years,” said Miller. “How much longer are they going to look at it?”
Common Council met Tuesday, Oct. 21, the evening of the day it was revealed that 17 properties owned by board members and city officials were out of compliance, and as many as half the landlords in the City of Oneonta were out of compliance in some way with the city codes.
However, discussion was delayed to allow the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, which planned to meet Thursday, Oct. 23, to determine a strategy going forward.
On Oct. 9, Mayor Nader sent out a letter to all city officials alerting them he had asked the Code Enforcement Office to ensure they were in compliance with city regulations, and had found some were falling short.
“If you are among those who own or operate one or more of the delinquent properties, I ask that you act expeditiously to satisfy the requirements set forth in the city code.”Labels: 10-24-08, Code Enforcement Office, Front Page, Oneonta City Hall |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:34 PM |
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IN THE CITY OF THE HILLS
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 PARK PLANS: Common Council Tuesday, Oct. 21, heard plans for Phase One of the Memorial Walkway in Neawha Park. Construction will begin in the spring; the walkway replace the drives to the south of the pond and connect the three memorials now in place.
BACK FROM MOON: Ronald Garan, a NASA astronaut and – as college President Nancy Kleniewski put it – “the only SUNY Oneonta graduate to walk on the moon,” was back in town. He spoke to college students Monday, Oct. 20, and in the city schools the next day.
BACK TO NORMAL? By the time you read this, Main Street, Oneonta, should be back to normal. The street was closed this past week as Contour Construction of Binghamton repaved the downtown artery from Elm to Chestnut streets.
HIT-AND RUN: At mid-week, police in suburban Buffalo were still looking for the hit-and-run driver responsible for the death of Meghan Sorbera, a Hilbert College sophomore from Burlington Flats, who was struck as she was walking home early Saturday, Oct. 18, in Hamburg. Her father, Peter, is a JV football coach at Cooperstown Central School.
NATURAL-GAS: The state Department of Environmental Conservation has scheduled one of the six meetings on regulations governing natural-gas extraction in Otsego County: Tuesday, Dec. 2, at SUNY Oneonta’s Hunt Union Ballroom. Doors will open at 4:30.
ANOTHER SENIOR: OHS running back Ryan Sullivan should have been on last week’s list of Oneonta High School senior athletes. He is the son of Tina and Sean Sullivan of Oneonta.Labels: 10-24-08, Front Page, In The City of the Hills |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:28 PM |
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Next Catskill Symphony Concert Will Introduce ‘Oneonta Fanfare’
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EVAN JAGELS
NIGHT LIFE
The Catskill Symphony Orchestra presents an exceptional program at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in the Hunt Union Ballroom at SUNY Oneonta.
It promises an outstanding diversity of musical color, cultural richness, and local uniqueness, including a performance of Frank Bennett’s original “Oneonta Fanfare.”
“Celebrating the Works of Frank Bennett” welcomes the famed composer and percussionist and his wife, veena player and singer Geetha Bennett,from Los Angeles, joined by percussionist Rusty Gillette from San Diego.
In addition to “Oneonta Fanfare,” the orchestra will play Frank’s “Big City Styles” and even one of his arrangements from “West Side Story,” among others.
However, it will be his composition “Asian Colors,” featuring wife Geetha and Gillette that may be most exciting, as it conveys a passionate blend of South Indian and Western musical elements.
Frank Bennett has had a long affiliation with the area through both Catskill and Utica Symphonies under musical direction of conductor Charles Schneider, and is also close friends with Catskill symphony trumpeter Carlton Clay.
With Schneider, Bennett commissioned the children’s piece, “Carnival Scenes for Orchestra” and his music was twice featured in three-day festivals of jazz and chamber music at SUNY Oneonta.
In fact, Bennett’s musical resume is more diverse than one might imagine professionally successful.
As a South Indian percussionist, he has performed in India and Hong Kong in addition to Canada and the United States. However, he also held rank with some of the finest jazz musicians, performing with Benny Goodman, Jimmy Heath and Lou Donaldson – true nobility of American jazz.
“I used to play a lot of jazz drums,” Bennett joked. He displayed both an affability and humbleness one might not expect from somebody of his credential.
Bennett’s accomplishments do not end here, however. He served as orchestrator and arranger for over 100 feature films and television programs, including “The Passion of the Christ”, “The Simpsons”, and “King Kong” (2005), culminating in two Emmy Award Citations.
Reviewing his chamber pieces at Carnegie Recital Hall, the New York Times wrote, “[Bennett] uses Western forms, long-lined molodies, and rich harmonies; but he also found ways to weave Indian rhythms and modes into the texture in a way that lets them sound mildly exotic, but never alien. Mr. Bennett’s sense of balance ... is impeccable” (Alan Kozinn, 1989).
Geetha Bennett is a master in her own right. She was the first veena player (an Indian lute-like instrument closely resembling the sitar, which is actually Persian) to perform in Hong Kong and has been awarded the highest rank, “A Top,” for veena performance by All India Radio/TV for the last 10 years.
Regarding her husband’s blend of Indian and Western music, she comments, “he is fluent in both.” This is an incredibly unique accomplishment and by no means an easy one to facilitate.
For example, Indian tonality splits the octave into 22 separate pitches while our Western ears only recognize 12 (imagine the black and white keys on a piano).
Such fusion is, as Geetha states, “incredibly unique because of the symphony.”
The blend of Indian and Western music has really only come to popular center stage with progressive jazz/rock/world music fusion band Mahavishnu Orchestra. It is not ironic that founding guitarist John McGlaughlin was a student of Geetha’s father Dr. S. Ramanathan (as was Bennett) and remains close with the couple.
No doubt this will be a special concert regardless of one’s musical preference. Bennett promises “a concert of music influenced by Indian, Jazz, Latin, and standard orchestral repertoire,” and adds, “I am grateful for the opportunity to write for this orchestra.”
Ever humble, he admits, “I’m still learning about this music. It’s more than a one-lifetime project.”
Thanks to an anonymous donor, tickets are free for adults who bring young children.
Evan Jagels, a SUNY Oneonta music-production major, covers night life for HOMETOWN ONEONTALabels: 10-24-08, Columns, Evan Jagels, Front Page, Night Life |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 9:24 PM |
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Oneonta Institution,The Italian Kitchen, Under New Owners
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2 Partners Buy Restaurant From Avanzatos
By LAURA COX
 Suddenly, 36 years had gone by. From the place around the corner where a large cheese pizza was $4.95 and a meatball sub $1.50, The Italian Kitchen had become a revered Oneonta institution. “Kids that were young back then, grew up and moved back into the neighborhood,” said Tony Avanzato, who began working at The Italian Kitchen was a teenager. “And they came back in to show their kids their first pizza place and the pinball machine they used to play on. “And kids that graduated 30 years ago still come back to town looking for The Italian Kitchen, Brooks BBQ and Ruffino’s.” All things change, though, and nine years ago, Tony and his middle brother Vinne – their older brother Sal had founded The Italian Kitchen – ventured out on their own, renovating the old depot on Market Street into Stella Luna, which opened in June 2000. And six months ago, they were approached with an offer by partners Jim Baldo and Rick Guererro – Baldo’s the well-known local businessman; Guererro recently moved to town from Miami with 15 years’ experience in restaurants. The Avanzatos agreed it was time to let go. A deal was reached, and The Italian Kitchen was closed for renovations and has recently reopened under the new management. Such transitions naturally stir up reminiscences. When The Italian Kitchen opened in 1972, Antonio (Tony) was only 14 and Vincenzo (Vinne), 17. Sister Antoinette and mom Josephine also helped older brother Salvatore (Sal) in the venture. Only their dad, Diego, a tailor, avoided the kitchen. “We were the first to introduce chicken wings in the area” – for for Super Bowl XVII – “first to introduce calzones, and we were the first to offer delivery,” Tony recalled. Many families relied on the restaurant for dinner every night, he said. At the foot of the SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick campuses, The Italian Kitchen was patronized by generations of college students, as well as neighborhood people.  The Italian Kitchen was often called Oneonta’s best kept secret – many folks who lived outside the neighborhood didn’t know it existed. Those who discovered it, oldtimers avow, came back. “Our simple recipes, flavors and warm hospitality made us what we are,” said Tony, and that’s a legacy he and Vinne have sought to maintain at Stella Luna. “We’re proud we’re just cooks and not chefs: We cook with our taste buds and our hearts.” Under the new ownership, chef Antonio PePaj, formerly of Cooperstown’s Café Milano, holds sway in the kitchen. Pepaj has worked in Rome, Paris, New York City and South Beach, and will bring a contemporary Latin/Miami/South Beach flair to the food. “There is nothing like this in Oneonta; it is long overdue,” said Baldo, “Come try us once and you’ll keep coming back.” Baldo and Guererro are also partners in Elena’s Pastry and Bakery in Clinton Plaza, as well as the Fiesta Mexican Grill that will open in Clinton Plaza in mid-November. As for the Avanzatos, they are looking forward as they are looking back. “We were looking to focus here” – at Stella Luna, said Tony. “We feel even though The Italian Kitchen isn’t ours, the Avanzatos made our mark in the town and will continue to do the same with Stella Luna.” Labels: 10-24-08, Front Page, Italian Kitchen |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:28 PM |
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Hometown Sports
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Senior Standouts
CHRISTOPHER McSWIGGIN
SPORTS BEAT
Oneonta High School has so many exceptional student-athletes, but I only got a chance to speak with a few of them.
Oneonta swim team standouts Leah Willis and Melinda Wagner were my first interviewees. Both seniors on the team, these two girls have been swimming competitively since they can remember.
When asked what their greatest swimming moment was the girls laughed, claimed they had so many moments, but when it came to the best they both looked up at the record board.
“When I achieved my goal in the 100 free,” said Willis, “that was my best moment. I got 1 minute, and that was the goal I had set. I had just worked so hard for it that when I finally got it, it felt good.”
 Leah is undecided as to where she wants to go to college, but when asked whether her deciding factor would be an academic focus with a swim team or a swimming focus primarily, she said “academic for sure.”
The two schools she is currently looking at are Brown and Amherst College, both of which have good academics and competitive swimming and diving programs.
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Melinda Wagner had an emotional story to tell as well. With a vibrant smile, she said that her greatest moment would have to be when she broke her backstroke goal time, “I got to the wall first and looked up at the clock, then I saw my mom cheering and smiling. I will never forget the look on her face. That was my best moment.”
Wagner wants to attend the University of Maryland when she graduates.
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I had a chance to speak with the football players as well, and their moments were turned more towards macho than emotional.
Dalton Smith, the senior fullback and defensive end said that his best moment was “when I annihilated the Windsor quarterback last game”.
Smith recorded two sacks in that contest, one of which was the hit we were talking about.
“I have only been playing football since 7th grade, so I don’t have as many moments as they  [Pidgeon and Borggreen] have.”
Smith also plays baseball and said that he would like to go to SUNY Oneonta, Binghamton or even Albany to play baseball but if he is offered a chance to play football somewhere, he will take it.
Junior linebacker Justin Borggreen said that he didn’t have a defining moment but rather that he enjoyed just growing up playing the sport, “I just enjoyed being with the guys and playing with the guys who are graduating this year. Just growing up in the sport was a great thing for me”. Justin, a junior at OHS, is not currently looking at any schools.
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Probably the biggest name in OHS sports. Brendan Pidgeon the humble and soft-spoken tailback/linebacker said that despite all his accolades, his best moment was his first day back from injury.
Pidgeon missed most of last season with injury, so stepping back onto the field and playing was a great experience for him, “The best thing about it for me was making the statement that, you know, I’m still here. Just getting on the field and proving that I am still around”.
Pidgeon did exactly that in the Jacket’s first game vs. Unatego where he had two touchdowns. When asked about which position he wanted to play in college he chose linebacker over running back. Pidgeon has been called frequently by both  Syracuse and Harvard to play football, and his accomplishments on the football field as well as in the classroom are duly noted.
OHS football plays their final game of the season this week, when they take on rival Norwich. OHS is out of the playoffs by no means, but their fate isn’t in their hands. “We haven’t beaten them since I’ve been on Varsity” proclaimed Pidgeon, “so a win against them would be huge.”
The game is at 7 p.m. on Friday. Oct. 24, at home.
 Labels: 10-24-08, Hometown Sports |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:13 AM |
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Manifesto
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ART BEAT
SAM GOODYEAR
STOCKHOLM
The one in Sweden, not the one in Wisconsin, or elsewhere in the Midwest.
A little change of scenery seemed in order for your columnist, and although I went to a splendid Jubilee Choral Fest at the St. Jacobs Kyrka in the heart of the city on Saturday Oct. 18, it’s difficult to see what relevance it might have to the readership of Hometown Oneonta.
From this remove, it struck me that I might do well to explain what my intent is in Art Beat each week.
People label me a critic, a misperception I hasten to correct: A critic is an expert, and I am not an expert.
A critic tells people how to think. Far be it from me to do so.
A critic points out to people how they should respond to Art. I wouldn’t presume to do any such thing.
So. I am not a critic.
“You like everything,” I have been told. Not true. I have walked out on plays and movies. I have fallen asleep at the opera (though NEVER at Glimmerglass) and I have often tossed a novel aside that didn’t warrant further reading.
Many are the poems I couldn’t slog my way through to the end. There are paintings I wouldn’t hang on the wall of an enemy.
I have rarely read through to the end a review that starts out, “This inept and disgraceful excuse for...” or, “We have reached a new low with...”
Why, I ask myself, am I going to spend time reading about something I want to avoid? Similarly, why would I waste space and words telling my readers about something utterly worthless?
I repeat: I am not a critic.
So what am I, then?
A fancy word (for those who want one) is a “chronicler.”
A more down-to-earth concept (which I prefer) is an “observer.”
Our area abounds in arts organizations and happenings, and not just in the summer time; it is sometimes difficult to choose what event to attend, for there are so many and often on the same evening.
We like choice. We like living in atmosphere of stimulation and creativity. And we like sharing our pleasure, making sure others don’t miss out.
And that’s what we (I) try to achieve with Art Beat.
Stockholm, known as the “Venice of the North,” is a singularly beautiful city and there is plenty of stimulation and pleasure to be had.
Still, it will in no way be a come-down to return to Otsego County. It is singularly beautiful also, and I can’t wait to tap into its myriad pleasures on my return. Until next week, then.
Sam Goodyear, who writes on the arts in Otesgo and Delaware counties, did indeed give himself a birthday present:
A trip to Sweden.Labels: 10-24-08, Art Beat, Columns, Sam Goodyear, The City of the Hills |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:08 AM |
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Echoes Of Ancient Massacre Still Heard In Cherry Valley
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By JEANNINE BOHLER
CHERRY VALLEY
Cherry Valley Town Historian Sue Miller believes ghosts are simply a piece of our history in the making, often associated with a person or a family or an event.
Some serve as guides to the living, some are lost between this life and the next.
Others have met untimely deaths.
Cherry Valley is the oldest town in Otsego County and the unfortunate victim of a Revolutionary War massacre. It should be no surprise that stories of spirits and hauntings abound.
More than 60 stories are on record, and in all likelihood, there are far more.
Perhaps the best known tale is that of the Presbyterian Church lady, who on rainy nights is said to cross the street and go up the lawn of the church and pass through its front door.
There is no known history of the woman – although many have reported sighting of her. She is dressed in period clothing, probably from the 1800s, based on the fit and style of the dress. She is wearing a bonnet.
Perhaps she is a former parishioner. No one knows. They only know that she has been seen.
The Cherry Valley Museum is home to two of the village’s ghosts.
The spirit of Mary White Phelon lives upstairs. Mary lived in the house sometime before 1864 – possibly in the 1830s or even earlier.
She was chased out of her home by her sister-in-law when the house went up for tax sale.
But it seems Mary has won out in the end, with reports of her ghostly presence dating back to the 1960s or ’70s.
“She is not really a friendly or unfriendly presence,” Miller said. “She is just there and likes to be acknowledged.”
Miller has felt her presence and seen shadows, sometimes when she has worked late updating records.
She feels it is time for Mary to be sent on, that she is begging to go and Sue may arrange a special ceremony to help Mary leave this world and move on to the light.
In the meantime, she plans to ask Mary’s opinion before repainting the upstairs in preparation for a new exhibit.
The downstairs of the museum is haunted by another spirit, a girl who appears to have been perhaps 18 or 19 when she died.
Miller isn’t exactly sure who the girl could be, but said she likes to sit in a rocking chair and rock, sometimes shocking visitors to the museum by sitting on their laps when they pause to rest in her chair.
“She is fun and friendly,” she said and once helped her by straightening pictures as she stood on a ladder four or five feet in the air to hang them.
Spirits reside at the Limestone Mansion and the Tryon Inn.
Two reside in Miller’s home at the Plaid Palette, and have become like a part of the family, she said.
Every area of the town has its own spirits and it would be hard to move more than two or three hundred feet without coming across something, she said.
“We have a lot of spirits. There is an incredible karma here. It is a place where a lot has happened. It is a great place.”
While it isn’t always possible to find out who the spirits are, it is often likely through research and by simply asking them, she said.
“Sometimes you just need to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and ask, ‘Who are you?’” she said. They might whisper the answer, or it might come in a dream. Most are friendly, some are disturbed.
During the Cherry Valley massacre, in November 1778, 47 people were brutally killed, 32 of them residents, and many of those women and children. Two entire families were wiped out during the attack.
Entering the space where these attacks happened, Miller said, is “like going into a vacuum.”
Birds aren’t chirping. The air seems completely still.
“It is as if time stood still and what happened is still imprinted there,” she said.
As Halloween approaches, many people find themselves seeking ghostly encounters on haunted walks or in graveyards or old houses. Miller said you don’t need fancy equipment to detect the presence of the spirits.
“You just need to open your mind,” she said.Labels: 10-24-08, Cherry Valley Massacre, The City of the Hills |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 8:01 AM |
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Do Susquehanna, Otsego’s Waters Confine Ghosts In Cooperstown?
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By JEANNINE BOHLER
COOPERSTOWN
In Cooperstown, it is not just the village that boasts of paranormal activity, according to Bruce Markusen, an author and historian who runs Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tours.
According to legend, spirits roam in and around Lake Otsego. Its history abounds with tales of the supernatural.
Local lore tells of Native American spirits haunting the lake. Standing at the foot of the lake beneath the light of a full moon one can hear the paddling of canoes, headed west to east.
Others report a spirit beneath the water at Council Rock, the boulder at the mouth of the Susquehanna River that was once a meeting place for members of the Mohawk Tribe.
Could it be that of the man in the tale recorded in the book, “Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake,” by John H. Brubaker and Jack Brubaker?
The authors report that local folklorist Louise Jones told a story connected with Council Rock.
“A black robe missionary disparaged the Mohawks’ religion. In contrast, he told them that
his God could perform great miracles. If he had such great faith, the chief wondered, did the missionary believe that his God could move Council Rock?
The missionary said that his God could do that.
“Well then,” said the chief, “we will test your faith. We will roll the rock on top of you and your faith being what it is, your God will move it off your back.”
The Mohawks rolled the rock on top of the missionary. They say his skeleton is still beneath the boulder.
Hyde Hall, the historic mansion built in the early 19th century overlooking James Fenimore Cooper’s Glimmerglass, boasts at least three ghosts, those of the owner, George Hyde Clarke, his wife, Anne, and Arthur Sherwood, a close friend who died while visiting the country estate.
A family crypt lies on the property, and some say the spirits use an underground passage way to journey from the crypt to the house and back again, Markusen said.
Within the village, reports of ghosts seen at midnight in the Christ Episcopal Church Graveyard are said to be those of slaves of the Cooper family.
Many members of the family, including the town’s founder, Judge William Cooper and his son, James Fenimore Cooper are buried in the cemetery.
Family slaves are also buried in the cemetery, although in another section, Markusen said.
But the heart of Cooperstown’s haunting lies in three private homes along River Street – Byberry Cottage, Greencrest and Pomeroy Place.
According to Markusen, researchers of spirits and paranormal activity believe ghosts cannot travel over running bodies of water, perhaps leaving them trapped within the village confines, unable to move over the Susquehanna River that begins its journey to the Chesapeake Bay along River Street’s haunted homes.Labels: 10-24-08, The City of the Hills |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:59 AM |
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The City of the Hills: Ghost Stories
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Harriett Still Haunts Huntington’s Halls
By JEANNINE BOHLER
ONEONTA
 Visitors to the Huntington Memorial Library are certain to notice a portrait of Harriet Huntington. During the late 1800’s, the historic structure was Harriett’s home.
Although she passed away long ago, many believe her spirit remains and roams the rooms of her house, making herself known from time to time to library patrons and staff.
Library Director Marie Bruni has had plenty of encounters with Harriett, and has had reports from many library visitors that support her own experiences.
“She looks exactly as she did in her portrait,” she said, except that she is translucent.
She is elderly and seems to be the age she was at her death. She appears most often in the early mornings or evenings and has been spotted throughout the building.
Once Bruni even saw her sliding down the banister.
Harriett’s presence has led to several unusual events, enough to fill a newspaper, Bruni said.
The events might leave someone shaken, but Bruni seems comfortable with the spirit’s presence, acknowledging that the library building was once her home, and is still her home
Many of Bruni’s personal experiences happened within her office, a room to which she has the only key.
Once, shortly after returning to work after a friend’s death, Bruni unlocked her office to discover a live blackbird flying about, but no windows were open, no one else had access to the space, and perhaps most unusual, there were no bird droppings to be found.
Other times, Bruni hears the radio playing in her office, but as she unlocks the door, the radio turns off.
 Another time, a book disappeared from the circulation desk and could not be found despite an extensive search. Bruni unlocked her office and found it propped up inside.
Harriett’s spirit is a friendly one, Bruni said. She usual plays innocent pranks, but still looks to protect her house.
When the library was being renovated and in a state of some disrepair, Harriett let the staff know she was displeased by taking things and moving them around the library. They have since learned to let her know when projects need to be done.
“Harriett can appear to anyone,” Bruni said. “It is a matter of whether you choose to see her. This was her house. She lived here. This is still her house.”
Everyone is able to see and hear spirits, but not everyone chooses to acknowledge that ability, she said.
Most people have begun to shut down by the time they are about 8-years-old, having been repeatedly told that imaginary friends are just that, imaginary.
Bruni thinks differently.Labels: 10-24-08, Huntington Library, The City of the Hills |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:43 AM |
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Halloween Best Bets
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Go underground for a Howe-ling good time at the 26th Annual Halloween at Howe Caverns 5:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24, only. Take the self-guided tour along the winding passages where you’ll find 20 unique scenes, plus ghosts, witches, classic movie monsters and pirates to add to the thrills and chills. Taste the spook-tacular treats of the benefit bake sale and enjoy music, clowns and more. Come in costume to get in the spirit of the evening. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. Proceeds benefit the Schoharie County ARC Information, visit www.howecaverns.com or call (518) 296-8900.
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Visit the Riverside Elementary Harvest Festival 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. Riverside School will be offering games and prizes, hay rides, pumpkin painting, Henna tattooing, music, delicious foods, a chili cook off contest, karaoke, animal petting booth and more. Fun and affordable for the entire family.
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Trick or treat at the Southside Mall “Malloween” 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26. Children of all ages are invited to a safe, fun Halloween at the mall, including spooky story reading, trick-or-treating, and pumpkin decorating. There will also be a costume contest for the best in each age group, ages newborn to 12. Prizes will be awarded.
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The Glimmerglass Costume Ball, sponsored by the Glimmerglass Opera, is a free family event planned 4- 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Limekiln Mansion, 59 Limekiln Road, Cherry Valley, (behind the Cherry Valley Cemetery – spooky!) In addition to trick-or-treating 5-5:30 p.m., there will be games, crafts, a creative costume contest and “freaky finger food.” Live music by Fragile Matter. For more information, check www.glimmerglass.org.
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It will seem like Halloween 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market’s annual “Halloween Harvest” celebration. Kids are encouraged to trick-or-treat, vendors will be in costume, and free cider (compliments of Middlefield Orchard) and doughnuts will be available.
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Take a ride on Haunted Halloween Trains on the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct 25. Trains leave from the Milford depot on Route 166 (East Main Street) for a two-hour round trip. There will be fun and ghoulish treats on board for everyone who dares to ride, as well as Haunted Train Station for those who choose to disembark. Passengers are urged to dress warmly and in costume. Reservations and prepayment are required; call 432-2429 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to make reservations.
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Check out the corn maze and slightly scary wagon ride at Willys Farm & Cider Mill in Schenevus noon-5 p.m. Fridays, 9-5 Saturdays and 11-5 Sundays. The maze is free; wagon rides are $1.50. There are still plenty of pumpkins and lots of room for kids to run. Check out the pumpkin-rolling contest 1-4 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 25. Willy’s Farm is l at 349 Badeau Hill Road; take Exit 18 off I-88 and follow the red and white signs. Information, 638-9449.
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Participate in the Cooperstown Art Association Pumpkin Glow 6-7 p.m. on Wednes-day, Oct. 29. Bring your carved or decorated pumpkins with a candle inside to the CAA porch at the Cooperstown Village Library by 6 p.m. to participate in the dazzling debut of plentiful pumpkins. The library is kitty corner from the Hall of Fame. Information, 547-9777.
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Relive “ The War of the Worlds” at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30 on WSKG-TV and WSKG-FM. For the 70th anniversary of the original broadcast, WSKG-TV and Radio will re-enact this classic broadcast live from their Vestal studios. Tune in to see and hear exactly how the drama terrified America in 1938.
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Halloween Healthy Harvest will be happening at the Oneonta Family YMCA, 20-26 Ford Ave., 4- 6 p.m. on Oct 31st. Activities include face painting and dinner and snacks.
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There will be a 9 p.m. curfew in the Village of Laurens Halloween Night, Friday, Oct. 31.
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Children in costume and their parents will be admitted free to enjoy the ghosts of baseball past at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum 3-5 p.m. Halloween, Oct. 31.
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Reflective Halloween bags, along with reflective stickers will be available 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Fly Creek Cider Mill, courtesy of Safe Kids of Otsego County.
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Second- through fifth-graders can trick-or-treat for UNICEF, collecting change UNICEF orange boxes as they trick or treat on Halloween, courtesy of the Cooperstown PTO. The funds help children around the world with life-saving immunizations, school supplies, emergency shelters and food.
To add items to Halloween Best Bets, e-mail laurac@hometownoneonta.biz, or call her at 547-6103.Labels: 10-24-08, Halloween, The City of the Hills, weekend's best bets |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:42 AM |
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Future of Oneonta Foundation Honors John Stevens, Properties of Merit
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 ‘If you teach a boy to hunt, fish and love nature, you’ll never have to worry he’ll get into trouble.”
Attributing that quote to the honoree, former mayor David Brenner summoned John Stevens to the podium and presented him with the Future of Oneonta’s 2008 “Business of the Year” Award Monday, Oct. 20, during the organization’s annual community luncheon, held this year at the Foothills Performing Art Center.
And, indeed, Stevens confirmed not only saying that to Brenner, but that he still believes it into his ninth decade.
The selection was appropriate for the City of Oneonta’s Centennial year: Stevens Hardware, founded 125 years ago, is one of city’s longest-operating businesses, and the honoree is the third generation at the helm.
In his introduction, Brenner noted that the honoree’s bomber was shot down over Europe during World War II. A POW, he attempted two escapes before the end of the war.
He also shared a yarn that speaks to Stevens’ dry sense of humor.
In the 1960s, Brenner admired a Grumman Flyer sailboat at the 153 Main St. store. Stevens said he had it ordered for a customer.
Several times over the next few months, Brenner would stop in to admire the craft. Stevens was mum.
Only then did Brenner learn “my wife” – Lois – “had purchased it for our anniversary.
Here are the 2008 Properties of Merit honorees:
• Historic, Jonathan and Charlotte Collett, 58 Elm St.
• Landscaping, Su Hartly, 13 Central Ave.
• Most Improved, David Manchester and Jeanne Tommell, 438 County Highway 9
• Institutional, Greater Oneonta Historical Society, 183 Main St.
• Rental, Brian O’Connor, 31-33 Burnside Ave.
• Residential, Richard and Kathleen Gravelin, 154 Henry St.
• Commercial, Jim Tomaino, Foti’s Oneonta Italian Bakery, 42 River St.
• Most Improved Business, Taso and Serina Georgakopoulos, Mama Nina’s, 299 Main St.
• Commercial Landscaping, Oneonta Federated Garden Club
• New Construction, William and Phyllis Denny, 16 Handsome Ave.
 Labels: 10-24-08, Future of Oneonta Foundation, Hometown Briefs |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:20 AM |
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Hometown History
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125 Years Ago
Local – The Central Hotel billiard parlors, for many years managed by Joe Odekirk, have recently undergone great improvement. Three new and elegant tables of the Brunswick & Balke “Monarch” pattern have been substituted for the old ones, and the rooms, having been thoroughly repainted and fitted, are now very neat in appearance. Until this season most of the cabbages sold in Oneonta have been brought from a distance, mainly Albany County. Farmers hereabout, however, have this year given more attention than formerly to the vegetable, and a dealer who makes a specialty of its sale informs us that all the cabbages he can dispose of can be secured in the vicinity of Oneonta. From one farmer over 4,000 heads were purchased.
October 1883
100 Years Ago
Salvation Army Notes – Clothing is needed; cold weather is coming on and the poor of the city are in need of your cast-off clothing. They will get if you will send it to the Salvation Army; or notify them and they will call for the same. Clothing, boots, shoes, rubbers, hats, caps, carpets, second-hand furniture, stoves, mattresses and bedding can be used. This is the time to look over your trunks and your garrets and help those who need your help.
October 1908
80 Years Ago
Opinion – The Grand Oil Party – The Republican Party came into being in Lincoln’s time through a series of circumstances, of graft and privilege, which has its counterpart today. The flat denial of agricultural equality, the Teapot Dome scandals, the war supplies graft, the veterans’ bureau steals, the Daugherty Falls, Dohenys and the like, are too much. They have been rammed down our throats whether or not and we have been told to like it. A privileged few have been fed strawberries and cream, while the basic industry of the nation subsists on crumbs from the table. We believe agriculture will get a better deal from Smith than it will from Hoover! We believe the “Grand Old Party” has become the “Grand Oil Party” and needs a thorough cleansing.
October 1928
60 Years Ago
The political campaign of 1948 is practically at an end. Next Monday night the final speeches will be made, the final guns fired and the final parades held. On Tuesday, the electors of the nation will go to the polls and exercise their priceless right of franchise. Democracy’s design for living that succeeded the boom-and-bust Republican administrations of 1920-1932 had to be superimposed upon the most confused and depressed scene since the birth of the nation. So that you will remember, this was the panorama that confronted the first year of the Roosevelt administration in 1933. Desperate laborers slaved for 10 cents an hour in some industries. As Hoover and Roosevelt rode to the latter’s inauguration the nation’s banks were folding so fast that many visitors to the Washington ceremonies were stranded by the inability to cash a check. Since early 1930 nearly 4,700 banks, with deposits approaching $3 billions had failed.
October 1948
40 Years Ago
U.S. Congressman Samuel S. Stratton supports construction of the proposed Otsego-Delaware Expressway. In a letter to Robert F. Thomson, president of the Otsego-Delaware Expressway Association, Stratton states: “I have been a vigorous and enthusiastic supporter of the expressway since you first proposed it some three years ago. In the 10 years I have served Otsego County in Congress, I have come to know how desperately we need express access routes to the New York metropolitan area. That was one reason I worked hard to get the new Oneonta airport. But we also need express access routes on land.”
October 1968
20 Years Ago
Opportunities for Otsego Inc. has received word from the New York State Office of General Services that there will be no surplus food distribution in Otsego County in November. The agency has indicated that there will be enough commodities for a distribution in January 1989.
Opinion – Many of our Congressional leaders and various commentators in the media are supporting a tax increase as the way to reduce the nation’s budget deficit. That is just plain bad advice. History has demonstrated that tax increases invariably lead to more government spending – not less. The enormous budget has not been caused by a shortfall in tax revenues, but by overspending. Since 1980, federal tax revenues have gone up an outlandish 383 billion a year. However, annual spending has expanded by a whopping $465 billion. The real threat to our economy is a tax-induced recession. We must keep the economy growing. We have the best chance of reducing the deficit by freezing federal spending, and through sustained economic growth which increases the level of tax receipts. Charles E. Wille, President, New York Farm Bureau.
October 1988
10 Years Ago
Nearly 200 walkers plus volunteer staff and spectators turned out for Memory Walk ’98, a fundraising event for Alzheimer’s research held recently in Oneonta. The event, which was well-supported by both businesses and individuals, raised about $5,000 for the cause. Wendy Wade, of the Wendy Wade Dance Studio, warmed up the walkers before the event in what she described as “the world’s largest aerobics class.” Musicians Mary Ann Ross and “Hollywood Joe” provided lively music, and Leslie Ann, WSRK’s Morning Mix DJ served as master of ceremonies. The two-an-a-half-mile walk was led by Oneonta’s mayor, Kim Muller, who served as grand marshal.
October 1998
Resources for Hometown History have been provided courtesy of the New York State Historical Association Library.Labels: 10-24-08, Columns, Hometown History |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:19 AM |
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ON THE RECORD: MICHAEL P. MERILAN, DEAN, SUNY ONEONTA DIVISION OF SCIENCE & SOCIAL SCIENCE
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SUNY Pursues The Adventure Called ‘Science’
Editor’s Note: Here are excepts of remarks delivered by Dr. Michael P. Merilan, dean, SUNY Oneonta Division of Science & Social Science, Saturday, Oct. 18, at the rededication of Science Building I.
 In his “History of Western Philosophy” Bertrand Russell records, “Almost everything that distinguishes the modern world from earlier centuries is attributable to science...”
Today we gather to acknowledge Oneonta’s proud history of preparing some of those scientists and science-literate citizens and to inaugurate an equally bright future with this beautiful state-of-the-art facility.
In the hands of our outstanding science faculty, these innovative teaching spaces and research spaces will be the crucibles in which the coming generations of Oneonta-prepared biologists and earth scientists and science-literate Oneonta alumni will be fostered.
As the great French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur once commented, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
The science departments here have a rich tradition of superb teaching and excellence in student-faculty research in the laboratory as well as in the field.
Given today’s world, this is an especially noble endeavor.
“We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology” as Carl Sagan has observed.
An informal poll at a late 20th Century Harvard University commencement confirmed that fewer than 10 percent of those graduating could explain why it is hotter in summer than in winter.
Half of the seniors completing a scientific literacy survey at George Mason University could not correctly identify the difference between an atom and a molecule.
And to be fair, this is not limited to colleges and universities. Repeated alarming scientific literacy comparisons have been publicized between American high school and junior high school students and students in other developed countries.
Within the last decade one such scholarly study estimated that the levels of scientific literacy are fewer than 7 percent of American adults, 22 percent of American college graduates, and only 26 percent of Americans with graduate degrees.
What a sad situation!
Science offers so much, as stated by Russell, “Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own.”
This campus continues to place the sciences at center stage.
 The College’s Fund for Science and Technology is the current centerpiece for our Division of College Advancement creating a wonderful partnership with the Oneonta sciences.
Twenty-six new science faculty now on staff have been hired in the last 10 years – 70 percent of the current science faculty on this campus. During that period, key state of the art scientific equipment and apparatus have been added to all four science departments’ inventories through external grantsmanship and the College’s internal Academic Infrastructure process.
Two major buildings on campus specifically are dedicated to the traditional sciences along with part of a third building.
In addition to Science I’s rehabilitation, the Physical Science Building is scheduled for modernization in the coming years.
The College’s off-site science facilities including the Biological Field Station’s extensive holdings on and proximate to Otsego Lake are being enhanced and the rehab of the main building at the Station also is scheduled.
As of last year, along with Biology’s and Earth Sciences’ innovative graduate programs, 525 undergraduate students (over eight percent of the College’s entire undergraduate population) officially were science majors in one of the four science departments or in the multi-disciplinary Environmental Sciences program and Biology is one of the most populated arts and sciences majors on the entire campus.
Certainly much remains to be done as the sciences depend vitally on maintaining significant infrastructure along with a vibrant faculty and staff. However, with all this momentum, we truly have the opportunity to make Oneonta not just a college of first choice within SUNY and the Northeast but specifically a college of first science-choice as well . . .
It was the American scientist Edwin Powell Hubble who observed, “Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure ‘Science’.”
On this signature occasion, journey with us through this beautiful new facility and let that adventure begin anew!Labels: 10-24-08, Dr. Michael P. Merilan, Hometown Views, Science Building I, SUNY Oneonta |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:03 AM |
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Letters to the Editor
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Venison Program Helps The Needy
To the Editor:
On behalf of the CANY Venison Donation Program, I would like to sincerely thank you for your wonderful generosity and support for our eighth annual banquet.
The sponsorship you gave us will help us process venison for needy families or purchase hamburger if we do not get enough venison from our area hunters. We had the most successful banquet ever.
We had approximately 270 people in attendance and we netted the most amount of money for our cause. We cannot even start to express how very thankful we are to you.
A project like our venison program is very gratifying for those of us who are working to make it a reality, but when our friends like you respond with your marvelous generosity, then the emotional rewards we receive are immeasurable.
Again, thank you from all of us at the Conservation Alliance of New York for all you have done and hopefully will continue to do for all of our friends in need.
AL BOWERS
Chairman, CANY
Venison Donation Program
Senator Seward Has Proven Track Record
To the Editor:
We are writing to express our thoughts on state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford.
Many times you will hear negative things about politicians, but that is simply not the case when it comes to Senator Seward. He is an accessible representative who is in touch with his district’s needs and has provided for the area in so many ways.
Senator Seward is there for the big-ticket items like funding for manufacturers to create jobs, or money for local street programs to keep taxes down. But he is also there for those smaller expenses, providing grants for libraries, and arts programs.
Jim understands that for communities to be successful they need to cover all bases: economic success, a good quality of life, and an eye to the future.
Senator Seward spends time in the district, greeting those at the local diner, or on the street. He wants to hear their concerns and is a tireless worker for his constituents.
Senator Seward isn’t beholden to party bosses or other outside interests. He works for those who send him to Albany, and his track record proves just that.
We understand Senator Seward has been campaigning hard this fall so that he can win reelection on Nov. 4. This is just one more sign he takes the job seriously, and want to know the needs of the district.
If you see Senator Seward, let him know what you think needs to be done… then watch it happen.
ERNEST & ELIZABETH GOODMAN
Oneonta
A Message From Caroline
To the Editor,
I think the voters need some truth about a candidate for the state Senate.
I live in the town of Caroline, and our town supervisor, Don Barber, has backed a plan that would put a public trail right through the backyards of some of our taxpayers.
They objected, and when the town board considered a motion to stop progress on the trail, Don Barber abstained from a vote on it. That’s not leadership, and it’s not representative democracy either. He ignores his constituents and pushes things the people don’t want, and then hides when taxpayers rise up and call him on it. This trail has been a very controversial issue with much emotion on both sides. This has been a hot topic since January 2008.
All town board members, committee and sub-committee members are exhausted.
It was clear from the start the process has no direction. There were multiple questions that went unanswered month after month. Under Don’s leadership, or lack there of, it continued.
One hour prior to this writing, a vote was finally taken. I can say it was nothing short of a three-ring circus, with Mr. Barber as the leader. While a proposed proposition was ultimately voted on, it was not until after hours of hair splitting.
In the end, Mr. Barber would not vote on the proposition as proposed. He submitted a revised resolution, negotiated at the table. This revision included defined criteria on how the process of investigation should go.
I ask you this: Should it take 10 months to get direction from our leader? I am not sure we, New York State, have that much time to waste.
Respectfully written to my fellow New Yorkers,
CYNTHIA K. SMALT
Brooktondale
Barber Honest, One of Us
To the Editor:
State Senate candidate Don Barber is honest and one of us. He doesn’t take any corporate contributions, and for his stand has received the endorsement of Citizen’s Action, the clean-elections group.
On the other hand, Senator Seward, our current state senator, has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from HMO’s, insurance corporations and their lobbyists. In return, he has done the bidding of insurance companies by deregulating health insurance premiums, backing health insurance policies that don’t cover serious illnesses, and allowing auto insurance companies to raise rates without hearings.
The money Senator Seward has taken clearly influences his decisions, and we are left to pay the sky high bills. Now we know who owns Seward’s allegiance.
In a recent debate, Senator Seward had no convincing reply to Don Barber’s point regarding all the money his campaigns have taken from insurance interests. In fact, much of that money came to him when he had no opposition.
This is a good time to ask him to explain himself again. He might be in SUNY Oneonta’s Morris Hall at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 27. Then again he might choose to offer a convenient excuse for another absence.
Don Barber has a record of honest and wise public service. As Town of Caroline supervisor, Barber was able to obtain 100 percent of his municipality’s power from renewable sources. Caroline is only the second town in the state to accomplish such a cost-saving advantage!
JEFFREY STERLING
UticaLabels: 10-24-08, Letters to the Editor |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 7:00 AM |
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ENDORSEMENT STATE SENATE
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Otsego County Voters Should Unite To Reelect Senator Seward
Whatever line of work we may be in, isn’t it most satisfying when, inadvertently or not, by accident or happenstance – or once in a while, on purpose – we accomplish good?
Two instances in 2008 must have been particularly satisfying to Otsego County’s state senator, Jim Seward, Milford resident, Oneonta native.
One, he guided “Chris’ Bill” – named for Chris Gentile of Cooperstown, a CCS senior who died in a crash on Holy Thursday 2007 – into law.
It creates a commission to recommend how New York State can adopt a “21st Century” driver’s education curriculum, last updated in the 1950s. Co-chaired by the commissioners of Education and Motor Vehicles, the commission must report back by year’s end. Let’s get it done!
Meanwhile, the senator extracted $30,000 in state funds to underwrite a pilot program at CCS. It includes simulators like those used to train pilots, UPS’ defensive-driving course and parental involvement. New York Central Mutual of Edmeston provided the final piece a couple of weeks ago: $10,000 to buy an actual car.
Two, he achieved “Carina’s Law – named for Carina Frank, Town of Otsego, whose father, Mannfred Weidemann, was killed when he ran into the back of a manure spreader on Route 28 north of Portlandville a couple of days before Christmas 2004. (Carina’s mother, Andree, in the passenger seat, took months of hospitalization and physical therapy to recover.)
It requires all farm vehicles on public roadways to be clearly marked with bright reflective tape – research has found that’s even more effective than lights.
Those two laws will save countless lives and avert tragedy, and will continue to do so well into the decades and even generations ahead. Among those who are spared, who knows what vast good they may accomplish.
Cause for satisfaction, indeed.
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As important as the accomplishment was the process.
In each case, when Chris’ mother Penney and Mannfred Weidemann’s daughter approached Jim Seward, they were greeted with sympathy and humanity.
In each case, the senator didn’t grandstand. He brought together all the parties with a stake in the outcome, allowed them to reason together, and solutions emerged from that very sensible and level-headed process.
There was opportunity for conflict; neither was a slam dunk.
In the first case, education officials raised concern about cost, even though the curriculum, pioneered in Georgia, has been proven statistically to save lives.
In the second, the state’s most powerful farm lobby was opposed. But when Carina’s research demonstrated farmers, not drivers, are most often killed or injured in crashes like those that killed her father, they came around.
In each case, Seward was able to draw seniority and experience obtained in two decades in Albany’s corridors of power.
As he regularly does, the Republican senator reached out to his Democratic counterpart in the General Assembly, Bill Magee of Nelson, who co-sponsored and championed the legislation in the lower house.
It was Seward at his finest.
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Some people have made up their minds about most things by the time they reach their early 20s and are hard to sway after that. Not so the best of our fellow citizens – and the best legislators: Seward continues to evolve and surprise well into his third decade as a legislator.
Judging from the Otsego County Board of Representatives, ours is a county that doesn’t embraced activist government, and Seward has respected that propensity. Yes, it can be frustrating when his staff summons up “home rule” as an excuse to go slow on issues that can effect multiple towns and even counties.
Typically, though, the senator will act when he feels he must.
When the Cooperstown Dreams Park dragged its feet for two embarrassing summers on installing a traffic signal at its main entrance on Route 28, Hartwick Seminary, it was a quiet nudge from the senator to DOT’s regional office in Binghamton that finally got action.
With many issues, there is no one right answer. Take natural-gas exploration, for instance, a current one.
While many – this newspaper included – have called for a moratorium to fully assess the potential impacts, hundreds of others, perceiving it as an economic boon, have signed leases to allow the exploration.
Keeping his options open, Seward has identified a first issue to champion: Ensuring that people who sign leases know what they’re signing and, if natural gas is found, profit to the maximum degree. (Check his Web site.)
While free-marketers on the one hand and environmentalists on the other might prefer him to take a harder line, that’s really not Seward’s way.
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So what is Seward’s way?
He’s energetic, attentive, interested and, foremost, flexible. He doesn’t hold grudges or settle scores; there’s simply too much to do.
He’s successful in representing the interests of Otsego County in Albany; of enacting the laws we, specifically, need; of leveraging state money to allow good things to happen locally. (Oneonta’s Foothills Performing Arts Center, now under construction, is one of the latest examples, and a huge one.)
He wants the job. He’s earned the job. When Otsego County came together behind Michael V. Coccoma, he was elected to the state Supreme Court over candidates from much larger counties.
Let’s do the same for Jim Seward. He deserves the county’s full support, from Republicans, Democrats and independents alike, at the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4.Labels: 10-24-08, Editorial, Hometown Views |
| posted by The Freeman's Journal @ 6:55 AM |
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