Hometown Oneonta - The Otesgo-Delaware Dispatch

Nader, Northern Eagle Beverages Honored By Otsego County Chamber

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:36:00 +0000

The Otsego County Chamber announced today the recipients of this year's NBT Distinguished Business will be Northern Eagle Beverages and the Eugene A. Bettiol, Jr. Distinguished Citizen award is being bestowed upon Albert "Sam" Nader, former Oneonta Mayor and civic leader.

"The selection of Sam Nader to receive the 6th Annual Eugene A. Bettiol, Jr. Distinguished Citizen award and North Eagle Beverages as the NBT Distinguished Business are great choices," Rob Robinson, president and CEO of the chamber, said in media release. "We are proud of them for all their efforts to make Otsego County a better place to live. You can't look around this area and not see that they have had positive impact on the quality of life here in Otsego County. "

In addition to his role as Oneonta mayor, Sam Nader, a lifelong area resident, brought professional baseball to Oneonta when he formed the Oneonta Athletic Corporation in 1968. He and his partners sustained one of the longest continuously operated franchises in baseball.

Northern Eagle Beverage, located on Railroad Avenue in Oneonta, was founded by Louis Hager in 1986 and currently employs 33 people. The business supplies beer and soda to numerous venues throughout the tri-county area. In 2001, the business was selected as the Wholesaler of the Year for the Northeast by Anheuser Bush.

The Otsego County Chamber Annual Banquet and Celebration of Buiness will take place at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 in the SUNY Oneonta Hunt Union Ballrool. Tickets are $77.50 a person or $750 for a table of ten. To make reservations, call Pam Ferguson at 432-4500 ext. 201.

MUG ONE Group Meets Wednesday At Hartwick

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:04:00 +0000

MUG ONE, the Macintosh User Group of Oneonta, will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3 in Golisano Hall, Room 103 on the Hartwick College campus in Oneonta.
Terry Helser will demonstrate TaxACT, the online service for filing your federal tax return. Elsa Travisano will then cover the basics of Backing Up Your Mac and about what you need (hardware and software) to make backing up a painless process.
Meetings are free of charge and everyone is welcome. For more information go to http://www.mugone.com, email Elsa Travisano at info@mugone.com or call Brian Foley at 988-7443.

St. Mary's Prepares For 'Step Into Seuss'

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:11:00 +0000

St. Mary's School's three year old classroom tries out their Seuss mobiles for part of the "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" acitvity at the their annual Step Into Seuss event held 5-8 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2. Ham dinner will be served 4:30-7 p.m., $5 per person or $20 per family.
Caption: From left, Carly Layman, Jackie Hu and Zachary Griegel race their Seuss mobiles down the race track in the three year old classroom at St. Mary's School.

Local Artist Has Fun With Snow Downtown

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:56:00 +0000

Oneonta Teen Center Director and local artist Ian Austin was found this morning making a snow person on a bench in downtown Oneonta in front of the old Bresees. The snow storm yesterday which lasted through the night, led to all local school districts canceling classes for the day.

SEUSS RULES

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

HoF Soccer Fields Much In Demand

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

3 Bid To Use Hall of Fame’s Fields

By JIM KEVLIN

Interest in the former National Soccer Hall of Fame’s world-class fields is brisk, and three private entities are vying to ensure the crunching of cleats will be heard this summer running across the turf.
Otsego County’s Economic Development Office had issued an RFP – request for proposals – on the fields, and three proposals were in hand by the Tuesday, March 2, deadline.
“The three separate entities had expressed interest all along,” said Carolyn Lewis, county economic developer. “We knew we were going to get those three. We thought we might actually get two more.”
The Otsego County Development Corp. directors, who assumed ownership of the property Feb. 1 from the Hall of Fame, will meet shortly to review the bids, she said.
But Lewis expects to have a contract let by mid-April, in time to have new managers in place for the summer training camps and tournaments that have been staples in the past.
She acknowledges the OCDC timeline is “extremely aggressive,” but “in order to move forward and have tournaments this summer we need to be that aggressive.”
The fields are much-coveted because “on a scale of one to 10, they are Grade 10 fields,” said Scott Clark, president of The Clark Companies, the renown Delhi-based turf company that built the four HoF fields 19 years ago.
These days, it would cost $700,000 to build such fields, he said, and as he describes them you can understand why.
These are sand-based fields: The turf lies on 10 inches of sand, which speeds drainage, Clark said.
Under the sand is a layer of stone and, under the stone, drains every 15 feet on center, spaced across the field to “evacuate” the water to storm drains.
These fields don’t have a “crown” to divert runoff to each side; they simply absorb water. And to ensure there’s enough moisture to keep the grass strong, there are “pop up heads” every 40 feet or so to irrigate the fields.
The sod, Clark continued, was grown on sand at a specialty operation in Saratoga.
“They’re my babies,” said Kevin Meredith, CSFM (for “certified sports field manager”), who has maintained the fields for all of their 19 years and hopes to continue under contract this summer.
Successful maintenance has required development of a turf plan, “like any other management plan,” that establishes a baseline, goals and procedures to get there.
Where you might mow your lawn every week to 10 days, “we mow up to four times a week,” said Meredith. “It keeps you from taking a lot of the turf blade off at any one time, and it induces the plants to put out a denser canopy.”
The result in West Oneonta: “Really tight fields.”
“These are very good fields,” said Scott Clark, who is the acknowledged U.S. expert in their construction.

Mayor To Aldermen: Forego Police Probe

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Mayor Won’t Seek Probe Of City PD

Affirming his predecessor’s conclusion, Mayor Dick Miller has concluded no further investigation is warranted into the resignation of three police officers under a cloud in recent months.
The mayor made that recommendation to Common Council Tuesday, March 2, at the same time alerting them that one of the officers, Sgt. Andrew Thomas, has had a change of heart and is claiming he was wrongfully discharged from the department.
A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for April 9.
“Given the tasks (the Oneonta Police Department) confronts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I view a further investigation as demoralizing and disruptive, and accordingly, counter productive,” Miller told the aldermen.
At the time the matter became public, former Mayor John S. Nader consulted with the state Attorney General’s office, then involved the Otsego and Delaware county district attorneys in separate reviews.
Miller said he, Police Chief Joseph Redmond and any council members who wished to do so reviewed the report, and concluded “there was no criminal content to the incidents.”
“Is it likely that other members of the department not in the position of responsibility knew of the behavior? One can speculate,” the mayor continued. “Based upon the professional repercussions for the three individuals, the personal humiliation, as well as economic consequences that goes along with that, is it likely that this kind of behavior would happen again?
“In my judgment, probably not.
“Additionally, the chief has taken what measures he can within the context of labor agreements with the Police union to rotate staffing assignments.”
He said Redmond planned to report to the council’s Public Safety Committee Friday, March 6, “on changes made, and contemplated, and the status of other related activities.”
The mayor said he has had “numerous interactions with officers” since taking office. He rode with the chief one evening, and attended the county Law Enforcement Academy graduation, where four city officers received diplomas.
“My good experiences have continued and nothing causes me to have a lack of confidence in the department and its leadership,” he said.

Eastmans: Angels At St. Mary’s

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

They Helped Build
School, Never Left,
Win ‘Partner’ Honor

By LAURA COX

Michelle and Rick Eastman have never liked the limelight.
They’ve operated Eastman Associates, general contractors headquartered on Railroad Avenue, where they work as a team with their 30 employees. They’ve managed their family and raised three children. They never sought recognition for how they spent their time and money.
But three weeks ago, Michelle and Rick received a phone call from St. Mary’s School asking both of them to come down to the school to chat. They had no inkling of what was about to transpire.
The St. Mary’s School marketing committee had voted them the 2010 Distinguished Partners in Education and will host a dinner to honor them on Saturday, March 20 at the school. Cocktail hour will start at 6:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner to follow at their “Evening in Paris.”
“Our first reaction was to turn it down,” said Rick. “But they said there was no way they would let us get away with that. We do things because it is the right thing to do, to help the community, the school, the kids; not to receive recognition.”
The Eastmans have been in the headlines recently when their company removed the old aluminum façade from the front of Bresee’s Department Store in November. Hundreds watched.
But it was their work on St. Mary’s School and continued friendship to the school that brought their names to the minds of the nominating committee, said St. Mary’s Principal Patty Bliss.
It was Eastman Associates that in 2000-2001 transformed the former Price Chopper building into the St. Mary’s School you see today. Accounts from school employees talk about the thought and consideration the Eastmans put into their work, and their willingness to talk about the new school and give tours to anyone interested.
“They took a special interest. It was not just a building to them, but a new home for the school, for the children, and they took extra care with what they did,” Bliss said. Though she was not principal at the time, she has heard many accounts from others at the school, and has seen firsthand their continued care for the building.
“They come to all of our events and support us in every way,” Bliss said, “Not just financially but through their interest and encouragement.”
Michelle and their three children, Nathan, 18, Candace, 23 and Jennifer, 27, are all members of the Catholic church.
Michelle and Rick have led their lives in the way they have to set examples of service to community for their children. While the girls do not live locally anymore, while growing up in Oneonta they both donated their time in the form of teaching Sunday school, as well as time helping out at Saturday’s Bread. Nathan has also been involved in many volunteer activities through the high school and is currently very involved with the S.A.D.D. club when he is not on the court playing basketball or on the field playing baseball for OHS.
“We like to encourage our kids to do something where you are not getting anything in return, without any recognition for it,” Michelle Eastman said.
The Eastmans have a personal connection to St. Mary’s school. Nathan attended grades K-4 there, and The Eastmans have found the teachers and staff wonderful.
“It’s a great school with wonderful teachers and a beautiful building. It’s really easy to help them,” Rick said.

City of The Hills

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

LAST CALL: Soccer fans have a chance for a final look at the National Soccer Hall of Fame exhibits Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7.

DRIVE ENDS: United Way of Delaware/Otsego Counties has ended its 2009 fundraising campaign. The chapter raised $327,000, falling short of its goal of $343,000.

THEATRE FEST: Orpheus Theatre’s Playwright Project Theatre Festival 2010 is this weekend at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. A new play, “Just Kidding,” will be performing at 8 p.m. Friday, March 5. “Thanatopsy Turvy,” by Oneonta Gary Stevens, will be read at 1 p.m. Saturday. (More details, Pages B6-8)

TOP DOLLARS: For the eighth successive year, SUNY Oneonta alumni led all colleges in the system in donations to their alma mater, and ranked sixth in the nation among public universities.

MAKING MASKS: Barbara Gregson is planning a mask-making workshop at 10 a.m. Saturdays, March 13 and 20, at the UCCCA, to coincide with the Catskill Choral Society’s May 8-9 “African Sanctus. For information and to register, call 432-2070.
TOURNAMENT PLAY: For the first time since 1977, the SUNY Oneonta men’s basketball team, coached by Vince Medici, are in the NCAA Div. III tournament. They will play at 6 p.m. Friday, March 5 against Franklin & Marshall at Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point.

Hometown Sports

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

HOMETOWN People

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

ANTARCTICA: Dr. Devin Castendyk, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences at the SUNY Oneonta, spent the winter inter-session in Antarctica, where he conducted research as a collaborator with the National Science Foundation.

Vegetarian Times:
Local Cereal Great

The March issue of Vegetarian Times has recognized Mu Mu Muesli, a European style breakfast cereal developed by Lisa Zaccaglini and Mike Shuster of Sharon Springs, as one of the five most “scrumptious” cereals in the U.S.
The couple started their “breakfast revolution” only 14 months ago, and still hand mix every batch and hand stamp the 100 percent biodegradable bags.

HOMETOWN History

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

125 YEARS AGO

Home & Vicinity – Edward Butts, who lives on Brook Street, had around his premises a box of percussion caps such as he had used in exploding dynamite at the Oneonta silver mine. Last Thursday morning, Mr. Butts’ 16-year-old son Irving picked up one of the caps and, his curiosity getting the better of his discretion, commenced tearing it to pieces with a hair-pin, “to see what it was made of.” Suddenly, it exploded with a loud report, and the thumb and forefinger with which it was held were blown to pieces. The young man loses about one-half of each digit.
March 1885

100 YEARS AGO
March 1910

80 YEARS AGO

One man who lacked the disadvantage of being born in humble surroundings, but who in spite of the fact perfected san invention to found a new industry is the story told of Sherman Mills Fairchild, formerly of Oneonta in the March number of Scientific American. Mr. Fairchild, inventor of the long-distance camera, was born in the red mansion at the corner of Grand and Main Streets, recently purchased by the Masons. Early in life the boy was considered to be too ill for the activities other school children. Consequently, he was alone most of the time, save for tutors and governors. He spent long hours in the attic of the great house, “playing with knick knacks.” When he volunteered for service in WWI he was turned down by surgeons and advised that the dry climate of Arizona would be best if he wanted to maintain any degree of health. Fairchild left for Arizona and in the middle of the last year of the war army officers saw the results of his first aerial photography camera. Within a few weeks the Eastman laboratories at Rochester had been placed at the young man’s disposal. The camera that began as a plaything in the Fairchild garret is now standard equipment in the air services of five nations and Fairchild is head of a camera company and a dozen subsidiary corporations as well as a $200 million aviation corporation. “Once in a while,” the Scientific American says, “we find a man who lacks the advantage of having been born in humble circumstances and who, in spite of that fact, makes an invention that founds a new industry.”
March 1930

60 YEARS AGO

How much longer can Oneonta go on losing its young men and women because of the lack of job opportunities? Rosalie Vagliardo, a senior at Oneonta high school, has a pretty good idea of what she wants to do when she graduates in June. Miss Vagliardo has been taking a secretarial course since she has been in the ninth grade, with the eventual hope that she could get a job in a business office. In June, Miss Vagliardo will apply for a job with the telephone company. If she doesn’t get that, OHS has contacts with the State Employment Bureau and it will attempt to place her in a secretarial job somewhere in the vicinity. Last fall, Miss Vagliardo took a secretarial test given by the State Employment Bureau to determine her standing among the other 15 in her class who take the same course. Her standing was among the highest. Miss Vagliardo is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Vagliardo of 52 West Broadway. She is the youngest in a family of six brothers.
March 1950

40 YEARS AGO

A $500,000 negligence action brought by Donald L. Pierce of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on behalf of his 12-year-old son David is in Supreme Court before Justice Joseph P. Molinari. Defendants are the City of Oneonta; Stanley Helz of Fort Lauderdale, David’s stepfather, Nathan Pendleton, a retired Oneonta banker, David’s grandfather, and Frank Getman, an Oneonta attorney. David Pierce was injured critically when he dropped a lighted firecracker into a partially buried gasoline tank. Exploding fumes uprooted the empty 1000-gallon tank and ignited David’s clothing, hurling him some 25 feet through the air. He landed some 30 feet from the ruptured tank. The blast happened on what was the old Elmore property, east of Wilber Park in Oneonta where the Wilber Park Apartment complex is now under construction. The property is owned by Mr. Getman. David’s brother Donald, age 14 at the time, suffered burns while attempting to douse the flames from David’s clothing. The Pierce boys were among five playing at the site. The others were Brian Pierce, age 9, John Spence, age 13, and James Wells, age 13. The firecrackers were purchased in North Carolina.
March 1970

30 YEARS AGO

The Otsego County Planning Department has completed a study of possible industrial sites in the county and found there are three potential locations. According to Fred Paris, acting director of the planning department, the three choice locations are on Brown Street in the Town of Oneonta, on River Street in the City of Oneonta, and at a site in the Town of Worcester. Of these the Brown Street site holds the most promise, Paris said. “The site is already zoned industrial, it is in close proximity to other industries, and the support facilities – sewer, water, electricity and gas – are already there.”
March 1980

20 YEARS AGO

U.S. Government figures show that 50 percent of all mercury and 27 percent of all cadmium used in the United States is consumed by battery manufacturing. By the year 2000, it is estimated that cadmium use in batteries will rise to 34 percent. By the 1990s, 75 percent of the household batteries sold will be the alkaline/manganese type, which are toxic because they contain mercury. When incinerated, mercury and cadmium are of particular concern because most of the mercury is emitted in a gaseous form and cadmium attaches to fine particulates.
March 1990

10 YEARS AGO

Music by the Al Gallodoro Group and Swamp Yankee will provide the musical backdrop for the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts’ (UCCCA) first annual Northern Exposure Saba Gras masked ball to be held Saturday, March 4 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
March 2000

No? Fine. But, Sidney’s History Tells Us, No’s Not Enough

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Anyone who’s ever driven through Sidney has to ask, How did this village get – and keep – so much industry?
There’s Amphenol (formerly Bendix), 751 on the Fortune 1,000 list. It manufactures fiber-optics cable and related connectivity devices.
And Mead Westvaco – the subsidiary was former At-A-Glance, and before that Keith Clark Inc. – the largest calendar-maker in the U.S. There are eight other companies in the Sidney Industrial Park.
•
Certainly, history played a role: Upstate New York, with its trained workforce and developed infrastructure, was generally thriving before the cheap-labor, relatively low-tax South embarked on its decades-long raid, beginning in the 1960s.
But there was also a core of community-focused business leaders determined Sidney would be where the action was, wherever that might be.
In 1917, when the owners of Cortland Car & Carriage recognized their business future was limited, they began manufacturing an automobile, The Hatfield.
By 1924, it was clear The Hatfield wasn’t going to make it, so a company executive, Winfield Sherwood, went on the road – on his own initiative and at his own cost – to find a company to fill the soon-to-be-vacant auto factory.
He recruited Scintilla, a Swiss-born magneto company that had moved to New York City, which was purchased by Bendix, which became Amphenol.
•
We learned all this during a couple of days spent in Sidney last month. (The Freeman’s Journal & Hometown Oneonta newspapers’ staff plans to visit a different regional town once a month this year; it began with Stamford in January.)
It’s intriguing. Stamford and Sidney are facing challenges similar to the towns we cover on a regular basis, although each are tackling them differently.
To continue with Sidney: In the 1950s, Tom Mirabito, Sr., then president of James Mirabito & Sons (now simply Mirabito) became mayor because he didn’t feel his village was facing up to its responsibilities.
Soon, the village had annexed acreage to the southwest from the town, allowing expansion of the airport and development of the industrial park.
Keith Clark wanted to build a new plant, and a site was provided. When Bendix wanted to expand its Delaware Avenue plant, the Mirabito administration figured out how to do it. When Unadilla Silo Co. wanted to expand its pressure-treated lumber business, it established Uni-Lam in Sidney.
•
Sidney didn’t just help these concerns, it celebrated them.
“We did things,” Mirabito said. “We didn’t question: I wonder, I wonder, I wonder. We were becoming more progressive. People weren’t afraid to do things.”
During that time, there was also a corps of activist physicians at “The Hospital,” (now Bassett’s Tri-Town Hospital), that made an institution an effervescent center of community, Sidney booster Chuck D’Imperio recalls.
He also remembers businessmen like Bendix GM George Steiner, and “The Lion of Sidney” Myron Kipp, who owned the local market and, when a local company needed investors, he went out and found them.
That kind of confidence in the future is being continued today at Sidney Federal Credit Union by President/CEO Jim Doig and his board of directors. In the midst of the worst economy in 75 years, a new bank headquarters is rising on Delaware Avenue, twice the size of the current headquarters.
•
A latter-day Bendix may not be what most of our communities want today. But what do we want? The public has responded to “no” – no windmills, no biomass plant, no hydro-fracking for natural gas. That’s fine, but simply rejecting someone else’s agenda isn’t enough.
Do we want clean, small-scale manufacturing? (Rabbit Goody’s Thistle Hill Weavers comes to mind.) Or alpaca breeding? Or Web-based knowledge industries? Or retirement villages? Or high-tech spin-offs of our universities?
Prosperity is our best defense against every ruinous (to our environment) get-rich-quick scheme that comes our way.
Let’s take the advice os Tom Mirabito, Sr., and move behind “I wonder, I wonder, I wonder,” to a vision of where we should be. Then get there.

Letters to the editor

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

CARTOON TO THE EDITOR

Rx Refill Cost $3.10. Complexities
Brought Bill To $2,643.80

To the Editor:
Last September, my COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) flared up.
I had received a temporary prescription for Prednisone, which relieved the symptoms. Unfortunately, my prescription expired on Oct. 10, a Saturday, the start of a three-day weekend.
I phoned my prime care doctor’s number at Bassett Hospital and explained to the nurse on duty that I needed a temporary refill of the Prednisone. She told me there was no one available in Prime Care and that I would have to go to the emergency room.
I called the ER and explained my predicament and was told to come in and someone could help me. On arriving, I told the ER receptionist my need and she referred me to the triage nurse, to whom I also explained that I needed a temporary renewal of my Prednisone prescription.
She said a doctor in the ER could help me and I was sent to an examining room in the ER where I again explained my problem to the ER nurse, who checked my vital signs until a doctor could see me.
I again explained to the ER doctor that all I needed was a temporary renewal of the Prednisone, showing him my empty pill bottle. He insisted that some extra tests were necessary because I was short of breath.
To make a long story short, three hours later I was given a prescription for Prednisone and sent home. But that is not really the end of the story.
When the final bills came to me (courtesy of the Center for Medicare Services) there were 24 charges totaling $2,643.80. While Medicare took a haircut on some of those charges and my Medigap insurance paid the deductibles, I was not out of pocket for any of it, but Medicare and the Medigap insurance companies paid an extraordinary amount of money so that I could get a $3.10 prescription refilled.
My daughter is a healthcare professional at Rhode Island Hospital. I asked her why the system was so inefficient. She said that there are certain protocols that ERs have to follow in order to avoid medical malpractice issues. The trial lawyers are calling the shots on medical procedures.
From what I have read of the two pieces of health care legislation that have passed in Congress, neither has addressed the medical inefficiencies or the legal obstructions that are endemic in our health care system. Congress prefers to demonize the insurance companies rather than reduce the costs of health care.
Your government, and mine, at work

WILLIAM DORNBURGH

Mike Arcuri Moderate,
His Voting Record Shows

To the Editor:
Congressman Mike Arcuri’s opponent continues to try to paint Mike as a partisan left-wing liberal. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Mike is a moderate Democrat who consistently votes his own way, with the best interests of his constituents in mind and without regard for political party or ideology.
This fact is borne out by the National Journal, a nonpartisan, inside-the-beltway news service, which recently ranked Mike as one of the two most moderate legislators in the House of Representatives based on his voting record. From a random survey of 97 votes covering economic, foreign policy and social issues, Mike voted “liberal” 50.2 percent of the time and “conservative” 49.8 percent of the time.
Mike’s voting record proves that he is “in touch” with the majority of voters in the 24th Congressional District and that we should continue to support Mike for our own good.

ED LENTZ New Lisbon Chairman,
County Democratic Committee

In Economic Storm,
Don’t Rock The Boat

To the Editor:
There are none so blind as though who cannot see, or hear, apparently.
In a struggling economy, where 7 million plus have lost their jobs over the last two years, and New York State is borrowing almost $100 million a week (not including federal extensions) to cover the cost of unemployment checks, Governor Paterson has once again proposed in his budget the sale of wine in grocery, convenience and drug stores.
This, after hitting liquor store owners with a floor tax last May. This floor tax was not on existing inventory and cost owners money that could never be recouped.
President Obama stated recently that maintaining and creating jobs in 2010 is his main focus. He asked the private sector and small business community to be innovative, creative and maintain job security.
Governor Paterson’s proposal will put thousands more out of work and create no new jobs. The trickle-down effect on job loss will devastate New York with its already unstable economy.
In December 2009, Governor Paterson’s own law review commission on the state Liquor Authority recommended putting this idea on hold, stating that it required a significant and independent economic review. It also recommended a series of changes for store regulations, but did not recommend the sale of food items.
It also determined the liquor authority is unable to make prevention of underage drinking a state-wide priority, as it has 38 employees to deal with 70,000 licensed venues.
Ninety percent of all violations occur in grocery and convenience stores. They can’t properly control the sale of beer. How will they enforce added wine sales?
This is why state law enforcement is so against this proposal.
No state in 28 years has legalized the sale of wine in grocery because they know it is dangerous to young people, and costly to taxpayers.
In addition, a Cornell economic impact study released in December found that state liquor stores will lose 30 percent of their profits on average. A devastating blow that will close stores and create job loss all across the state. These losses will put even the strongest stores at risk and further push the economic slowdown in NYS.
I ask all reading this: Could you afford to lose 30 percent of your income?
I am once again asking for your help and support by going to LastStoreOnMainStreet.com, send letters, make phone calls, and talk about this topic (No computer, feel free to call me at 432-4144). Please remember, this is not a wine in grocery issue, it is a common sense, bad for NYS taxpayer issue.

SHARON WILSEY
Best Wine & Spirits Oneonta

POEM TO THE EDITOR

Life

You have reached the office of.
Please hang up and dial again
If you know your parties number
Forget it.
If your are having a medical emergency
Dial one for dermatology
If you are dialing from a touch tone phone,
Your call may be monitored.
Please listen to the following options,
If all else fails.
If you want a massage
An operator will help you
All lines are busy at the present time.
Your call is important to us
If your wish to leave a message
Please spit on the phone.
I am sorry, I will not be in the office
This month.
I am traveling with the governor.
Please stay on the line.
You have reached the home of
John; Cindy has moved out.
When you hear the tone,
hang up.
Your call in no longer important to us
Don’t call again.
All our personnel are busy at the present time.
The approximate waiting time is one hour.
I am sorry that number is no longer in service,
The line is busy,
But by pressing one, you can speak with a fool.
To speak with nobody, press two.
By pressing the pound sign, you may speak with yourself.
When you are done, please hang up. Goodbye.

CHARLES HUDSON
Cooperstown

IN MEMORIAM

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Nellie C. Cole, 85; Former
Chief Clerk Of Family Court

SIDNEY – Nellie C. Cole, 85, of Sidney, passed away on Monday, March 1, 2010 at Bassett Hospital.
Nellie was born on Jan. 13, 1925 in Oneonta, the daughter of the late Clarence Joseph and Rose (Decker) Oliver. She married Irving W. Cole on October 14, 1944 in Oneonta. He predeceased her on Sept. 20, 1998.
Nellie grew up in the Oneonta area and graduated from the Oneonta High School, class of 1943. She obtained her AA Business Degree from the Delhi Agricultural and Technical College. She and her husband owned the former Buster Hyzer Dairy Farm. She worked for 25 years in Delhi, first as a Legal Secretary to the Honorable Richard H. Farley. Upon his election to a Delaware County Judgeship, she became Chief Clerk of the Family Court of the State of New York, a position she held until her retirement in 1987.
She was an avid quilter and has shown many of her quilts in area shows. She was an active member of the TriTown Piecemakers of Sidney and a member of the National Quilters Association. She was also a member of the Community Bible Church in Franklin and former member of the Women of the Moose #502 in Sidney. She was a volunteer for the Sidney Hospital Guild and the Delaware Valley Humane Society.
Nellie received many honors and awards. She was the Hospital Guild Volunteer of the Year in May, 2001, she was the Sidney First Lady of the Year in April 2003, she was the Republican Citizen of the Year 2007, was a member of the Delaware County and Sidney Republican Committees.
Nellie is survived by her three children and their spouses, Barry W. and Marie Cole of Sidney, Barbara Ritchey of Sidney and Janice and Donald Mushtare of Worcester, Massachussetts.
Nellie was predeceased by her parents, her husband and a brother, William Oliver.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 5, at the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, 625 Main St., Franklin with Rev. Robert Goldenberg, Pastor of the Circle Drive Alliance Church in Sidney, officiating. Interment will be in the spring in the Ouleout Valley Cemetery in Franklin.
Arrangements are by the Kenneth L. Bennett Funeral Home, Franklin.

Mary Magruder Tompkins, 85;
World War II Veteran, Avid Traveler

ONEONTA – Mary Magruder Tompkins, 85, of Ballston Spa, passed away Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, at home supported by her loving family.
Born in Syracuse, N.Y., she was the daughter of Robert and Deborah Magruder. Mary grew up in Syracuse and graduated from Nottingham High School. Mary proudly served in the U.S. Navy WAVES during WWII in Washington D.C., where she achieved the rank of Petty Officer Third Class in the Intelligence Division. She married Percy “Tommy” Tompkins in 1947, and together enjoyed 62 years of love, family, friendship and travel.
For much of her adult life, she lived in the Otego and Oneontaarea, where she served as Past Matron of the Eastern Stars and Past President of the Otego Fireman’s Auxiliary, and was active in both the Otego and Oneonta Methodist Churches. Mary was co-owner of the Otego Hardware store for several years while at the same time assisted in managing the Town of Otego affairs as Town Clerk. For three years she and “Tommy” managed The Sidney Senior Village. Upon retiring, Mary and “Tommy” traveled the United States in their RV taking in all the sights and sounds of the country they both loved.
Mary was passionate about volunteering; she prepared meals at Oneonta’s Saturday’s Bread, and knitted blankets for premature babies. She enjoyed watching many sports and was often seen at local sporting events. Mary was recently active in the Malta Ridge Methodist Church and the Senior Citizens Association in Ballston Spa.
Mary is survived by her husband and best friend, Percy “Tommy” Tompkins, her five sons; James (Debra) of Rockwall, Texas, Kenneth (Jana) of Westminster, Colorado, Kevin (Joanne) of Quinton, Virginia, Bruce (Lorraine) of Manlius, N.Y., and Brian (Laurene) of Ballston Spa, N.Y., thirteen grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, her sister Jane Anderson of Cummings, Georgia, and her brother John Magruder of Onondaga Hill, N.Y.
A memorial service will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March, 5, at the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home.

Mary V. Powell, 94;
Family Woman

ONEONTA – Mary V. Powell died peacefully late Monday afternoon, Feb. 22, 2010 in the place she most loved – her home of 63 years at 18 Maple St., Oneonta.
Mary was born April 3, 1915 in Shalichi, Poland to Fyodor and Wiera (Zedick) Sakowich. At age 13 she traveled alone from Warsaw to New York to join her mother and stepfather, Phillip Pasko in Oneonta. Mary attended Mitchell Street School and went on to get her license as a hairdresser. She married Fred N. Powell on Nov. 23, 1946 in St. Mary’s Church, Oneonta.
As a young woman Mary loved to draw. Later in life she used her artistic talent to create vibrantly colored hooked rugs and intricately crocheted tablecloths, curtains, table runners, and doilies. She loved to read and especially enjoyed putting old Tuco jigsaw puzzles together. Mary loved traveling the back roads around Oneonta and Cooperstown, and spending time at her daughter and son-in-law’s camp at Arnold Lake.
The greatest joy of Mary’s long life was her unconditional love of her family and the creation of a loving home. She was a wonderful cook and seamstress. Mary was a lover of nature and enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels near her home. She had a green thumb and was frequently asked to restore health to ailing house plants.
Mary is survived by her five children: Mary, Rose Anne and husband, Bud Pirone, Betty, Chris, Fred and wife, Sue Powell; her grandchildren, Ana and Heather Powell; her beloved sister, Anna and husband, Donald Cooper; her niece, Mary-Anne Ross; her nephew, Phillip Cooper and his wife, Tina and their daughter Emily; her step-grandchildren, Patty Pirone (Orson Moon), Kim Baskin (Walter), and Mike Pirone; her step-great grandchildren, Hannah, Sam, and Sadie Baskin and Lila Pirone-Moon.
Mary was predeceased by her mother, father, stepfather, her brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, and her beloved husband of 47 years.
Mary was a member of St. Mary’s Church and the Rosary Society. A mass of Christian Burial was celebrated there Friday, Feb. 28.

Madie Harlem Unanimous Choice For Rookie Of The Year

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:33:00 +0000

The Liberty League announced today that Madie Harlem, a 2009 graduate of Oneonta High School and freshman at Hamilton College was a unanimous choice for rookie of the year and voted to the all-league second team.

Harlem – a 5-foot, 7-inch guard – is ranked 11th in the league with 11.9 points per game and 6 rebounds per game. She is second with a 3-point field goal percentage of 38.2 percent, third with 2.33 steals per game, fifth with 1.62 3-pointers made per game and eighth with 2.58 assists per game. She was named the league's rookie of the week four times.

For the full list of honorees visit here.

3 BEAUTIFUL BOYS

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Signs Of Autism Early To Develop
In Honorees At Springbrook Gala

By LAURA COX

MILFORD CENTER

“All I’ve ever wanted is for someday, when I’m gone, for them to be able to function”
RANDY GASTON
FATHER OF AUTISTIC TRIPLETS

The Gastons’ story starts out like that of many American families.
Lynn and Randy wanted to have kids. After years spent trying to conceive, they opted to use IVF – In vitro fertilization. Learning Lynn was pregnant with triplets, they were overjoyed. The pregnancy was closely monitored. Hunter, Zachary and Nicholas were born prematurely, but not enough to concern anyone. They were healthy.
“We thought we had made it through the tough part,” Randy said in a phone interview the other day from his home in Howard County, Md.
But the tough part, chronicled in “Three Times the Love: Finding Answers and Hope for Our Triplets With Autism,” was just beginning.
That inspirational story prompted Springbrook to honor Lynn and Randy – the boys are now 7 – at its annual gala Saturday, March 27, at The Otesaga, part of the final push – “Completing The Puzzle” – to finish a $5 million fund drive that will allow the community for developmentally disabled youngsters to implement its plan of expansion.
Lynn, acting as ambassador for her family, will appear at the gala and at a book signing at the Green Toad Book Store, 198 Main St., Oneonta, the afternoon before the gala. (With one of the boys undergoing surgery, Randy will be staying home with the boys.)
A year and a half after the boys were born, Lynn started to notice patterns of behavior in all three of her sons. Checking the Internet, the word “autism” kept popping up to describe the behavior.
“They were definitely not going in the right direction,” said Randy. “Meltdowns would ensue over simple things, and they stopped talking. It was scary, kind of like walking into a cloud where everything was going backwards.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘We have to get help’.”
“It was a difficult time and we didn’t know who to look to,” he added.
The couple decided they needed to go see specialists at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. The specialist they consulted said he had only seen four similar cases, where triplets had autism at different ends of the spectrum.
“They all had different needs and it was a real learning experience. We had to learn what [autism] was, how it affects your life and then how to get through the situation and overcome it,” Randy said.
He added that they went through multiple therapies before they found one that worked and that each of the kids has about 30 hours a week of intensive therapies and that he often wonders where their childhood has gone.
“It becomes a big challenge and a monstrous challenge with how much it costs and finding ways to pay,” said Randy.
For the Gastons it meant selling their house four years ago and moving to a school district that provided more services and had more progressive therapies to help the kids develop. They found a school where the teachers are great working with their sons during an emotional time, are passionate about their progression and are staunch advocates for each of the boys.
Once the Gastons had a handle on their children’s education, they started to look beyond their own household and to how they could help others in situations similar to their own. They planned an Autism Expo in 2007 and again in Oct. of 2009 to bring together a panel of experts in the field and families who have nothing but questions. In 2009 the hardback edition of their book was published by Avery Publishing/ Penguin Books, another platform for them to share with parents the information they had to learn firsthand.
Through it all, Randy says they have kept Hunter, Nicholas and Zachary at the center of their hearts and minds.
“The therapies have to be there, but I can’t lose sight of the three amazingly beautiful little kids. All I’ve ever wanted is for someday, hopefully, when I’m gone for them to be able to function,” Randy said.
“Every day is a joy with them. My sons smile, they are happy kids – as hard as their life is – they are very happy kids. I’ve always dwelled on that the most,” he said, “Zachary may have a disability, but I don’t look at him as being my autistic son, I look at him as my son. I always love him for being Zachary, and Nicholas and Hunter for being their selves and we just have to work with autism.”

Excerpt From ‘Three Times the Love’

Editor’s Note: Here is an excerpt from Lynn and Randy Gaston’s “Three Times the Love,” about their autistic triplets.

Nicholas wakes us up at two a.m. and gestures that he wants to get up.
“Come on, honey,” I whisper. “Lie here with mommy a little bit longer.” But no; he’s up and nothing can dissuade him. He doesn’t convey this in words. Since he stopped speaking as a toddler, he shows us what he means through sign language – strong, eloquent gestures of his arms and hands. He can’t tell us how he feels, but he can show us. When he was recently ill with a stomach blockage, he took our hands and placed them over his belly with an anguished look. This was clear enough, though we dream of hearing words.
As I start to get up, he heads into the kitchen and comes back with a box of Ritz crackers in the shape of various dinosaurs, sitting down and picking systematically through the entire box until he finds the stegosauruses – the only ones he will eat. Then he turns to Randy’s computer manual and begins paging through it, one of his favorite activities. It has left the pages dog eared and moist. He’s not really looking at the pages, but something about this activity seems to soothe him – he can do it for hours.
But not today. After a few moments, he looks at me and gestures that he wants to watch a Sesame Street video, one he loves so much that he often kisses the screen and sways to and fro when he hears his favorite song.

Springbrook Looks To Gala To Make Expansion Reality

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

$5 Million Goal Very Near

By LAURA COX

MILFORD CENTER

‘Coming Home” and “Completing the Puzzle.”
These two phrases are used every day at Springbrook – the not-for-profit community for the developmentally disabled just off Route 28 – as the final push accelerates to raise the $2.5 million needed to free up a $2.5 million matching grant from Tom Golisano, Paychex founder, Buffalo Sabres owner and former gubernatorial candidate.
“Coming Home” refers to the $5 million drive. “Completing the Puzzle” refers to the final phase, the dash for the finish line now in progress.
Springbrook is within $500,000 of the $2.5 million share, and Executive Director Patricia Kennedy hopes its annual gala, planned for Saturday, March 27, at The Otesaga, will take the effort over the finish line and allow a long-awaited $20 million expansion – the state is paying the balance – to begin.
The deadline for the matching grant challenge is March 31, a mere four days after the “Completing the Puzzle Gala,” and all proceeds from the gala will go towards the capital campaign. Last year’s gala raised $83,000 for the Kids Unlimited Preschool, so the challenge is considerable.
“Things have gone surprisingly well for a tough time,” said Kennedy. “People are making an investment in Springbrook, because the project is worthwhile.”
The expansion includes three new single-level duplexes to house 24 more residential students. Each suite will have four single bedrooms, a living area, bathroom and dining room, providing a more serene and private living quarters than the current housing.
A larger gym is planned – now, Springbrook can’t host basketball games – a new kitchen and cafeteria with space where students sensitive to noise can dine in quiet, a new main entry and bus drop off, and a 6,700-square-foot classroom addition.
“The last piece in the puzzle for us is state approval,” said Kennedy, who says some donors are holding off until a firm starting date is known.
“Our hope is to announce state approval and the start of the project at the gala,” she said.
Once approved, bids can be sought, according to Beth Peterson, development director. The first spade could be in the ground in two months, allowing the 18-month project to be complete by the end of 2011.

Happenin' Otsego County

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Ongoing

BASKET RAFFLE – Susquehanna SPCA basket-raffle fundraiser. View 16 themed baskets at NBT bank branches in Cherry Valley, Richfield Springs, Edmeston, Cooperstown (Pioneer St. and The Commons) and Oneonta (Wall St., Oneida St. and Southside). Tickets $1 each, six for $5. Raffle tickets available through March 31. You do not need to be present to win. Info, www.susquehannaspca.org

FOOD DRIVE – 27th Annual Ani Colone Food Drive, sponsored by Sixth Ward Athletic Club. Drop off canned goods and dried foods and send cash donations to 22 West Broadway. 6th Ward Athletic Club Board of Directors pledges $1 for each dollar donated up to $1000, with goal of doubling last year’s total. Send your check to: 6th Ward Athletic Club, 22 West Broadway, Oneonta, NY 13820 and specify for the Ani Colone Food Drive. Drive culminates on April 2, Good Friday. Info, (607) 432-9136.

FOOD BANK – 10 a.m.-noon. Cooperstown Food Bank open the last two Saturdays of every month. 25 Church St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-8902.

PAINTING CLASS – Smithy Gallery, Pioneer St., Cooperstown. Try 3 Night Painting class Mary Nolan! 3 alternate Sunday’s for $130. 2/28, 3/14, 3/28. Call (607) 547-2344 or (607) 435-5314 to register.

BOTTLE DRIVES – Support Cooperstown Boy Scout Troop 1254 by deposited your bottles and cans outside. Pickup will start at 9 a.m.on March 13th, April 17th, and May 8th.

Wednesday,
March 4

WED. PASTA LUNCH – 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. 22 West Broadway, Oneonta. Lunch includes spaghetti, meatballs, tossed salad bar, and Foti’s Italian bread for $6.50. Take-out available, benefits local organizations. Sixth Ward Athletic Club, 22 West Broadway, Oneonta. (607) 436-9136.

OPENING RECEPTION – 7-9 p.m. Paintings and collages by Christine Alexander, March 4-20. Complementary food and beer, courtesy Elena’s and Brewery Ommegang. Elena’s, Clinton Plaza, Oneonta.

CLIMATE TALK –7 p.m., “Climate Change Avatars: Virtual Bodies in the Fight for the Future.” Dr. Eban Goodstein speaks on experiences at the December 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, the local and global impacts of climate change, and pending national energy legislation.

POETRY – 7 p.m., Poet Joan Murray, National Poetry Series winner, performs at Herkimer County Community College. Alumni Hall, McLaughlin College Center, Herkimer County Community College, 100 Reservoir Road, Herkimer. Info (315) 866-0300.. Free to all.

HAITIAN FOLKTALES – 7 p.m., Lisa Jo Bezner reads from “The Magic Orange Tree and Other Haitian Folktales.” Enjoy Haitian music, some history and casual discussion. All ages. The Green Toad Bookstore, 198 Main St., Oneonta. Info (607) 433-8898, www.greentoadbookstore.com

Friday,
March 5

TRAINING – 8 a.m., Windows 7, Otsego County Chamber of Commerce Community Connections workshop. Ron Ranc, of Informations Systems Division (ISD) presents. Holiday Inn, Route 23, Oneonta. Free and open to public. Attendees receive $150 voucher for installation of Windwos 7. Register, Pam Ferguson (607) 432-4500, X-210, pam@otsegocounty chamber.com

OPENING RECEPTION – 5-7 p.m., An Artistic Discovery” the Congressional Art Competition for Otsego County High School Students. Students compete for artwork display in corridor leading to the US Capitol along with 49 other high-school artists’ work from across the country. Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main Street (Village Library Building), Gallery Hours: Open Daily 11-4; Sunday 1-4. Closed Tuesdays. Info, (607) 547-9777, www.cooperstownart.com.

SLEEP-OVER – “Extra Innings Overnight,” Join the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for unforgettable night. Children ages 7-12 can sleep in the HOF Plaque Gallery. Evening includes all-access to museum’s public areas after-hours, special hands-on programs throughout the museum, late-night snack and movie in the Bullpen Theater. Info (607) 547-0312, (88

FISH FRY – 5-7:30 p.m. Field Hockey Lenten Fish-Fry Dinners. Baked or fried haddock, choice of baked potato or fries & coleslaw. $9.95 per person, includes beverage & dessert. Take-out available, benefits Cooperstown Field Hockey Club. American Legion, Main Street, Cooperstown.

ART SHOW – 7-9 p.m. First Thursday “Artists at Elaina’s introduces one of their new artists. Elana’s, 8 Clinton Street, Oneonta. Free, open to the public.

LENTEN STUDIES – 7 p.m., Friday-night Lenten Bible studies from the Faith Lesson series, “That the World May Know.” Five-week series through April 2. Refreshments provided. Info, Rev. Douglas Deer, (607) 547-9371.

ST. PATRICK’S DANCE – 7:30-10 p.m. Doubleday Dancers Western Square Dance Club Saint Patrick’s Day Dance. Cooperstown Elementary School. $10 per couple, pay at door. Info: (607) 264-8128

COMEDY – 8 p.m. “Just Kidding” a new comedy by Scott Icenhower, 2009 winner Orpheus Theatre Playwright Project, performed at Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. $15 general admission, $10 students/
seniors. Tickets, info, (607) 432-9392.

CONTRADANCE – 8-11 p.m., Otsego Dance Society with The Russet Band; Fern Marshall Bradley calling. Suggested donation $8 for adults, $4 students and teen-agers, free 12 and under.  Presbyterian Church, Pioneer and Church Streets, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 965-8232 or (315) 272-6110. 

Saturday,
March 6

NATURE WALK – 10 a.m., Adams Farm Mud Walk. Walk along muddy trail to spot signs of spring. Rogers Environmental Education Center. Wear your boots! Register (607) 674-4017, X-625.

MUSIC NIGHT – 5-11 p.m. “Band” Together for Haiti.”Join with local bands for a musical evening with well as raffles of donations from area businesses to raise money to help the Red Cross in their Disaster in Haiti! Foothills Performing Arts Center $10 at the door, $5 for 6 raffle tickets.

KARAOKE & PASTA – 6-8 p.m. Spaghetti Dinner., Karaoke 8-10 p.m.. All-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs, tossed salad, rolls, dessert and beverage. Karokee 8-10 p.m..$10 adults, $5 seniors/children 6-12, under 5 free. American Legion, 279 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Benefits Relay for Life Oneonta. Info, (607) 988-2864, hurlburt 61@yahoo.com

OPENING – 7-9 p.m. James Bruce Schwabach Photographs & Paintings. Cherry Branch Gallery, 25 Main Street, Cherry Valley. Info (607) 264-9530.

PLAYWRIGHT READINGS – 1-4:30 p.m. Orpheus Theatre Playwright Project Theatre Festival 2010, readings of this year’s Finalists! 1 p.m. “Thanatopsy Turby by Gary E. Stevens; 2 p.m. “Inauguration Day” by Anthony Dangerfield; 4: 30 p.m. Lenah” by Ellen D’Acquisto. Free to all. Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta.

COMEDY NIGHT – 7:30 p.m. Nationally touring comedians Steve Van Zandt and Moody McCarthy return to The Otesaga stage. Tickets: $65.00 per person plus tax & service charge. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. for the 10 p.m. late show in The Hotel Ballroom. Tickets $25.00 per person plus tax. Cash bar only. Info/tickets, (607) 544-2524

BLUES BAND – 10:30 p.m., Jonny Monster Blues Band, Rock’n’Blues from New Paltz. $4 cover, The Autumn Cafe. Info, (607) 432-6845.

Sunday,
March 7

PANCAKES – 8-11 a.m., Pancake Breakfast. Hartwick Fire Department. Benefits Pack 12 Cub Scouts fundraising efforts for a trip to Battleship Cove.

SUGARING OFF SUNDAY – 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sugaring Off Sunday, Historic and contemporary sugaring demonstrations, children’s activities. Pancake breakfast, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Farmers’ Museum, Lake Road (Ste. Rte. 80), Cooperstown. Sundays through March and Easter Sunday. Adults $8; children age 7 to 12, $4; children 6 and under, free.

BASQUIAT – 1:30 p.m. “Reel Artist Film Series.” Actor Jeffrey Wright, star of the film Basquiat (R) attends the screening of the film at Roxbury Art Center. Q&A session with the actor follows. Roxbury Art Center, Roxbury. $5 suggested donation. (607) 326-7908.

COMEDY – 2 p.m. “Just Kidding” a new comedy by Scott Kenmower. Orpheus Theatre Playwright Project, performed at Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. $15 general admission, $10 students/seniors. Tickets, info, (607) 432-9392.

Monday
March 8

IMMUNIZATION CLINIC – 1-3 p.m., Otsego County Public Health Nursings public immunization clinic services open to the public. Meadows Office Building, 140 Cty., Hwy. 33 W, Cooperstown. Info, questions (607) 547-4230.

Tuesday,
March 9

SAFE KIDS – 7:30 a.m.- 2 p.m., Safe Kids of Otsego County Plush Animal Sale and Safety Resources. Bassett Medical Center, Clinic Building, River Street, Cooperstown. Info, (607), 547-5256, richard.mccaffery@bassett.org

WOMEN’S CLUB – 2 p.m., Women’s Club of Cooperstown meeting. Program “A Rose is a Rose Floral Arrangement,” presented by Jackie Hull. Christ Church Parish House, 69 Fair Street, Cooperstown. Club continues to collect donations for Cooperstown Food Bank. Info, Pat Duncan, (607) 264-3258.

BUDDHISM – 5:15 p.m., “The Buddhist View.” Teachings on the nature of the mind. Tuesdays at The Green Earth, 4 Market St., Oneonta. Info, (607) 829-3702.

READING – 7 p.m., Author Carol Goodman launches her new book, “Arcadia Falls,” fictional tale of mother & daughter and sinister secret at an isolated boarding school. The Green Toad Bookstore, 198 Main St., Oneonta. Info (607) 433-8898, www.greentoadbookstore.com

Wednesday,
March 10

FARMING WORKSHOP – 11 a.m.-3 p.m., “No-Till Production School.” Topics include short-rotation corn, crow/geese/bear damage management, not-till herbicide programs, seeder adjustments and review of 2009 no-till seeding case studies. Resource Center, 34570 St. Hwy 10, Hamden. Continuing education credits provided. $5 per person, lunch included. Register, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, (607) 865-6531 or email:Delaware@cornell.edu

PASTA LUNCH – 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. 22 West Broadway, Oneonta. Lunch includes spaghetti, meatballs, tossed salad bar, and Foti’s Italian bread for $6.50. Take-out available, benefits local organizations. Sixth Ward Athletic Club, 22 West Broadway, Oneonta. (607) 436-9136.

VEIN WORKSHOP – 4-8 p.m., Sixth Annual Varicose Vein Teaching Seminar for Health Care Professionals. Correlation between diabetic peripheral neuropathy and venous insufficiency. Dinner and drinks provided. Registration required, (607) 431-2525, oneontalaserderm@yahoo.com

SCHOOL BOARD – 5:30 p.m. School Board budget work session. First presentation of Cooperstown Central School proposed school budget. Cooperstown Central School, Linden Ave., Cooperstown.

Thursday,
March 11

HISTORIC WORKSHOP – 7-9 p.m., New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit for Homeowners Workshop. New York State has a new tax credit to help historic homeowners repair and rehabilitate their homes. Now, the credit will cover 20% of qualified rehabilitation costs, up to a credit value of $50,000. Eligible homes will be owner-occupied residential structures (includes condominiums and cooperatives) that are listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places either individually or as a contributing building in a historic district, located in an eligible Federal Census Tract. First Congregational Church, 405 Quail Street, Albany. Info, reservations, Historic Albany Foundation, (518) 465-0876, X-12, cmacri@historic-albany.org.

Friday,
March 12

EXHIBIT OPENING – 5-7 p.m. “Main Characters,” Main View Gallery spring exhibit opening reception. Exhibit explores how each person is the main character in their own life. Featured artist Andrew Kennedy. Through May 21. Info, (607) 432-1890, www.mainviewgallery.org.

FISH FRY – 5-7:30 p.m. Field Hockey Lenten Fish-Fry Dinners. Baked or fried haddock, choice of baked potato or fries & coleslaw. $ 9.95 per person, includes beverage & dessert. Take-out available, benefits Cooperstown Field Hockey Club. American Legion, Main Street, Cooperstown.

LENTEN STUDIES – 7 p.m., Friday-night Lenten Bible studies from the Faith Lesson series, “That the World May Know.” Five-week series through April 2. Refreshments provided. Info, Rev. Douglas Deer, (607) 547-9371.

GALA – 7 p.m.-midnight. Orpheus Theatre Mardi Gras Gala and Auction. Music, dancing, prizes, food, beverage, raffles, fun! $15 in advance, $18 at door, $10 students. St. Mary’s Parish Center, Walnut Street, Oneonta. Info, 432-1800, orpheustheatre.org/specialevents.htm

ROCK – 10:30 p.m., The Rhodes, Modern British Invasion from New Paltz. $ cover, The Autumn Cafe. Info, (607) 432-6845.

Saturday,
March 13

BOTTLE DRIVE – 9 a.m. curbside pick-up. Cooperstown Boy Scout Troop 1254 bottle drive. Benefits scout activities. Also April 17th, May 8th.

FLEA MARKET – 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Annual Flea Market. Books, clothes, household items, jewelry. Elm Park Church, 401 Chestnut Street, Oneonta.

FLY FISHING SEMINAR – 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited annual, one-day intro to fly fishing seminar. Enrollment limited to 26 students for two groups of 13 max. Bring a bag lunch; fly-casting rod and line if you have one, however, an outfit is not mandatory as a fly rod and line will be loaned on site to participants who do not yet own one. Hartwick College Johnstone Science Building, Room 201. Register: (607) 431-4758

POSTCARDS – 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Greater Oneonta Historical Society sixth annual Postcard & Ephemera Show & Sale. Postcards, sheet music, posters, documents, advertising signs and more. Admission $2. Great Hall, St. James Episcopal Church, corner Elm and Main streets, Oneonta. Info, John Carney, (607) 432-5360. .

GARDEN WORKSHOP – 10 a.m.-noon. “Starting Your Garden from Seed,” learn how to successfully start vegetables (or other plants) from seed. $5 per workshop. Pre-register by March 10. Info, pre-register, call (607) 547-2536, X-0.

MASK WORKSHOP – 10 a.m.-Noon. African Mask Workshop in conjunction with The Catskill Choral Society’s performance of African Sanctus. $40 for two sessions, second session March 20. Teaching artist Barbara Gregson. Pre-registration required, call Corinne Armstrong (607) 432-2070, uccca.com. For concert info, visit catskillchoralsociety.org or call 607-431-6060.
EMOTIONS WORKSHOP – 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. “the Seven Emotions.” Learn ancient Chinese techniques to heal and balance emotions. The Green Earth, 4 Market St., Oneonta. Class size limited, $30 registration. Info/Registration: (607) 437-1626

DRUMMING – 1, 2:15, and 3:30 p.m. “Hands-On African Drumming Class” presented
by The African American Cultural Center Inc. of Buffalo. The Zone Youth Center, Richfield Springs. 20 seats per session. To register, call Amy Wyant, (315) 858-3200, amy@richfieldzone.org

BASKETBALL – 4 p.m., Milford March Madness! Co-ed Basketball Games, varsity, JV, modified and 5/6 Teams with Half-time show featuring cheerleader recruits. Milford Central School. Admission $1 children, $2 adult, $ family of four or more.

DANCE – 6 p.m. “Spring Fling Dinner Dance<” Live music by Fox Creek & Linda Lee. Chicken Marsala, prime rib, stuffed sale. $30 per person. Oneonta Elks Club, 84 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Info, tickets, (607) 432-1312. CABARET CONCERT – 8 p.m. Catskill Symphony Orchestra Cabaret Concerts featuring Jay Ungar and Moyy Mason. Don’t miss the Guest Conductor Competition with Candidates Doug Decker, Sam Goodyear, Mike Levenstein, Jim Mullen and Emcee Senator James Seward. Alumni Fields house, Dewar Arena. Tickets $30, light refreshments served. Seating tables of 8. Call (607) 436-2670j.

Sunday,
March 14

SUGARING OFF SUNDAY – 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sugaring Off Sunday, Historic and contemporary sugaring demonstrations, children’s activities. Pancake breakfast, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Farmers’ Museum, Lake Road (Ste. Rte. 80), Cooperstown. Sundays through March and Easter Sunday. Adults $8; children age 7 to 12, $4; children 6 and under, free. UCCCA MOVIE – 2 p.m. Watch “It Might get Loud”, Documentary penetrates the glamorous surface of three famous rock guitarists. Upstairs surround-sound theater, Foothills Performing Art Center, Oneonta in the upstairs theater. Info: (607) 432-2070.

Monday,
March 15

IMMUNIZATION CLINIC – 1-3 p.m., Otsego County Public Health Nursing public immunization clinic services open to the public. Oneonta Public Health Nursing, 242 Main St., Oneonta. Info, questions (607)547-4230.

Tuesday,
March 16

ELECTION DAY – The village of Cooperstown’s election is today. Don’t forget to vote!

BUDDHISM – 5:15 p.m., “The Buddhist View.” Teachings on the nature of the mind. Tuesdays at The Green Earth, 4 Market St., Oneonta. Info, (607) 829-3702.

UCCCA MOVIE – 2 p.m. Watch “It Might get Loud”, Documentary penetrates the glamorous surface of three famous rock guitarists. Upstairs surround-sound theater, Foothills Performing Art Center, Oneonta in the upstairs theater. Info: (607) 432-2070.

Classifieds,

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Houses for Rent

Cooperstown Village 4 BR, 3.5 baths, centrally located, fireplace, LR, DR, modern Kitchen, garage, $1,600 a month + utilities,. Call Hubbell’s Real Estate 547-5740.
TFN

3 or 4 BR 3 bath, Fly Creek Valley, newly renovated, 5 acres, 2 car attached garage. $1800/mo plus utilities. 547-200 or 435-3971
TFN

Condo for Rent

Glimmerglass condo at 5 mile point. 2 bedroom-lake views-use on 5 mile point-swimming/boating. Available now. Call for details, Dave LaDuke John Mitchell Real estate LLC-547-8551
TFN

Apartments for Rent

Large 2BR Cooperstown Main St apt. No pets. $650. monthly includes heat. Years lease. Months security. Call Hubbell’s Real Estate 547-5740.
TFN

Cooperstown two bedroom apartment, parking, living room, kitchen, 1 bath, ground floor. $600 per month plus utilities, no smoking, no dogs. 845-742-7058.
3ClassMar19

Large two bedroom in Fly Creek. Heat and electric included. Plenty of parking, side deck and large back yard. $800/month. Call Mike Swatling with John Mitchell Real Estate @(607) 435-6454
TFN

Farm For Sale

No snow to shovel in Southern Middle Tennessee. Brick rancher (2600 SF) with 3 BDRM, 3 Baths, huge great room and study. Attached 2-car garage, fenced pasture and 3 stall horse barn. $350K. Call 931/659-6818 or
256/527-6818
TFN

Office Space For Rent

Cooperstown office space for rent. Main st. 2nd floor. $400 a month, includes utilities. Call Dave LaDuke at John Mitchell Real Estate 547-8551.
TFN

Wanting to rent

Professional couple seeking 3 bedroom house/apartment in Oneonta. (607) 242-5308
3ClassMar19

Equipment For Sale

MASSEY FERGUSON* TRACTORS* LOADERS* BACKHOES 2005 4WD w/ loader, 33hp $14,850* 2007 4wd w/loader, 23hp $9,000* HEINS EQUIPMENT COMPANY 518-758-9881 WWW.MASSEYSTORE.COM*
1NyscanMar3

Misc for Sale

CHERRY BEDROOM SET. Solid Wood, never used, brand new in factory boxes. English Dovetail. Original cost $4500. Sell for $749. Can deliver. 917-731-0425
1NyscanMar3

Adoption

The stork didn’t call. We hope you will! Happily married educated loving couple wishes to adopt newborn. Expenses paid. Robin & Neil 1-866-303-0668 www.robinandneil.info
1NyscanMar3

Autos Wanted

DONATE VEHICLE: RECEIVE $1000 GROCERY COUPON. NOAH’S ARC SUPPORT NO KILL SHELTERS, RESEARCH TO ADVANCE VETERINARY TREATMENTS FREE TOWING, TAX DEDUCTIBLE, NON-RUNNERS ACCEPTED 1-866-912-GIVE
1NyscanMar3

Buildings for Sale

Custom Modular Homes by Ritz-Craft & Titan anywhere in NY & PA Complete Excavation Packages Display Center: 46 King Road, Harpursville, NY 13787 www.hawkinshomesllc.com (607)693-2551
1NyscanMar3

Business Opportunity

ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800 in a day? Your own local candy route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy All for $9,995. 1-888-771-3496
1NyscanMar3

Equipment For Sale

NEW Norwood SAWMILLS- LumberMate-Pro handles logs 34” diameter, mills boards 28” wide. Automated quick-cycle-sawing increases efficiency up to 40%! www.NorwoodSawmills.com/300N 1-800-661-7746 Ext 300N
1NyscanMar3
Lots & Acreage

UPSTATE NY -BANK SAYS SELL! 10 acres- $24,900 Borders State Land, stream, woods, fields, great valley views! Must sell to avoid repo! Hurry! 888-650-2850 www.NewYorkLandandLakes.com
1NyscanMar3

Miscellaneous

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. Call 888-201-8657 www.CenturaOnline.com
1NyscanMar3

Real Estate

Waterfront gated community in Blue Ridge Mountains of WNC! Homesites with panoramic views, deeded boatslips. Fully recreational lake, year round mild climate. Call today 1-800-709-LAKE.
1NyscanMar3

Vacation Rentals

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open daily. Holiday Real Estate. 1-800-638-2102. Online reservations: www.holidayoc.com
1NyscanMar3

Help Wanted

Full and part time positions available call 607-433-1951 for details. www.AmericanStorageSystems.com
TFN

3 motivated people needed
Ambit Energy will soon be in the NYSEG territory. This is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States and is the perfect business that costs you very little or even nothing to get involved. You can even get free gas and electricity? Make Money Helping Others Save!
Call me and find out more.
607-432-0018
For more info:
www.ny.energy526.com
Www.ny.ambitworks.com
I can’t stress enough why you should take a look at this golden opportunity!
3ClassMar5

ATTN: COMPUTER WORK. WORK FROM ANYWHERE 24/7. Up to $1,500 Part Time to $7,500/mo. Full Time. Training Provided www.KTPGlobal.com or call 1-800-330-8446
1NyscanMar3

Glimmerglass U To Feature Times-Union Editor

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

By BENJAMIN DEER

COOPERSTOWN

Glimmerglass University, an annual educational lecture series to benefit the Cooperstown Food Bank, will present “Food for Thought,” 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at The Otesaga.
“We got great reviews last year and raised $2,000,” said Dr. Frank Harte, Glimmerglass U founder and “dean.” “This year” – the second – “we have an even better program. We’re all really excited.”
Glimmerglass University will present four speakers this year. Rex Smith, the editor of Albany Times Union will discuss how to sustain ethical journalism in challenging times.
Other speakers at this year’s event include Dr. James Bradfield of Hamilton College. He will be discussing America’s recession and when exactly fellow economists predict its end. Also from Hamilton College is Dr. Lisa Trivedi. She will be discussing the role of women in modern India.
Michael Fosberg will also be attending the event. He will be performing “Incognito, The Play”, which is a one-act play on cultural perceptions of race. Fosberg, after having spent 32 years growing up in a white, middle-class family and then discovering he is black, has toured across the country sharing his powerful story and performing his dramatic one-act play.
On-site registration is available 8:30-9 a.m. on the day of the event.
The cost of attending the second term of Glimmerglass University is $100. However, senior citizens (62 years of age and older) and students will only pay $75. Breakfast beverages, snacks, and a gourmet lunch are included in the price. All proceeds benefit the Cooperstown Food Bank.

Ready For The Plunge

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Volunteers clear the snow off of Goodyear Lake to prepare for tomorrow's Polar Bear Jump.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., the jumping begins at 12:30 p.m. For more info visit here.

GOOD FUN, GOOD CAUSE

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

This Ice Cream Has Big Mission

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Gillette Took Treat On Road;
Now He’s Back

By LAURA COX

It was once a Burger King.
For a short time last year, it was Country Buffet.
As of mid-May, the low-slung building on Main Street will be a showcase for Griff Gillette’s Polar Bear Ice Cream, introduced locally last summer.
A second location is due to open in June in Cooperstown.
Not only does Gillette aver his produce will be delicious, he vows to launch the “greenest” restaurant in Otsego County.
“We are going to be the first restaurant in Otsego County to be 100 percent eco-friendly,” he said, “using only renewable, sustainable products.”
Spoons, straws, napkins, toilet paper, cleaning products and uniforms will all be made from renewable resources that compost in 25-100 days, Gillette said.
The result: Zero impact.
All of his serving ware is made of sugar cane fibers, corn, potato starches, and plant based materials that are renewable and grow back within 100-250 days.
As introduced last summer during the city’s Fourth of July celebration, Gillette’s ice cream, all natural ingredients, is made in a single-batch freezer, five gallons at a time.
The ice cream is frozen to negative 40 degrees, then brought up to an 8-degree scooping temperature for the smoothest texture, he said.
Gillette, who lives in Otsego, has been in the food business all his life. (His mom is a Brooks of Brooks BBQ fame.) He ran a catering business for 16 years.
He devised a traveling ice-cream store -- again, premiered locally last Fourth of July at the corner Main and Grand -- and since has toured the country, distributing his icy wares.
The green emphasis grew out of his experience as an American Airlines pilot. He was furloughed last year, but not before the airlines adopted a policy whereby taxi-ing planes would run on one engine, to save fuel.
If a big company could be sensitive to such concerns, so could he, Gillette figured.
At a huge event in Florida earlier this year, he noticed the 25 large trash bins filled with used plastic utensils and paper plates, napkin and Styrofoam cups.
It takes 400 years for a styrofoam cup to break down. That bothered him.
So he launched another new business, Eco-Friendly Events, distributing eco-friendly products at athletic events, fairs, expos and the like across the country.
His goal: Get all outdoor events to use such products.
As a master distributor for eco-friendly products, he can also buy mass quantities and distribute them at relatively small events in Otsego and Delaware counties.
Back to Otsego County: Gillette estimates he will be employing 32 at his restaurants by mid-summer.
In addition to homemade ice cream, soft custard, fat free frozen yogurt, burgers, fries and hot dogs will be served.
In September, Gillette hopes to be marketing prints to SUNY Oneonta, then expand throughout the SUNY system.
If all goes as planned, the idea is to open an ice cream plant in Oneonta in three to five years and distribute Polar Bear Ice Cream pints nationwide.

Her Job? That You Have Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Freeman's Journal) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

By LAURA COX

There was “The Wedding Planner,” the movie.
In Otsego County, there’s “The Wedding Planner,” the person.
“It’s like a movie set, the client just has to do is their part on stage, and I take care of all the behind the scenes action,” said Kerri Insinga-Green of Sidney, whose latest extravaganza is noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at The Otesaga. Hometown Oneonta is the event’s media sponsor.
“I’ve always done event planning for the organizations I am a part of and I’ve always enjoyed it and thought it was something I could do,” said the proprietor of Celebration Creations Wedding & Event Planning.
Insinga-Green started her business in April 2006 and last year alone hosted three bridal expos, planned nine weddings, multiple graduation and birthday parties, and coordinated the Otsego County Chamber’s Business Expo.
It’s a gift, she believes, and she has it.
You can go it alone, but an event planner knows the trends and tricks of planning a wedding, party or expo and can provide a list of contacts that have proven to be dependable.
“I know who is good and who is not and who is true to their word. I feel I’ve come to know the best in the industry,” she said.
This knowledge she, in turn, passes on to her clients, who no longer have to worry about whether their flowers will arrive on time looking fresh, or if the DJ will play appropriate music.
“I go above and beyond and put in more time on my part than my clients probably know about or pay for, but I really enjoy seeing the finished product,” she said.
One of the best parts of her job, Insinga-Green said, is being able to help someone and take the stress of a big day away from them.
She gets an adrenaline rush and finds it very rewarding when she can help people make their dreams come to fruition, adding that there is no cookie cutter wedding.
Amongst the largest struggles of her job are mothers and mothers-in-law who are not on the same page as the bride as far as how things should go, and last minute changes.
“It makes me happy to know what they no longer have to know because I am there,” Insinga-Green said about the last minute problems or changes that inevitably occur when planning an event the size of a wedding.
“I should keep a book,” she said with a laugh.
The Otesaga promises over 40 vendors, as local businesses are trying to market Cooperstown as a wedding destination. Vendors, including photographers, DJs, bands, calligraphers, cake decorators, florists, jewelers and realtors will be set up in the main foyer and ballroom.
There will be 35 door prizes given away, after the 3 p.m. bridal show put on by Rainbows End Weddings and More. Brides will be given a free mimosa and a flower. She is hoping to hit a total of more than 100 brides.
When she is not planning events or consulting with businesses, Insinga-Green works full time at WCDO radio station in Sidney as sales manager and spends time with her husband Blake Green, 22 month old daughter Grace, nine year old Rachael, and her 13 year old stepdaughter Kelsey.
Without the support and understanding of her coworkers at the radio station and family, Insinga-Green said she would not be able to do what she does – work two full-time jobs.