By JIM KEVLIN : HARTWICK
The crowd listening to the speeches couldn’t help but be distracted by the aroma wafting across the front of Larry’s Custom Meats’ smart new building just south of the hamlet on Route 205.
The distraction came from a grill where John Van Vranken Jr. of Edmeston was slow-cooking a whole pig. Soon, everyone knew, tender chunks of pork would be piled high in the serving dishes, ready to be piled high in the hoagie rolls.
Let’s not talk about the baked beans, or cole slaw, or potato salad and, certainly, not the cookies.
We digress, but isn’t that really what Larry’s Custom Meat is all about? Good food for the eating?
The dignitaries under the new sign included USDA Rural Development State Director Jill Harvey, state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, co-proprietors Larry and Julia Althiser of New Lisbon, Otsego County Chamber President Rob Robinson and Bank of Cooperstown President Scott White, who provided some of the financing.
The Rev. Jay Henderson, who preaches from several pulpits in the Burlington and Edmeston area and is administering a successful school in that area, blessed the Althisers’ undertaking.
“When agriculture is doing well, Upstate is doing well,” Seward added in his remarks.
Then the Althisers, with big shears, cut the red ribbon across the doorway and led the first round of tours inside.
Among those in the applauding crowd was Dana Mockoviciak, a USDA inspector, who explained that, until now, farmers could bring their livestock to Larry’s Custom Meats’ former building, across Route 205, but they could only have it processed for their own use.
The USDA certification of the new plant means that livestock can be processed for sale throughout the state, nation and
Please See LARRY’S, A10
Thursday, May 19, 2011
New Handicapped Spot Nabs The Unsuspecting
Non-Standard Parking Sign Fooling Some
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
In the village from the Fly Creek Valley on Monday, May 16, Barbara Lyon parked in one of those 15-minute parking places in front of the U.S. Post Office, the one closest to Hoffman Lane.
When she returned, she found a parking ticket under her windshield wiper. It stated she had parked in a handicapped spot. The fine, $100.
“I was in a state of disbelief,” she wrote later in the official protest form filed with village court. “There was no universal handicap symbol (wheelchair) on the pavement. No special lines on the pavement.
“Likewise, there was no wheelchair symbol on the signpost for that space.”
The sign bore small letters, “30 Minute Handicap Parking,” on a same-sized sign as the ones that say “15 Minute Parking” with the same-sized letters, only in blue.
The way the spot was marked is out of synch with instructions in the state’s manual that would-be drivers study, she said.
Lyon headed over to the police department at 22 Main, where she reports Police Chief Diana Nicols simply gave her the protest form to fill out.
Asked about the matter, Village Clerk Teri Barown said the village trustees approved converting the 15-minute spot to a handicapped spot in January.
Village Court Clerk Mary Ann Travis said Lyon is not alone: Several people have complained to her that they didn’t notice that the status of the space had changed.
However, she said, most then simply paid the $100 fine. Others took copies of the protest form with them, but haven’t submitted them yet, she said.
Through Travis, Village Justice Leslie Friedman declined to comment on matters that might come before her. And Trustee Lynne Mebust, Police Committee chair, and Chief Nicols didn’t return telephone messages.
Lyon was told that Brian Clancy, the Public Works superintendent, was responsible for erecting the sign. When she raised the issue of improper signage, Clancy said a vendor had put up the sign and he hadn’t seen it, she said. If it is improper, he told her, he would have it changed in the next few days.
“I have never even considered parking in a handicapped space and would not have today if universal signage and/or markings had been visible,” Lyon continued in her protest. “I would have parked in another space, of which two were available.”
She pointed out that, less than 40 feet away on the opposite side of the street, is a properly marked space in front of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Shouldn’t drivers on both sides of the street be looking at the same signs for the same designation of a handicapped parking space?” she asked.
LARRY’S/From A9
even the world, opening up possibilities for a whole new local industry.
Now, said Mockoviciak, the closest USDA-certified plants are in Bridgewater to the north and Otego to the south, but the demand is much greater than those plants can meet.
Already, the new plant is busy, and it’s expected that this fall Althiser’s six-employee operation will be running 24-7 to meet the demand of processing hogs.
The Otsego County Industrial Development Authority, the county’s Economic Development Office and CADE (the Center for Agricultural Development and Education) helped make the 3,000-square-foot structure possible.
In an interview, Jill Harvey, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, said the growing demand for organic meats along the Eastern Seaboard is making projects like this one a priority.
Larry’s benefited from an R-BEG, a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant, among other funding sources, Harvey said. The $99,000 grant went to the IDA, which bought the equipment and leased it to the Althisers at a reasonable rate.
Because of the demand, the USDA is operating two mobile slaughterhouses in the Hudson Valley, she said.
While many in the crowd under the tent were friends and relatives of the Althisers, the organic-farming segment was well-represented, too, including beef-growers up from East Meredith.
There were samples of the Althisers’ kielbasa and hotdogs which, with USDA-certification, they can sell from the plant if they wish.
And Jim Andela from Krugerrand Farms, was down from his goat farm outside Richfield Springs with samples of the goat cheese. He’s seeking a distributor in the New York City area.
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
In the village from the Fly Creek Valley on Monday, May 16, Barbara Lyon parked in one of those 15-minute parking places in front of the U.S. Post Office, the one closest to Hoffman Lane.
When she returned, she found a parking ticket under her windshield wiper. It stated she had parked in a handicapped spot. The fine, $100.
“I was in a state of disbelief,” she wrote later in the official protest form filed with village court. “There was no universal handicap symbol (wheelchair) on the pavement. No special lines on the pavement.
“Likewise, there was no wheelchair symbol on the signpost for that space.”
The sign bore small letters, “30 Minute Handicap Parking,” on a same-sized sign as the ones that say “15 Minute Parking” with the same-sized letters, only in blue.
The way the spot was marked is out of synch with instructions in the state’s manual that would-be drivers study, she said.
Lyon headed over to the police department at 22 Main, where she reports Police Chief Diana Nicols simply gave her the protest form to fill out.
Asked about the matter, Village Clerk Teri Barown said the village trustees approved converting the 15-minute spot to a handicapped spot in January.
Village Court Clerk Mary Ann Travis said Lyon is not alone: Several people have complained to her that they didn’t notice that the status of the space had changed.
However, she said, most then simply paid the $100 fine. Others took copies of the protest form with them, but haven’t submitted them yet, she said.
Through Travis, Village Justice Leslie Friedman declined to comment on matters that might come before her. And Trustee Lynne Mebust, Police Committee chair, and Chief Nicols didn’t return telephone messages.
Lyon was told that Brian Clancy, the Public Works superintendent, was responsible for erecting the sign. When she raised the issue of improper signage, Clancy said a vendor had put up the sign and he hadn’t seen it, she said. If it is improper, he told her, he would have it changed in the next few days.
“I have never even considered parking in a handicapped space and would not have today if universal signage and/or markings had been visible,” Lyon continued in her protest. “I would have parked in another space, of which two were available.”
She pointed out that, less than 40 feet away on the opposite side of the street, is a properly marked space in front of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Shouldn’t drivers on both sides of the street be looking at the same signs for the same designation of a handicapped parking space?” she asked.
LARRY’S/From A9
even the world, opening up possibilities for a whole new local industry.
Now, said Mockoviciak, the closest USDA-certified plants are in Bridgewater to the north and Otego to the south, but the demand is much greater than those plants can meet.
Already, the new plant is busy, and it’s expected that this fall Althiser’s six-employee operation will be running 24-7 to meet the demand of processing hogs.
The Otsego County Industrial Development Authority, the county’s Economic Development Office and CADE (the Center for Agricultural Development and Education) helped make the 3,000-square-foot structure possible.
In an interview, Jill Harvey, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, said the growing demand for organic meats along the Eastern Seaboard is making projects like this one a priority.
Larry’s benefited from an R-BEG, a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant, among other funding sources, Harvey said. The $99,000 grant went to the IDA, which bought the equipment and leased it to the Althisers at a reasonable rate.
Because of the demand, the USDA is operating two mobile slaughterhouses in the Hudson Valley, she said.
While many in the crowd under the tent were friends and relatives of the Althisers, the organic-farming segment was well-represented, too, including beef-growers up from East Meredith.
There were samples of the Althisers’ kielbasa and hotdogs which, with USDA-certification, they can sell from the plant if they wish.
And Jim Andela from Krugerrand Farms, was down from his goat farm outside Richfield Springs with samples of the goat cheese. He’s seeking a distributor in the New York City area.
Neighborhood On Alert For Fox On Prowl
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
Twelve-year-old Bella Carrascoso’s hand-made sign taped to a tree in front of her home says it all:
“WARNING: There has been a fox siting many times on Susquehanna Avenue between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14. So if you have cats, small dogs, or small pets, keep your eye on them and watch them carefully. You don’t want your pet to be lunch on the fox’s menu.”
Underneath is the lettering: “R.I.P Jake. We are sorry we couldn’t get you in time.”
Jake, explained Bella’s mother Monica, is one of her daughters’ pet guinea pigs – Bella has two sisters, Anneliese, 15, and Torrey, 9 – who were put out on the front porch last summer in an enclosed pen, along with two bunnies, Spencer and Bubblegum.
The mother heard one of the bunnies thumping and when she looked out, saw a fox looking at the pen. Jake was gone.
So when a fox – a big one, about the size of Miley, the family’s small-to-middling dog – began showing up a couple of weeks ago, the Carrascosos began to worry again.
Last spring, Sue Streek, upper Main Street, raised the alarm with the Village Board after she saw her cat, a Persian, being carried off in a fox’s teeth near Nelson Avenue.
About the same time, several foxes were spotted in the village, and it turned out a burgeoning coyote population in the hills around Cooperstown had forced the foxes into the village.
Foxes born within earshot of human beings feel quite at home in civilization, and appeared quite tame, even brazen, as they strolled around the neighborhoods.
In the winter, the foxes hibernate. But it appears they are back.
Doreen Dinicola, the graphic artist and CGP instructor, put up signs at Price Chopper the other day reporting that her cat, Pussycat, had disappeared, and she feared the worst.
“It’s a real concern,” said Dinicola, who also lives on Susquehanna, a few doors down from the Carrascosos.
A week later, one of her students saw a cat at Susquehanna and Chestnut, it turned out to be Pussycat, and mistress and pet were reunited.
Still, Dinicola says it’s likely the fox, which neighbors all along the street have reported seeing, spooked her pet, scaring it away.
“I’m surprised we haven’t got a village animal control office,” she observed.
Twelve-year-old Bella Carrascoso’s hand-made sign taped to a tree in front of her home says it all:
“WARNING: There has been a fox siting many times on Susquehanna Avenue between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14. So if you have cats, small dogs, or small pets, keep your eye on them and watch them carefully. You don’t want your pet to be lunch on the fox’s menu.”
Underneath is the lettering: “R.I.P Jake. We are sorry we couldn’t get you in time.”
Jake, explained Bella’s mother Monica, is one of her daughters’ pet guinea pigs – Bella has two sisters, Anneliese, 15, and Torrey, 9 – who were put out on the front porch last summer in an enclosed pen, along with two bunnies, Spencer and Bubblegum.
The mother heard one of the bunnies thumping and when she looked out, saw a fox looking at the pen. Jake was gone.
So when a fox – a big one, about the size of Miley, the family’s small-to-middling dog – began showing up a couple of weeks ago, the Carrascosos began to worry again.
Last spring, Sue Streek, upper Main Street, raised the alarm with the Village Board after she saw her cat, a Persian, being carried off in a fox’s teeth near Nelson Avenue.
About the same time, several foxes were spotted in the village, and it turned out a burgeoning coyote population in the hills around Cooperstown had forced the foxes into the village.
Foxes born within earshot of human beings feel quite at home in civilization, and appeared quite tame, even brazen, as they strolled around the neighborhoods.
In the winter, the foxes hibernate. But it appears they are back.
Doreen Dinicola, the graphic artist and CGP instructor, put up signs at Price Chopper the other day reporting that her cat, Pussycat, had disappeared, and she feared the worst.
“It’s a real concern,” said Dinicola, who also lives on Susquehanna, a few doors down from the Carrascosos.
A week later, one of her students saw a cat at Susquehanna and Chestnut, it turned out to be Pussycat, and mistress and pet were reunited.
Still, Dinicola says it’s likely the fox, which neighbors all along the street have reported seeing, spooked her pet, scaring it away.
“I’m surprised we haven’t got a village animal control office,” she observed.
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
Voters Pass CCS Budget
COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown Central School District 2011-12 budget was approved by voters 311-84 Tuesday, May 17.
David Borgstrom, Theresa Russo and Beth Schifano (appointed to fill Noreen Polus’ term) were reelected.
HOLOHAN RUNS: Ray Holohan, the Cooperstown accountant, has announced he is seeking both the Republican and Democratic nominations to replace county Rep. Sam Dubben, R-Middlefield, who is retiring.
IN MEMORY: A beach access ramp at the village’s Three Mile Point Park will be dedicated in memory of the late Ken Kiser, park caretaker, at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22.
SMITHY OPENS: The Smithy Pioneer Gallery opens for the season at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 19, with “Memory & Presence,” the oil paintings, drawings and sketches of artist Margaret Krug of New York City.
COOPERSTOWN
The Cooperstown Central School District 2011-12 budget was approved by voters 311-84 Tuesday, May 17.
David Borgstrom, Theresa Russo and Beth Schifano (appointed to fill Noreen Polus’ term) were reelected.
HOLOHAN RUNS: Ray Holohan, the Cooperstown accountant, has announced he is seeking both the Republican and Democratic nominations to replace county Rep. Sam Dubben, R-Middlefield, who is retiring.
IN MEMORY: A beach access ramp at the village’s Three Mile Point Park will be dedicated in memory of the late Ken Kiser, park caretaker, at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22.
SMITHY OPENS: The Smithy Pioneer Gallery opens for the season at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 19, with “Memory & Presence,” the oil paintings, drawings and sketches of artist Margaret Krug of New York City.
ARLO GUTHRIE ALICE’S BREWERY
...Brewery Ommegang, that is. Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody and “Alice’s Restaurant” creator, drew more than 2,000 fans to the brewery Friday, May 13, to raise funds for the antifracking fight. Brewery spokesman Larry Bennett said $20,000 was immediately donated to Otsego 2000, and more is available. At right, brewery President Simon Thorpe chats with concert goers.
Johnson, Ackerman Top Milford Central’s Class Of 2011
MILFORD
Danielle Johnson is valedictorian and Emily Ackerman salutatorian of the Milford Central School Class of 2011.
Danielle, daughter of Andrea and Kenneth Johnson, is the valedictorian for the Class of 2011, plans to attend Binghamton University, majoring in business.
She is a member of the Spanish Club and INTERACT/Community in Action. She is the treasurer for the Class of 2011 and has participated in cheerleading.
Emily, daughter of Donna and Keith Ackerman, plans to attend RPI, majoring in chemical engineering.
She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club, president of Art Club, treasurer for INTERACT/Community in Action, vice president, treasurer and Student Government representative for Music Association, and assistant director for the school musicals.
She volunteers as a junior docent at The Fenimore Art Museum.
Danielle Johnson is valedictorian and Emily Ackerman salutatorian of the Milford Central School Class of 2011.
Danielle, daughter of Andrea and Kenneth Johnson, is the valedictorian for the Class of 2011, plans to attend Binghamton University, majoring in business.
She is a member of the Spanish Club and INTERACT/Community in Action. She is the treasurer for the Class of 2011 and has participated in cheerleading.
Emily, daughter of Donna and Keith Ackerman, plans to attend RPI, majoring in chemical engineering.
She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club, president of Art Club, treasurer for INTERACT/Community in Action, vice president, treasurer and Student Government representative for Music Association, and assistant director for the school musicals.
She volunteers as a junior docent at The Fenimore Art Museum.
Richfield Springs’ Laurels Go To Clickman, Worobey
RICHFIELD SPRINGS
Zachariah D. Clickman is valedictorian and Emma K. Worobey salutatorian of the Richfield Springs Central School Class of 2011.
Zachariah, son of Charles and Nancy Clickman, Richfield Springs, has been accepted to many prestigious undergraduate programs and plans to attend Syracuse University in the fall. His cumulative GPA is 98.651.
Zach attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine last summer. He is member of the National Honor Society, a student representative on the Board of Education, and an academic tutor.
Emma, daughter of Amy and Thomas Worobey, Jordanville, will attend Nazareth College, majoring in education. Her high school GPA was 97.128.
She has been an active CFES peer mentor, a member of National Honor Society, participant in Student Council and an active member of the school musicals.
Zachariah D. Clickman is valedictorian and Emma K. Worobey salutatorian of the Richfield Springs Central School Class of 2011.
Zachariah, son of Charles and Nancy Clickman, Richfield Springs, has been accepted to many prestigious undergraduate programs and plans to attend Syracuse University in the fall. His cumulative GPA is 98.651.
Zach attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine last summer. He is member of the National Honor Society, a student representative on the Board of Education, and an academic tutor.
Emma, daughter of Amy and Thomas Worobey, Jordanville, will attend Nazareth College, majoring in education. Her high school GPA was 97.128.
She has been an active CFES peer mentor, a member of National Honor Society, participant in Student Council and an active member of the school musicals.
CCS NAMES TOP FOUR STUDENTS: Dutkowsky, Grigoli, Kramer, Shelton Lead Class
COOPERSTOWN
Christen Dutkowsky, Natalie Grigoli, Anna Kramer and Jessica Shelton are the top four students in Cooperstown Central School’s Class of 2011.
Christen, daughter of Joseph and Karen Dutkowsky, Cooperstown, plans to attend The Catholic University of America, majoring in the classics (Greek and Latin).
Natalie, daughter of Salvatore and Diane Grigoli, Cooperstown, plans to major in English at Elmira College.
Anna, daughter of Bruce Kramer and Laura Kielty, Cooperstown, will spend next year at a Rotary Exchange Student in India. On her return, she plans to attend Pomona College.
Jessica, daughter of Robert Shelton and Marianne Rae, Cooperstown, plans to major in mathematics at Hamilton College.
Christen Dutkowsky, Natalie Grigoli, Anna Kramer and Jessica Shelton are the top four students in Cooperstown Central School’s Class of 2011.
Christen, daughter of Joseph and Karen Dutkowsky, Cooperstown, plans to attend The Catholic University of America, majoring in the classics (Greek and Latin).
Natalie, daughter of Salvatore and Diane Grigoli, Cooperstown, plans to major in English at Elmira College.
Anna, daughter of Bruce Kramer and Laura Kielty, Cooperstown, will spend next year at a Rotary Exchange Student in India. On her return, she plans to attend Pomona College.
Jessica, daughter of Robert Shelton and Marianne Rae, Cooperstown, plans to major in mathematics at Hamilton College.
Garretson, Brigham Top Scholars In Cherry Valley-Springfield Class
CHERRY VALLEY
Mallory Viola Garretson is valedictorian and Abigail Marie Brigham salutatorian of the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School Class of 2011.
Mallory, daughter of Thomas and Amy Garretson, plans to study writing at St. Lawrence University; she received a Presidential Scholarship.
At CV-S, she has been active in Jazz Ensemble, Senior Band (first chair, saxophone) and Senior Choir (alto), and played quintets and duets with NYSSMA. She starred as Sarah Brown in this year’s musical, “Guys and Dolls,” Abby Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace, and Ellie Mae in “Beverley Hillbillies.”
She participated in Drama Club, Nature Club, SADD, Student Council (vice president), Varsity Club, Varsity Soccer (captain) and Track, Yearbook (editor in chief), Law Day, French Club, National Honor Society (president), and National Honor Societies in English, history and math.
She was class president in grades 9, 10, and 11.
She has attended Pen in Hand and Champlain College Writing Conferences to complement her writing for Iridescence, CV-S’s literary magazine, where she is editor.
Abigail, daughter of Don and Janet Brigham, has received full tuition to The College of St. Rose, where she plans to major in history and education, with a minor in reading, pursuing a lifelong interest in becoming a history teacher.
At CV-S, she participated in four honor societies: National, history, English and math, and was secretary for many clubs, including National Honor Society, French Club and the Class of 2011.
She was involved in Senior Band, Marching Band, NYSSMA and Jazz Band as first chair trumpet, while participating in the All County Festivals her freshmen, junior and senior years.
She played varsity softball (captain), basketball and soccer, recognized as a three-sport scholar athlete. She has volunteered at benefit dinners and blood drives, and is a student mentor.
Mallory Viola Garretson is valedictorian and Abigail Marie Brigham salutatorian of the Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School Class of 2011.
Mallory, daughter of Thomas and Amy Garretson, plans to study writing at St. Lawrence University; she received a Presidential Scholarship.
At CV-S, she has been active in Jazz Ensemble, Senior Band (first chair, saxophone) and Senior Choir (alto), and played quintets and duets with NYSSMA. She starred as Sarah Brown in this year’s musical, “Guys and Dolls,” Abby Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace, and Ellie Mae in “Beverley Hillbillies.”
She participated in Drama Club, Nature Club, SADD, Student Council (vice president), Varsity Club, Varsity Soccer (captain) and Track, Yearbook (editor in chief), Law Day, French Club, National Honor Society (president), and National Honor Societies in English, history and math.
She was class president in grades 9, 10, and 11.
She has attended Pen in Hand and Champlain College Writing Conferences to complement her writing for Iridescence, CV-S’s literary magazine, where she is editor.
Abigail, daughter of Don and Janet Brigham, has received full tuition to The College of St. Rose, where she plans to major in history and education, with a minor in reading, pursuing a lifelong interest in becoming a history teacher.
At CV-S, she participated in four honor societies: National, history, English and math, and was secretary for many clubs, including National Honor Society, French Club and the Class of 2011.
She was involved in Senior Band, Marching Band, NYSSMA and Jazz Band as first chair trumpet, while participating in the All County Festivals her freshmen, junior and senior years.
She played varsity softball (captain), basketball and soccer, recognized as a three-sport scholar athlete. She has volunteered at benefit dinners and blood drives, and is a student mentor.
Harmon Killebrew Bids Farewell To Fans, Friends
Editor’s Note: The National Baseball Hall of Fame released this statement Friday, May 13, on behalf of Harmon Killebrew, Hall of Famer since 1984 and frequent attendee at the annual Induction Weekend. Killebrew passed away Tuesday, May 17, 2011.
It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end.
With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors’ expectation of cure.
I have spent the past decade of my life promoting hospice care and educating people on its benefits. I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing the compassionate care that hospice provides.
I am comforted by the fact that I am surrounded by my family and friends. I thank you for the outpouring of concern, prayers and encouragement that you have shown me.
I look forward to spending my final days in comfort and peace with Nita by my side.
It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end.
With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors’ expectation of cure.
I have spent the past decade of my life promoting hospice care and educating people on its benefits. I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing the compassionate care that hospice provides.
I am comforted by the fact that I am surrounded by my family and friends. I thank you for the outpouring of concern, prayers and encouragement that you have shown me.
I look forward to spending my final days in comfort and peace with Nita by my side.
A Dozen Things Great Downtowns Have In Common
GARY FERGUSON
OTHER VOICES
Editor’s Note: Here are characteristics shared by successful downtowns. Gary Ferguson is Ithaca Downtown Partnership’s executive director.
1) No Single Organizational Model Exists
Contrary to expectations, there is no single way cities with great downtowns deliver their downtown services. Instead, these cities have found varying ways to provide needed services.
Each model reflects the institutional strengths present in the community.
2) These downtowns tended to have multiple traffic generators that supplemented the presence of a larger institution(s), all within short walking distance.
Many but not all of these traffic generators were purposely strategically located.
3) These great downtowns are beloved by citizenry.
They have regional significance. There is strong affection for the downtown. There is also controversy and debate, but always strong affection.
4) These downtown have been and are continuing to overcome challenges and obstacles.
Just because the city has a great reputation for its downtown doesn’t mean that it is exempt from challenge. Even today, these cities are preparing for their next set of challenges.
5) These downtowns are walkable. They have pedestrian scale.
There was no single model. They include pedestrian malls, linear main streets, public squares and multi-zone downtowns. People expected and preferred to walk.
6) These downtowns, by and large, had a commitment to mixed use development.
Uses are generally not geographically separated. When they are, they remain within walking distance of each other. New projects have mixed use orientations.
7) There is broad public/private investment in the future of downtown.
These cities are planning for their futures. They are implementing new projects that broaden the appeal and scope of downtown.
8) The nature of downtown retailing appears to be in flux.
Food & beverage is replacing traditional retail. Local, independent retailers continue to dominate most downtowns. These downtowns face increasing competition; some have been exempt from serious competition for years.
9) Entertainment is a driving market segment.
Anchor projects help (movie theaters, performance halls, proximity to university facilities.) All have been able to extend the life of downtown beyond 5 p.m. All have strong and growing restaurant sectors.
10) There was a prevalence of strong, adjacent residential neighborhoods that are within walking distance of downtown.
Many of these neighborhoods were upscale, with some of the higher priced housing in the city. This was not necessarily student housing.
11) Downtown housing was either prevalent or underway. The market for housing in downtown was strong and growing.
Affordability was a major issue faced by many of the communities. Downtown residents were likewise invaluable to the downtown retail economy.
12) Universities help but are not the sole answer.
Several cities reported low use of downtown by students (Northampton, Wooster, Charlottesville). One city had a small downtown despite abutting the campus (Chapel Hill). One city had no major university (Portland).
OTHER VOICES
Editor’s Note: Here are characteristics shared by successful downtowns. Gary Ferguson is Ithaca Downtown Partnership’s executive director.
1) No Single Organizational Model Exists
Contrary to expectations, there is no single way cities with great downtowns deliver their downtown services. Instead, these cities have found varying ways to provide needed services.
Each model reflects the institutional strengths present in the community.
2) These downtowns tended to have multiple traffic generators that supplemented the presence of a larger institution(s), all within short walking distance.
Many but not all of these traffic generators were purposely strategically located.
3) These great downtowns are beloved by citizenry.
They have regional significance. There is strong affection for the downtown. There is also controversy and debate, but always strong affection.
4) These downtown have been and are continuing to overcome challenges and obstacles.
Just because the city has a great reputation for its downtown doesn’t mean that it is exempt from challenge. Even today, these cities are preparing for their next set of challenges.
5) These downtowns are walkable. They have pedestrian scale.
There was no single model. They include pedestrian malls, linear main streets, public squares and multi-zone downtowns. People expected and preferred to walk.
6) These downtowns, by and large, had a commitment to mixed use development.
Uses are generally not geographically separated. When they are, they remain within walking distance of each other. New projects have mixed use orientations.
7) There is broad public/private investment in the future of downtown.
These cities are planning for their futures. They are implementing new projects that broaden the appeal and scope of downtown.
8) The nature of downtown retailing appears to be in flux.
Food & beverage is replacing traditional retail. Local, independent retailers continue to dominate most downtowns. These downtowns face increasing competition; some have been exempt from serious competition for years.
9) Entertainment is a driving market segment.
Anchor projects help (movie theaters, performance halls, proximity to university facilities.) All have been able to extend the life of downtown beyond 5 p.m. All have strong and growing restaurant sectors.
10) There was a prevalence of strong, adjacent residential neighborhoods that are within walking distance of downtown.
Many of these neighborhoods were upscale, with some of the higher priced housing in the city. This was not necessarily student housing.
11) Downtown housing was either prevalent or underway. The market for housing in downtown was strong and growing.
Affordability was a major issue faced by many of the communities. Downtown residents were likewise invaluable to the downtown retail economy.
12) Universities help but are not the sole answer.
Several cities reported low use of downtown by students (Northampton, Wooster, Charlottesville). One city had a small downtown despite abutting the campus (Chapel Hill). One city had no major university (Portland).
EDITORIAL: Historic Preservation Is Reviving Downtowns And Can Here, Too
Pessimists consider themselves realists. In truth, pessimism is often just ignorance. That’s a little harsh. Perhaps it’s just insensitivity to possibilities.
Nonetheless, it was a breath of fresh air to spend a recent afternoon with the knowledgeable Elise Johnson-Schmidt, the Corning architect and former executive director of the Market Street Restoration Agency there.
Corning has been a charming place to visit for decades, but so are Cooperstown, Oneonta and other Otsego County communities. Yes, Corning is headquarters of Fortune-500 Corning Inc., but Cooperstown hosts the National Baseball Hall of Fame and first-rate museums, and Oneonta hosts two now-thriving colleges, Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta. (And, it should be added, a Corning plant.)
So if Johnson-Schmidt envisioned and implemented an effort to return housing to the upper stories of Market Street buildings in Corning, there’s no reason why she can’t do the same here. She is allied with Klugo Enterprises of Corning, which won the contract to redevelop the former Bresee’s Department Store into, yes, stores on the first floor and, yes, apartments on the second, third and fourth.
She also spoke at that all-day seminar Otsego 2000 sponsored last fall on redeveloping upper stories in buildings on Cooperstown’s Main Street, which informed a series of recommendations the village Planning Board forwarded to the Village Board a month ago for consideration.
Among the recommendations on the trustees’ desks is to remove requirements that apartment owners provide dedicated parking spaces for their tenants, spaces that in Cooperstown simply don’t exist. Private enterprise, Hill and Blabey have posited, will fill the void; until the market catches up, the village can lease tenants or landlords spaces in the Doubleday Parking lot.
When Hill asked the folks in the county Real Property Office what might be done, he was told the state enables localities to abate taxes on improvements to commercial properties, 100 percent for eight years, then bringing them up to full valuation 25 percent a year for the next four years.
Absent that, the property-tax system discourages property owners from upgrading their buildings: For now, in addition to paying for often-costly renovations, property owners are immediately penalized by seeing their property taxes rise.
This would require each locality – the village and Town of Otsego, or the City of Oneonta, plus the school districts – to adopt the enabling legislation. Longterm, it’s a great idea, since – beginning a dozen years from now and beyond – rising tax revenues will, over time, more than make up anything that wasn’t levied shortterm.
One, revisions to the state building code. For instance, sprinkler systems may be installed when a second egress from an apartment is impossible.
Two, New Markets Historic Tax Credits allow 39 percent of the cost of certified upgrades to be deducted from a developer’s (or investors’) tax bills. (Earlier tax credits for historic renovations were eliminated during the Reagan Administration, putting an abrupt halt to an exciting era of downtown redevelopment.)
Three, Restore New York grants, enacted during the Spitzer Administration, provide funds to close the gap between the cost of renovations and what a private developer can invest and still anticipate a profit. Oneonta’s effort has taken full advantage of these to make the Bresee’s project viable.
The beauty of this combination is that everyone wins. Decrepit (or merely under-used) heritage buildings, often displaying workmanship that simply can’t be duplicated today, find new life. Neighborhoods around these buildings likewise revive, with housing creating a demand for services – food and hardware stores, for instance – that have moved out to the malls or the periphery. As the demand for housing grows, existing apartment houses can be improved, higher rents paid, and tax revenues grow. Any investment – and tax credits, grants and abatements are investments, not expenses – are eventually outstripped by new revenues. Everyone wins.
If Bresee’s, why not those vacant floors that extend west along Main Street from Oneonta’s Muller Plaza. If not the old opera house in Cooperstown, why not the upper floors of that village’s landmark KeyBank building?
Optimism? Pessimism? Fiddlesticks. Let’s simply sensitize ourselves to the possibilities … and act.
Nonetheless, it was a breath of fresh air to spend a recent afternoon with the knowledgeable Elise Johnson-Schmidt, the Corning architect and former executive director of the Market Street Restoration Agency there.
Corning has been a charming place to visit for decades, but so are Cooperstown, Oneonta and other Otsego County communities. Yes, Corning is headquarters of Fortune-500 Corning Inc., but Cooperstown hosts the National Baseball Hall of Fame and first-rate museums, and Oneonta hosts two now-thriving colleges, Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta. (And, it should be added, a Corning plant.)
So if Johnson-Schmidt envisioned and implemented an effort to return housing to the upper stories of Market Street buildings in Corning, there’s no reason why she can’t do the same here. She is allied with Klugo Enterprises of Corning, which won the contract to redevelop the former Bresee’s Department Store into, yes, stores on the first floor and, yes, apartments on the second, third and fourth.
She also spoke at that all-day seminar Otsego 2000 sponsored last fall on redeveloping upper stories in buildings on Cooperstown’s Main Street, which informed a series of recommendations the village Planning Board forwarded to the Village Board a month ago for consideration.
•
Independently, village Planning Board chair Charlie Hill and such board members as Richard Blabey had been studying what can be done to energize a stagnating Main Street, so Johnson-Schmidt was singing their song.Among the recommendations on the trustees’ desks is to remove requirements that apartment owners provide dedicated parking spaces for their tenants, spaces that in Cooperstown simply don’t exist. Private enterprise, Hill and Blabey have posited, will fill the void; until the market catches up, the village can lease tenants or landlords spaces in the Doubleday Parking lot.
When Hill asked the folks in the county Real Property Office what might be done, he was told the state enables localities to abate taxes on improvements to commercial properties, 100 percent for eight years, then bringing them up to full valuation 25 percent a year for the next four years.
Absent that, the property-tax system discourages property owners from upgrading their buildings: For now, in addition to paying for often-costly renovations, property owners are immediately penalized by seeing their property taxes rise.
This would require each locality – the village and Town of Otsego, or the City of Oneonta, plus the school districts – to adopt the enabling legislation. Longterm, it’s a great idea, since – beginning a dozen years from now and beyond – rising tax revenues will, over time, more than make up anything that wasn’t levied shortterm.
•
Whether or not the localities act, Johnson-Schmidt said three components are now in place that make the redevelopment of upper stories possible, as well as essential to create the cash flow necessary to make historic downtown buildings financially viable:One, revisions to the state building code. For instance, sprinkler systems may be installed when a second egress from an apartment is impossible.
Two, New Markets Historic Tax Credits allow 39 percent of the cost of certified upgrades to be deducted from a developer’s (or investors’) tax bills. (Earlier tax credits for historic renovations were eliminated during the Reagan Administration, putting an abrupt halt to an exciting era of downtown redevelopment.)
Three, Restore New York grants, enacted during the Spitzer Administration, provide funds to close the gap between the cost of renovations and what a private developer can invest and still anticipate a profit. Oneonta’s effort has taken full advantage of these to make the Bresee’s project viable.
The beauty of this combination is that everyone wins. Decrepit (or merely under-used) heritage buildings, often displaying workmanship that simply can’t be duplicated today, find new life. Neighborhoods around these buildings likewise revive, with housing creating a demand for services – food and hardware stores, for instance – that have moved out to the malls or the periphery. As the demand for housing grows, existing apartment houses can be improved, higher rents paid, and tax revenues grow. Any investment – and tax credits, grants and abatements are investments, not expenses – are eventually outstripped by new revenues. Everyone wins.
•
In Corning, the effort has created 41 trendy apartments in spaces that were vacant a decade ago, and momentum continues to grow. A fancy restaurant – Tony R’s, opened in 2007 –occupies several storefronts; The Cellar, a tapas bar, is offering 40 wines by the glass, 75 by the bottle. Boutiques, high-end service businesses and smart cafes abound.If Bresee’s, why not those vacant floors that extend west along Main Street from Oneonta’s Muller Plaza. If not the old opera house in Cooperstown, why not the upper floors of that village’s landmark KeyBank building?
Optimism? Pessimism? Fiddlesticks. Let’s simply sensitize ourselves to the possibilities … and act.
36 LOCAL ATHLETES ‘DU’ IT
Andrew Royer, a student at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, came in second in the team event, with Amy Drake.
Drew Porter was the top Cooperstown winner in the individual event, coming in 13th with a time of 02:01:54.
Zach Winnie
for The Freeman’s Journal
Runner Deborah Miller, Fly Creek, and biker Chris Eldred, Oneonta, took first place in the team event at the Clark Sports Center’s Just “Du” It Duathlon Sunday, May 15. Thirty-six athletes from the county and beyond competed in the run-bike-run combination.
The winners are, back row, left to right: Kyler Breier, Oneonta; Rebecca Toombs, State College, Pa.; Keith Toombs, Oneonta; Scott Schaffer, Rotterdam; Kathryn Sentz, Cooperstown; Tim Sattler, Oneonta; Erika Gates, Oneonta; Kimberley Negrich, Mayfield. Front row, left to right, Joe Coe, Norwich; Anne Killian-Russo, Cooperstown; Chris Eldred, Oneonta; Deborah Miller, Fly Creek; Elizabeth Treadwell, Laurens; Dereck Treadwell, Laurens; Rebecca Stone, Cooperstown; and Dawn Siebuhr, Cooperstown.
Drew Porter was the top Cooperstown winner in the individual event, coming in 13th with a time of 02:01:54.
Zach Winnie
for The Freeman’s Journal
Runner Deborah Miller, Fly Creek, and biker Chris Eldred, Oneonta, took first place in the team event at the Clark Sports Center’s Just “Du” It Duathlon Sunday, May 15. Thirty-six athletes from the county and beyond competed in the run-bike-run combination.
The winners are, back row, left to right: Kyler Breier, Oneonta; Rebecca Toombs, State College, Pa.; Keith Toombs, Oneonta; Scott Schaffer, Rotterdam; Kathryn Sentz, Cooperstown; Tim Sattler, Oneonta; Erika Gates, Oneonta; Kimberley Negrich, Mayfield. Front row, left to right, Joe Coe, Norwich; Anne Killian-Russo, Cooperstown; Chris Eldred, Oneonta; Deborah Miller, Fly Creek; Elizabeth Treadwell, Laurens; Dereck Treadwell, Laurens; Rebecca Stone, Cooperstown; and Dawn Siebuhr, Cooperstown.
THE SPORTS BEAT
Silvera, Reis Set Records
Cooperstown senior Alec Silvera broke his own school record in the 110 hurdles at the Oneonta Invitational last Friday, finishing with a time of 14.7. His previous best was 14.89.
Silvera is the defending state champion in Division II in the event.
CCS’s Will Reis became the first local runner to break the two minutes in the 800 meter event, crossing in a winning time of 1:55.0
And Laura Harmon broke the CCS record in the 2,000m steeplechase, in 7:53:5, topping Laura Resnick’s 8:06:0 from 2008.
The Redskins finished second to Norwich.
#15 Million Visits HoF
The National Baseball Hall of Fame surpassed the 15 million mark on Friday when Ken Gallinger of Ormstown, Quebec entered the museum at 3:48 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Gallinger became the Museum’s 15 millionth visitor since the Museum first opened its doors on June 12, 1939, when he entered with his Museum Membership card in hand, just days before the Museum’s 72nd birthday.
Gallinger was greeted by Hall of Fame officials, including President Jeff Idelson, who presented him with a Membership upgrade to the President’s Circle level. As a President’s Circle Member, Gallinger will receive two tickets to the premium seating area for the July 24 Hall of Fame Induction.
The longtime Toronto Blue Jays fan will be able to watch former Jays star Roberto Alomar and former Toronto general manager Pat Gillick receive their Hall of Fame plaques along with Bert Blyleven, the third member of the Class of 2011 at the Hall of Fame.
‘One For Books’ To Open
Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. are scheduled to participate in a special Voices of the Game discussion event at the national Baseball Hall of Fame on May 28.
The event is part of the opening of the Museum’s new exhibit ``One for the Books: Baseball Records and the Stories Behind Them’’ on Saturday, May 28 in Cooperstown. The five legends are expected to take part in a one-hour moderated program focused on baseball’s most memorable milestones, from 1-2 p.m.
A ticket is required for this event and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Museum members have an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets by calling the Hall of Fame’s Membership department at 607-547-0397, now while supplies last, until May 22. Should any tickets remain on Monday, May 23, those will be made available to the public.
Bassett Invitational Near
The 14th annual Bassett Medical Center Invitational is set for May 31 at the par-72 Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown.
The invitational, which features a field of 144 golfers, raises money to support the Friends of Bassett Healthcare network Annual Fund.
Players will receive gift bags and lunch. They also are invited to attend a post-event cocktail reception and awards ceremony, which is open to guests and non-golfers. Tickets are limited and cost $50. Call 547-3928.
Cooperstown senior Alec Silvera broke his own school record in the 110 hurdles at the Oneonta Invitational last Friday, finishing with a time of 14.7. His previous best was 14.89.
Silvera is the defending state champion in Division II in the event.
CCS’s Will Reis became the first local runner to break the two minutes in the 800 meter event, crossing in a winning time of 1:55.0
And Laura Harmon broke the CCS record in the 2,000m steeplechase, in 7:53:5, topping Laura Resnick’s 8:06:0 from 2008.
The Redskins finished second to Norwich.
#15 Million Visits HoF
The National Baseball Hall of Fame surpassed the 15 million mark on Friday when Ken Gallinger of Ormstown, Quebec entered the museum at 3:48 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Gallinger became the Museum’s 15 millionth visitor since the Museum first opened its doors on June 12, 1939, when he entered with his Museum Membership card in hand, just days before the Museum’s 72nd birthday.
Gallinger was greeted by Hall of Fame officials, including President Jeff Idelson, who presented him with a Membership upgrade to the President’s Circle level. As a President’s Circle Member, Gallinger will receive two tickets to the premium seating area for the July 24 Hall of Fame Induction.
The longtime Toronto Blue Jays fan will be able to watch former Jays star Roberto Alomar and former Toronto general manager Pat Gillick receive their Hall of Fame plaques along with Bert Blyleven, the third member of the Class of 2011 at the Hall of Fame.
‘One For Books’ To Open
Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. are scheduled to participate in a special Voices of the Game discussion event at the national Baseball Hall of Fame on May 28.
The event is part of the opening of the Museum’s new exhibit ``One for the Books: Baseball Records and the Stories Behind Them’’ on Saturday, May 28 in Cooperstown. The five legends are expected to take part in a one-hour moderated program focused on baseball’s most memorable milestones, from 1-2 p.m.
A ticket is required for this event and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Museum members have an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets by calling the Hall of Fame’s Membership department at 607-547-0397, now while supplies last, until May 22. Should any tickets remain on Monday, May 23, those will be made available to the public.
Bassett Invitational Near
The 14th annual Bassett Medical Center Invitational is set for May 31 at the par-72 Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown.
The invitational, which features a field of 144 golfers, raises money to support the Friends of Bassett Healthcare network Annual Fund.
Players will receive gift bags and lunch. They also are invited to attend a post-event cocktail reception and awards ceremony, which is open to guests and non-golfers. Tickets are limited and cost $50. Call 547-3928.
With Sams, Borgstrom Help, CCS Softball Is No Stranger To Victory
By ERIC AHLQVIST
Sports Editor
In the decade that Dave Bliss has been head coach of the Cooperstown softball, the program has come from laughingstock to annual 10-win team that has challenged for league and sectional titles.
This year’s team, led by four-year players Anna Sams, the program record holder in wins and strikeouts, and catcher Sam Borgstrom, is 8-5 as the regular season winds down this week.
In her four years as starting pitcher, Sams has accumulated 41 wins and struck out 640 batters through the Friday, May 13, game. Borgstrom is a solid hitter and a feared defensive catcher. Opposing teams respect her arm so much base runners rarely try to steal, Bliss said.
“In softball, pitcher and catcher are the two most important positions,’’ Bliss said. “We’ve been lucky to have two really good ones for the last four years.’’
As the softball team has become more competitive over the years, more of the top athletes in the school have decided to play softball, the coach said. He also credited the Youth Softball League started by Terry Bliss and continued by David Borgstrom, and the modified program, coached by Glen Noto, as major contributors to the success of the program.
“Success breeds success,’’ Bliss said. “Having the girls start at an early age with good coaching has also been very beneficial.’’
For the second consecutive season, a freshman has led the Redskins’ offense. Last year it was Alannah Haggerty, who missed this season after suffering a knee injury in soccer, while this year’s phenom is Maggie Hall.
Hall leads the team in batting average (.325) and runs batted in (18) and is also tied for the team lead in hits with 13. Her three home runs this season also ties the school record for most in a single season.
“Anna and Sam are the only two seniors,’’ Bliss said. “We’ll have everyone else back so the future looks pretty good.’’
Junior leadoff hitter Holli Erkson and fellow junior Meghan Vann also have 13 hits apiece this season. Another junior, Natalie Reich, is second on the team with a .316 batting average, and among her 12 hits are a double triple and nine runs batted in.
In 70 innings this season, Sams has struck out 105 batters and walked just 12 and has an earned run average of 1.90. Sophomore Nicole Cring will take over pitching duties next season. Cring is 2-0 with 17 strikeouts in 19 innings and an ERA of 1.47 this season.
Four of Cooperstown’s losses this season came to powerhouse programs Canastota and Sauquoit. CCS lost a 4-3 decision at Sauquoit on Wednesday, May 11, and a 12-7 decision at Canastota two days later.
“The good news against Canastota was we had seven runs and 11 hits against the best pitcher we’ll see all season,’’ Bliss said. “Both of the games against Sauquoit we could have won, and we could see them again in sectionals.’’
Sports Editor
In the decade that Dave Bliss has been head coach of the Cooperstown softball, the program has come from laughingstock to annual 10-win team that has challenged for league and sectional titles.
This year’s team, led by four-year players Anna Sams, the program record holder in wins and strikeouts, and catcher Sam Borgstrom, is 8-5 as the regular season winds down this week.
In her four years as starting pitcher, Sams has accumulated 41 wins and struck out 640 batters through the Friday, May 13, game. Borgstrom is a solid hitter and a feared defensive catcher. Opposing teams respect her arm so much base runners rarely try to steal, Bliss said.
“In softball, pitcher and catcher are the two most important positions,’’ Bliss said. “We’ve been lucky to have two really good ones for the last four years.’’
As the softball team has become more competitive over the years, more of the top athletes in the school have decided to play softball, the coach said. He also credited the Youth Softball League started by Terry Bliss and continued by David Borgstrom, and the modified program, coached by Glen Noto, as major contributors to the success of the program.
“Success breeds success,’’ Bliss said. “Having the girls start at an early age with good coaching has also been very beneficial.’’
For the second consecutive season, a freshman has led the Redskins’ offense. Last year it was Alannah Haggerty, who missed this season after suffering a knee injury in soccer, while this year’s phenom is Maggie Hall.
Hall leads the team in batting average (.325) and runs batted in (18) and is also tied for the team lead in hits with 13. Her three home runs this season also ties the school record for most in a single season.
“Anna and Sam are the only two seniors,’’ Bliss said. “We’ll have everyone else back so the future looks pretty good.’’
Junior leadoff hitter Holli Erkson and fellow junior Meghan Vann also have 13 hits apiece this season. Another junior, Natalie Reich, is second on the team with a .316 batting average, and among her 12 hits are a double triple and nine runs batted in.
In 70 innings this season, Sams has struck out 105 batters and walked just 12 and has an earned run average of 1.90. Sophomore Nicole Cring will take over pitching duties next season. Cring is 2-0 with 17 strikeouts in 19 innings and an ERA of 1.47 this season.
Four of Cooperstown’s losses this season came to powerhouse programs Canastota and Sauquoit. CCS lost a 4-3 decision at Sauquoit on Wednesday, May 11, and a 12-7 decision at Canastota two days later.
“The good news against Canastota was we had seven runs and 11 hits against the best pitcher we’ll see all season,’’ Bliss said. “Both of the games against Sauquoit we could have won, and we could see them again in sectionals.’’
Thursday, May 12, 2011
HOSTS RULE At Don Howard Invitational
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| Wes Lippitt gets off to a quick start in the 100-yard dash. |
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| Watching teammates compete are, from left, Emily Klein, Suzy Zhang and Kelsey Lent. |
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| CCS’ Alec Silvera demonstrates his winning form while leaping a hurdle in the boys’ 110 at the Don Howard Invitational Saturday, May 7, at home. The team set school, track and meet records in the 1,600-meter relay and senior Alec Silvera won a fast 110 hurdles. The team of Jacob Miller, Silvera, Jeremiah Ford and Will Reis finished 3 minutes, 27.0 seconds, beating runner-up Oneonta by 13 seconds. The Redskins beat their school record of 3:30.58 set last season and track and meet records of 3:28.1 set in 2009 by a Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton squad that went on to win Division II state championship. Reis anchored the relay and ran a personal-best split of 49.8. See brief at left for more details. |
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| CCS’s Brandon Daniels shows his winning form in the shot put. |
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| Jeremiah Ford hands off to Will Reis, who ran the last lap of Cooperstown’s record setting win in the 1,600 relay. |
to see more pictures of the event, see our facebook album -- coming soon!
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
Arlo Guthrie Sings To Help Fracking Fight
COOPERSTOWN
Arlo Guthrie will sing with the Levon Helm Band Friday, May 13, at Brewery Ommegang, to benefit anti-fracking efforts. The gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $55 at the door, $45 in advance. Check www.ommegang.com for further details.
RELAY BOOST:
KeyBank’s Cooperstown branch will host a Customer Appreciation Day Friday, May 13, part of the “Paint the Town Purple” campaign to raise visibility for the Relay for Life, Friday-Saturday, May 20-21, at Dreams Park.
LEST WE FORGET:
The Abner Doubleday Roundtable and the American Legion post are planning a commemoration at Cherry Valley’s Civil War monument at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21.
COOPERSTOWN
Arlo Guthrie will sing with the Levon Helm Band Friday, May 13, at Brewery Ommegang, to benefit anti-fracking efforts. The gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $55 at the door, $45 in advance. Check www.ommegang.com for further details.
RELAY BOOST:
KeyBank’s Cooperstown branch will host a Customer Appreciation Day Friday, May 13, part of the “Paint the Town Purple” campaign to raise visibility for the Relay for Life, Friday-Saturday, May 20-21, at Dreams Park.
LEST WE FORGET:
The Abner Doubleday Roundtable and the American Legion post are planning a commemoration at Cherry Valley’s Civil War monument at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21.
 |
| The Freeman’s Journal Cooperstown Farmers’ Market manager Lynn Weir was handing out 1,500 packets of zucchini seeds on Mother’s Day to shoppers there. The packets were made available by Harris Seed, Rochester, to boost entries in the zucchini category at Cooperstown’s annual PumpkinFest. |
Find A Safer Way To Frack, Obama Orders
President Obama has directed the U.S. Department of Energy to create a panel to recommend “immediate steps” to improve the safety of hydrofracking, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced May 5.
“America’s vast natural gas resources can generate many new jobs and provide significant environmental benefits, but we need to ensure we harness these resources safely,” said Chu.
He asked the panel to report back in 90 days with immediate steps, and with broader steps in 180 days.
The panel includes John Deutch, former CIA director; Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund and Daniel Yergin, author of the bestseller, “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power.”
“America’s vast natural gas resources can generate many new jobs and provide significant environmental benefits, but we need to ensure we harness these resources safely,” said Chu.
He asked the panel to report back in 90 days with immediate steps, and with broader steps in 180 days.
The panel includes John Deutch, former CIA director; Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund and Daniel Yergin, author of the bestseller, “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power.”
Neighborly Bank Chief Pays Visits
Branches, Merchants On Tryniski Agenda
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
If you’re in business, every once in a while your banker may stop by. But your bank’s president?
So you can imagine that proprietors Sal and John Grigoli were a bit surprised when Mark Tryniski stopped by Sal’s Pizza Friday, May 6, with his hand outstretched.
Tryniski, president/CEO of the Dewitt-based Community Bank, which bought Wilber Bank in April, was in Otsego County for the day, touring his new branches with Joe Sutaris, his Oneonta-based regional executive.
Sipping a Coke and munching on a slice, the executive said the transition from Wilber to Community – it involved changing 500 signs over the weekend and shifting computer systems – went off with few hitches.
That was partly due to intense training in advance of the shift, and partly to a “buddy system” – a Community veteran was posted in Wilber branches to help Wilber’s former employees with new procedures in the interim.
A big part of that training was in customer service, said Tryniski. Lots of companies give lip service to that concept, he continued, but Community’s efforts caused Forbes to rank it the seventh-best bank in the nation two years in a row. J.D. Powers put Community on its Top 10 list for three of the last five years.
When the merger happened, the executive continued, Community happened to be offering higher CD rates than Wilber. The buyer didn’t have to, but immediately raised former Wilber customers to the higher level.
Plus, the new customers receive free checking – “completely” free checking, Tryniski emphasized – and access to more extensive Internet-banking and cash-management systems.
Local customers may also notice that branch managers such as Cooperstown’s Janice Eichler will have broader authority to approve loans. “In our system, we expect them to function as bank presidents in their towns,” the president said.
As it happens, Community Bank was founded about the same time as Wilber, 150 years ago, and expanded through a “combination of organic growth and high-value mergers with other banks,” Tryniski said.
“Wilber was not the largest in branches,” he continued. “But the largest in terms of deposits and assets.”
While Community is not among the mega-banks, it is 130th among the nation’s 8,000 community banks which, plotted, would result in a graph that looks like a barbell, Tryniski said: Big banks at one end, small banks at the other, and banks like Community in the middle.
Wilber had 250 employees; Community has 2,000.
With the increase in bank regulation – mortgages use to require a stack of forms about an inch thick; now, it’s 6 inches, he said – “you’re going to see more and more smaller banks looking for alternatives.”
A native of Fulton, Tryniski received an accounting degree from SUNY Oswego and spent 18 years with Price Waterhouse’s Syracuse office before joining Community as CFO in 2003, winning promotion to the top job three years later.
He and wife Phyllis have four children, Nick, 22, Tim, 20, and twin daughters, Katie and Kellie, 19. The family lives in Baldwinsville.
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
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| Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal And there you have it: A hands-on bank president. During a visit to Cooperstown Friday, May 6, Community Bank President/CEO Mark Tryniski, left, pops a pizza into the oven at Sal’s on Main Street. Next to Tryniski is Joe Sutaris, the bank’s Oneonta-based regional executive, and proprietors John and Sal Grigoli. |
If you’re in business, every once in a while your banker may stop by. But your bank’s president?
So you can imagine that proprietors Sal and John Grigoli were a bit surprised when Mark Tryniski stopped by Sal’s Pizza Friday, May 6, with his hand outstretched.
Tryniski, president/CEO of the Dewitt-based Community Bank, which bought Wilber Bank in April, was in Otsego County for the day, touring his new branches with Joe Sutaris, his Oneonta-based regional executive.
Sipping a Coke and munching on a slice, the executive said the transition from Wilber to Community – it involved changing 500 signs over the weekend and shifting computer systems – went off with few hitches.
That was partly due to intense training in advance of the shift, and partly to a “buddy system” – a Community veteran was posted in Wilber branches to help Wilber’s former employees with new procedures in the interim.
A big part of that training was in customer service, said Tryniski. Lots of companies give lip service to that concept, he continued, but Community’s efforts caused Forbes to rank it the seventh-best bank in the nation two years in a row. J.D. Powers put Community on its Top 10 list for three of the last five years.
When the merger happened, the executive continued, Community happened to be offering higher CD rates than Wilber. The buyer didn’t have to, but immediately raised former Wilber customers to the higher level.
Plus, the new customers receive free checking – “completely” free checking, Tryniski emphasized – and access to more extensive Internet-banking and cash-management systems.
Local customers may also notice that branch managers such as Cooperstown’s Janice Eichler will have broader authority to approve loans. “In our system, we expect them to function as bank presidents in their towns,” the president said.
As it happens, Community Bank was founded about the same time as Wilber, 150 years ago, and expanded through a “combination of organic growth and high-value mergers with other banks,” Tryniski said.
“Wilber was not the largest in branches,” he continued. “But the largest in terms of deposits and assets.”
While Community is not among the mega-banks, it is 130th among the nation’s 8,000 community banks which, plotted, would result in a graph that looks like a barbell, Tryniski said: Big banks at one end, small banks at the other, and banks like Community in the middle.
Wilber had 250 employees; Community has 2,000.
With the increase in bank regulation – mortgages use to require a stack of forms about an inch thick; now, it’s 6 inches, he said – “you’re going to see more and more smaller banks looking for alternatives.”
A native of Fulton, Tryniski received an accounting degree from SUNY Oswego and spent 18 years with Price Waterhouse’s Syracuse office before joining Community as CFO in 2003, winning promotion to the top job three years later.
He and wife Phyllis have four children, Nick, 22, Tim, 20, and twin daughters, Katie and Kellie, 19. The family lives in Baldwinsville.
In Tight Year, CCS Tax Hike Under COLA
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
In the end, the 2011-12 Cooperstown Central School budget that goes to the voters Tuesday, May 17, keeps the tax increase at 1.56 percent, under the COLA – the Cost Of Living Adjustment – of 1.6 percent.
The biggest hit was taken by the CCS faculty: Six positions will be eliminated, resulting in the retirements of eight full- and parttimers.
They include such revered veterans as Latin teacher Pete Henrici and art teacher Eileen Murphy, allowed the teacher-salaries line to be reduced by 11.2 percent, or $260,000. (Henrici will be returning half-time to keep the Latin program going.)
With state-aid cuts expected from Albany, the CCS board had faced “fairly dire predictions” at the outset, said Superintendent of Schools C.J. Hebert. But by the time it approved the tentative budget, it surfaced that aid deferred from last year would now be forthcoming, meaning an expected 16-percent cut has become a slight increase.
That’s just for one year, Hebert emphasized; next year, all bets are off.
Other significant changes that came out of budget deliberations included sending sixth grade back to Cooperstown Elementary School, and – due to a dip in participation – eliminating JV girls field hockey. (Some of the younger girls will be folded into the varsity team.)
Overall, the elimination of the six teaching positions brings the number of faculty to 23 for the 459 students in K-12, raising the average class from 18 to 20 students.
“Over 10 years, there’s been 23-percent drop in enrollment,” said Hebert. “This is necessary to right-size the teaching staff.”
The overall budget is up a bit, from $15.97 million this year to $16.9 million, 5.93 percent. The tax levy rises from $10.36 million to $10.5 million.
The polls will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, in the middle/high school auditorium for qualified voters from the Village of Cooperstown and towns of Hartwick, Middlefield and Otsego who reside in the school district.
In addition to Henrici and Murphy, other staffers retiring are Deborah Kiser and Roxanne Murray at Cooperstown Elementary, and at the middle/school: Laura Jane Reidhead (secretary), Michele Townsend (remedial reading, writing), Wayne Weir (health/phys-ed) and Margaret Yakos.
After the tentative budget was approved, Hebert learned that Mindy Kilmer, nutrition services supervisor, will be returning to school for an advanced degree, and he has arranged with Milford School Superintendent Peter Livshin to share Milford’s supervisor next year, another savings.
The retirements are a bit complicated. In addition to Henrici returning halftime, Murphy’s art position will also be reduced to halftime, and it is not yet known if she will return.
Retired teacher Frank Miosek had been teaching math halftime, but that half-time position is now being eliminated. Same with a half-time science position.
“Overall,” said Hebert, “I’m confident the students are going to have an excellent program.”
TO VOTE: The polls will be open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at the Cooperstown Central Middle/High School auditorium to vote on the $16 million budget for the 2011-12 school year.
In the end, the 2011-12 Cooperstown Central School budget that goes to the voters Tuesday, May 17, keeps the tax increase at 1.56 percent, under the COLA – the Cost Of Living Adjustment – of 1.6 percent.
The biggest hit was taken by the CCS faculty: Six positions will be eliminated, resulting in the retirements of eight full- and parttimers.
They include such revered veterans as Latin teacher Pete Henrici and art teacher Eileen Murphy, allowed the teacher-salaries line to be reduced by 11.2 percent, or $260,000. (Henrici will be returning half-time to keep the Latin program going.)
With state-aid cuts expected from Albany, the CCS board had faced “fairly dire predictions” at the outset, said Superintendent of Schools C.J. Hebert. But by the time it approved the tentative budget, it surfaced that aid deferred from last year would now be forthcoming, meaning an expected 16-percent cut has become a slight increase.
That’s just for one year, Hebert emphasized; next year, all bets are off.
Other significant changes that came out of budget deliberations included sending sixth grade back to Cooperstown Elementary School, and – due to a dip in participation – eliminating JV girls field hockey. (Some of the younger girls will be folded into the varsity team.)
Overall, the elimination of the six teaching positions brings the number of faculty to 23 for the 459 students in K-12, raising the average class from 18 to 20 students.
“Over 10 years, there’s been 23-percent drop in enrollment,” said Hebert. “This is necessary to right-size the teaching staff.”
The overall budget is up a bit, from $15.97 million this year to $16.9 million, 5.93 percent. The tax levy rises from $10.36 million to $10.5 million.
The polls will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, in the middle/high school auditorium for qualified voters from the Village of Cooperstown and towns of Hartwick, Middlefield and Otsego who reside in the school district.
In addition to Henrici and Murphy, other staffers retiring are Deborah Kiser and Roxanne Murray at Cooperstown Elementary, and at the middle/school: Laura Jane Reidhead (secretary), Michele Townsend (remedial reading, writing), Wayne Weir (health/phys-ed) and Margaret Yakos.
After the tentative budget was approved, Hebert learned that Mindy Kilmer, nutrition services supervisor, will be returning to school for an advanced degree, and he has arranged with Milford School Superintendent Peter Livshin to share Milford’s supervisor next year, another savings.
The retirements are a bit complicated. In addition to Henrici returning halftime, Murphy’s art position will also be reduced to halftime, and it is not yet known if she will return.
Retired teacher Frank Miosek had been teaching math halftime, but that half-time position is now being eliminated. Same with a half-time science position.
“Overall,” said Hebert, “I’m confident the students are going to have an excellent program.”
Dr. Bernadette Ryan To Keynote Relay For Life Opener May 20
COOPERSTOWN
Dr. Bernadette Ryan, Bassett Hospital’s chief of surgical oncology, will be guest speaker at the opening of the 13th annual Cooperstown/Northern Otsego Relay for Life at 6 p.m. Friday, May 20, at Cooperstown Dreams Park.
Cancer survivors will then take the first ceremonial lap around the track, followed by the caregivers lap. At survivors dinner is planned at 6:30 for each survivor and a designated caregiver.
Teams will be selling food, beginning at 6.
At 7, a haircutting is planned to benefit Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which partners with the American Cancer Society to give real hair wigs to women fighting cancer (minimum 8-inch length required).
At 8 is the Fight Back Ceremony, an open mic event where people step up to the microphone and make a commitment to fight cancer by scheduling a first time mammogram, encouraging a friend to stop smoking, or the like.
At 8:15 is a tribute ceremony in memory of Cathy Hughes.
At 8:30, the Luminaria Ceremony: A celebration of survivorship and memories of loved ones lost to cancer.
From 5 to 7 a.m. Saturday, May 21, a Deluxe Continental Breakfast is planned, with donations to benefit relay.
The closing ceremony is at 7:30 a.m.
Dr. Bernadette Ryan, Bassett Hospital’s chief of surgical oncology, will be guest speaker at the opening of the 13th annual Cooperstown/Northern Otsego Relay for Life at 6 p.m. Friday, May 20, at Cooperstown Dreams Park.
Cancer survivors will then take the first ceremonial lap around the track, followed by the caregivers lap. At survivors dinner is planned at 6:30 for each survivor and a designated caregiver.
Teams will be selling food, beginning at 6.
At 7, a haircutting is planned to benefit Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which partners with the American Cancer Society to give real hair wigs to women fighting cancer (minimum 8-inch length required).
At 8 is the Fight Back Ceremony, an open mic event where people step up to the microphone and make a commitment to fight cancer by scheduling a first time mammogram, encouraging a friend to stop smoking, or the like.
At 8:15 is a tribute ceremony in memory of Cathy Hughes.
At 8:30, the Luminaria Ceremony: A celebration of survivorship and memories of loved ones lost to cancer.
From 5 to 7 a.m. Saturday, May 21, a Deluxe Continental Breakfast is planned, with donations to benefit relay.
The closing ceremony is at 7:30 a.m.
WHAT WILL THE KIDS DO THIS SUMMER?
Jamie Stegman/The Freeman’s Journal
By 7 a.m. Saturday, May 7, dozens of parents and relatives of aspirants to the Clark Sports Center’s Summer Camps 2011 were lined up around the building. Some had been waiting since the wee hours. Registering for the highly sought-after adventure and sports camps requires a relative to personally register the youngsters. You can’t hire someone to do it for you; you can’t even leave the line to go to the rest room, or you lose your place. Eric Mooney, in right photo, the Bassett plastic surgeon and father of three daughters, arrived at 2:30 a.m. and was sixth in line.
By 7 a.m. Saturday, May 7, dozens of parents and relatives of aspirants to the Clark Sports Center’s Summer Camps 2011 were lined up around the building. Some had been waiting since the wee hours. Registering for the highly sought-after adventure and sports camps requires a relative to personally register the youngsters. You can’t hire someone to do it for you; you can’t even leave the line to go to the rest room, or you lose your place. Eric Mooney, in right photo, the Bassett plastic surgeon and father of three daughters, arrived at 2:30 a.m. and was sixth in line.
LOCALS:
NEW ROTARIANS:
Attorney Donna Borgstrom and NBT Bank’s Jody Smith were inducted into the Cooperstown Rotary Club Tuesday, May 10. They were sponsored by Richie Abbate and Donna Shipman respectively.
IDELSON AT LIONS:
Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was scheduled to speak to the Cooperstown Lions at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at the club’s regular meeting at the Tunnicliff Inn. At the May 4 meeting, Lion Claire Kepner narrated a slide presentation on her recent trip to Africa.
OPEN FOR SEASON:
Will and Emily Gibson are reopening their Mount Wellington Market, Route 80, for the season this Saturday, May 14.
Attorney Donna Borgstrom and NBT Bank’s Jody Smith were inducted into the Cooperstown Rotary Club Tuesday, May 10. They were sponsored by Richie Abbate and Donna Shipman respectively.
IDELSON AT LIONS:
Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was scheduled to speak to the Cooperstown Lions at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at the club’s regular meeting at the Tunnicliff Inn. At the May 4 meeting, Lion Claire Kepner narrated a slide presentation on her recent trip to Africa.
OPEN FOR SEASON:
Will and Emily Gibson are reopening their Mount Wellington Market, Route 80, for the season this Saturday, May 14.
Envirothon Organizers To Name Scholarship In Ted Peters’ Honor
The Otsego Soil & Water Conservation District’s Leatherstocking Envirothon Committee has established a scholarship in honor of Ted Peters, who has chaired the Village of Cooperstown’s water board, sewer board and Otsego Lake Watershed Supervisory Committee.
A retired Bassett researcher, he also worked to provide ultraviolet disinfection of the village water supply to replace chlorine.
In 2006 The Otsego County Conservation Association named him “Environmentalist of the Year” and in 2010 he received an award for service with the Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee.
A retired Bassett researcher, he also worked to provide ultraviolet disinfection of the village water supply to replace chlorine.
In 2006 The Otsego County Conservation Association named him “Environmentalist of the Year” and in 2010 he received an award for service with the Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
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| Enjoying their last moments of freedom are, from left, Will Cadwalader, Grant Davine, Johnny Hage, Jason Cadwalader, Kevin Frevele, Jack Donnelly, Tommy Schulz and Joseph Harmon. |
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| Jim Arthurs escorts daughter Mallory back to the veranda after a stroll on The Otesaga’s lawn. |
to see more pictures visit our facebook album -- coming soon!
Proclamation Dramatizes Little Known Williams Syndrome
FOR THE LOVE OF SELA
Editor’s Note: These are state Sen. Jim Seward’s remarks Monday, May 9, at Bassett Hospital, in announcing Williams Syndrome Awareness Week.
Williams syndrome is a relatively unknown, rare genetic disorder.
The general public, educators, even many doctors are unaware of Williams, yet it affects one in 10,000 people worldwide.
I must confess, I was not familiar with Williams syndrome myself until I heard from Stephanie Quinonez.
Stephanie and her husband Willie live in Edmeston, and one year ago their 6-year-old daughter, Sela, was diagnosed with Williams syndrome.
They, like so many other families, are now learning about this life-changing disorder, and while it has altered their lives, they now know what they are dealing with and where to seek the best care possible for Sela.
Ev55en the medical community is playing catch up when it comes to Williams syndrome.
The number of individuals diagnosed with Williams syndrome has actually increased five times in the past five years alone, as more and more doctors become aware of this disorder.
One of those doctors who does understand Williams is with us today, Doctor Monica Brane, a pediatrician with the Bassett Healthcare Network in Oneonta.
Along with the need for public awareness and an understanding of Williams syndrome comes the need for funding to help care for those affected by the emerging disorder.
There are ongoing medical needs from birth through adulthood.
From early intervention services like speech or occupational therapy to adult needs like group housing and other supportive assistance programs.
This Saturday, May 14, at New Hartford High School, there is a fundraising walk for Williams syndrome, it is in its fifth year, and it is organized by another caring parent – Bridget Jones of New Hartford, (who was present at the Seward announcement with her daughter and husband).
Last week, the state Senate adopted a special legislative resolution proclaiming this week as Williams Syndrome Awareness Week in the State of New York.
At this time I would like to present a copy of the resolution to Sela Quinonez and her family.
You are the reason why the whole State of New York is now learning about Williams Syndrome.
Generating public awareness about Williams syndrome is an important step in supporting patients who suffer from the disorder, along with their families, improving care and advancing future research.
What is Williams Syndrome?
Williams syndrome is a genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These occur side by side with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities and an affinity for music.
WS affects 1 in 10,000 people worldwide – an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. It is known to occur equally in both males and females and in every culture.
More at www.williams-syndrome.org
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| Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, presents the Williams Syndrome Awareness Week proclamation to Sela Quinonez, 6, of Edmeston. With Sela are mom Stephanie, dad William and sister Odessa, 13. |
Williams syndrome is a relatively unknown, rare genetic disorder.
The general public, educators, even many doctors are unaware of Williams, yet it affects one in 10,000 people worldwide.
I must confess, I was not familiar with Williams syndrome myself until I heard from Stephanie Quinonez.
Stephanie and her husband Willie live in Edmeston, and one year ago their 6-year-old daughter, Sela, was diagnosed with Williams syndrome.
They, like so many other families, are now learning about this life-changing disorder, and while it has altered their lives, they now know what they are dealing with and where to seek the best care possible for Sela.
Ev55en the medical community is playing catch up when it comes to Williams syndrome.
The number of individuals diagnosed with Williams syndrome has actually increased five times in the past five years alone, as more and more doctors become aware of this disorder.
One of those doctors who does understand Williams is with us today, Doctor Monica Brane, a pediatrician with the Bassett Healthcare Network in Oneonta.
Along with the need for public awareness and an understanding of Williams syndrome comes the need for funding to help care for those affected by the emerging disorder.
There are ongoing medical needs from birth through adulthood.
From early intervention services like speech or occupational therapy to adult needs like group housing and other supportive assistance programs.
This Saturday, May 14, at New Hartford High School, there is a fundraising walk for Williams syndrome, it is in its fifth year, and it is organized by another caring parent – Bridget Jones of New Hartford, (who was present at the Seward announcement with her daughter and husband).
Last week, the state Senate adopted a special legislative resolution proclaiming this week as Williams Syndrome Awareness Week in the State of New York.
At this time I would like to present a copy of the resolution to Sela Quinonez and her family.
You are the reason why the whole State of New York is now learning about Williams Syndrome.
Generating public awareness about Williams syndrome is an important step in supporting patients who suffer from the disorder, along with their families, improving care and advancing future research.
What is Williams Syndrome?
Williams syndrome is a genetic condition that is present at birth and can affect anyone. It is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These occur side by side with striking verbal abilities, highly social personalities and an affinity for music.
WS affects 1 in 10,000 people worldwide – an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. It is known to occur equally in both males and females and in every culture.
More at www.williams-syndrome.org
51-Point Game One Of CCS Honoree Schaeffer’s Fond Memories
By ERIC AHLQVIST : COOPERSTOWN
Sports Editor
Two of Cooperstown High School’s most accomplished athletes said the lessons they learned playing sports have had major impacts on their adult lives.
“When I’m preparing a brief, I say to myself, ‘What would Coach White do or what would Coach Miosek or Coach Howard do?’” said 1994 graduate Seth Schaeffer, the school’s all-time leading scorer and now a lawyer in Washington D.C. “Maybe we took it for granted back then what amazing role models we had as coaches, but looking back on it now I can really appreciate it.’’
Schaeffer was referring to longtime boys soccer coach Frank Miosek, longtime boys basketball coach Dick White and longtime track coach Don Howard, who are all in the CCS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Schaeffer and six other individuals, as well as three teams and former girls soccer coach Lisa Cherubin, were among this year’s inductees into the Athletic Hall announced Tuesday, May 3. The induction ceremony is slated for Sept. 24.
“I’m honored to be included in this year’s class and looking forward to coming back to Cooperstown in the fall,” said Schaeffer, who is married with two young children.
Schaeffer’s most cherished high school memories are winning sectionals in his sophomore basketball season, his school-record 51 points against Class A school Proctor during his senior season, and the basketball team’s home game against Hamilton and future NBA player Adonis Foyle during his senior season.
Foyle and Schaeffer ended up teammates at Colgate in college, but the teams’ high school meeting was one of the biggest sporting events in CCS history.
So many people wanted to watch the game that it was shown on closed-circuit television for fans who could not fit into the gym, and White recalled several years ago that when he stood to give coaching instructions fans would move into his seat on the bench.
Cooperstown ended up losing the game by one point in the final seconds.
“That was certainly one of the biggest games I’ve ever been involved in,’’ Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer and Foyle went on to lead Colgate to consecutive NCAA appearances in 1995 and ’96. In 1996, Colgate played Connecticut and star Ray Allen in the first round, and Schaeffer scored 18 points on six three-point shots.
Wrestler Packy Burke, a 1996 graduate who finished his senior season 41-0 and won a state title at 130-pounds, also recalled the big impact CCS’s coaching staff had on him.
“I played soccer and baseball under Coach Miosek, and he always stood up for his players no matter what,’’ Burke said. “I was an average athlete, but I knew he believed in me and that really had an impact on me.’’
Burke, who finished with a career wrestling record of 192-16, said the Clark Sports Center was also a valuable resource.
``You grow up learning from guys like Barry Gray, Scott Curtis and Sharky Nagelschmidt, that’s pretty special,’’ he said. “The community support I received during my senior year is what I remember the most. I don’t how I’ll give a speech about it, I’m going to going to get too emotional.’’
But Lippitt, currently a Physical Education teacher at Cooperstown Elementary School, is one of three 1995 graduates to be inducted, along with Reid Nagelschmidt and Megan Sanford, his cousin.
``It makes it more special to go in with those two,’’ said Lippitt, a three-sport star in football, wrestling and baseball.
Lippitt said his favorite high school memories both occurred against rival Richfield Springs. In his senior year of football, he scored the game’s only touchdown and led the team in tackles as Cooperstown won, 8-0, in its Homecoming Game. In his junior year he pitched a no-hitter against the Indians.
Lippitt is still the record holder for doubles and triples in baseball, and at the time of his graduation also was the program leader in wins. That record was broken by Guerin Blask.
CCS track coach Connie Herzig coached both Sanford and 1997 graduate Renee Welch. She said Sanford was the best sprinter Cooperstown has ever had and Welch was a fierce competitor.
Sanford holds the school record in the 100 and 200, while Welch is the record holder in the 1,500 and 3,000. Her 3,000 time of 10:27 is 40 seconds better than the second place time.
``That’s pretty amazing,’’ Herzig said of Welch, who went on to West Point after graduation.
``The first time I met her she was a skinny eighth grader and she said she wanted to run varsity track,’’ Herzig recalled of Welch. ‘’I asked her what was the matter with modified, and she said ``They’re not serious enough.’ That’s all you need to know about Renee.’’
Cherubin had a 159-34-11 record from 1992-2001, which included a 67-game league winning streak, four sectional title and a share of the Class C state crown in 1999.
Also to be inducted is 1991 graduate Tim Osterhoudt, the 1991 boys soccer team which advanced to the state Final Four, and the 1994 girls track team which won a Section Three Class C title and featured both Welch and Sanford.
Sports Editor
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| Seth Schaeffer goes up for a rebound against Hamilton and Adonal Foyle in 1994, one of the most anticipated games in Cooperstown history. |
“When I’m preparing a brief, I say to myself, ‘What would Coach White do or what would Coach Miosek or Coach Howard do?’” said 1994 graduate Seth Schaeffer, the school’s all-time leading scorer and now a lawyer in Washington D.C. “Maybe we took it for granted back then what amazing role models we had as coaches, but looking back on it now I can really appreciate it.’’
Schaeffer was referring to longtime boys soccer coach Frank Miosek, longtime boys basketball coach Dick White and longtime track coach Don Howard, who are all in the CCS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Schaeffer and six other individuals, as well as three teams and former girls soccer coach Lisa Cherubin, were among this year’s inductees into the Athletic Hall announced Tuesday, May 3. The induction ceremony is slated for Sept. 24.
“I’m honored to be included in this year’s class and looking forward to coming back to Cooperstown in the fall,” said Schaeffer, who is married with two young children.
Schaeffer’s most cherished high school memories are winning sectionals in his sophomore basketball season, his school-record 51 points against Class A school Proctor during his senior season, and the basketball team’s home game against Hamilton and future NBA player Adonis Foyle during his senior season.
Foyle and Schaeffer ended up teammates at Colgate in college, but the teams’ high school meeting was one of the biggest sporting events in CCS history.
So many people wanted to watch the game that it was shown on closed-circuit television for fans who could not fit into the gym, and White recalled several years ago that when he stood to give coaching instructions fans would move into his seat on the bench.
Cooperstown ended up losing the game by one point in the final seconds.
“That was certainly one of the biggest games I’ve ever been involved in,’’ Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer and Foyle went on to lead Colgate to consecutive NCAA appearances in 1995 and ’96. In 1996, Colgate played Connecticut and star Ray Allen in the first round, and Schaeffer scored 18 points on six three-point shots.
Wrestler Packy Burke, a 1996 graduate who finished his senior season 41-0 and won a state title at 130-pounds, also recalled the big impact CCS’s coaching staff had on him.
“I played soccer and baseball under Coach Miosek, and he always stood up for his players no matter what,’’ Burke said. “I was an average athlete, but I knew he believed in me and that really had an impact on me.’’
Burke, who finished with a career wrestling record of 192-16, said the Clark Sports Center was also a valuable resource.
``You grow up learning from guys like Barry Gray, Scott Curtis and Sharky Nagelschmidt, that’s pretty special,’’ he said. “The community support I received during my senior year is what I remember the most. I don’t how I’ll give a speech about it, I’m going to going to get too emotional.’’
But Lippitt, currently a Physical Education teacher at Cooperstown Elementary School, is one of three 1995 graduates to be inducted, along with Reid Nagelschmidt and Megan Sanford, his cousin.
``It makes it more special to go in with those two,’’ said Lippitt, a three-sport star in football, wrestling and baseball.
Lippitt said his favorite high school memories both occurred against rival Richfield Springs. In his senior year of football, he scored the game’s only touchdown and led the team in tackles as Cooperstown won, 8-0, in its Homecoming Game. In his junior year he pitched a no-hitter against the Indians.
Lippitt is still the record holder for doubles and triples in baseball, and at the time of his graduation also was the program leader in wins. That record was broken by Guerin Blask.
CCS track coach Connie Herzig coached both Sanford and 1997 graduate Renee Welch. She said Sanford was the best sprinter Cooperstown has ever had and Welch was a fierce competitor.
Sanford holds the school record in the 100 and 200, while Welch is the record holder in the 1,500 and 3,000. Her 3,000 time of 10:27 is 40 seconds better than the second place time.
``That’s pretty amazing,’’ Herzig said of Welch, who went on to West Point after graduation.
``The first time I met her she was a skinny eighth grader and she said she wanted to run varsity track,’’ Herzig recalled of Welch. ‘’I asked her what was the matter with modified, and she said ``They’re not serious enough.’ That’s all you need to know about Renee.’’
Cherubin had a 159-34-11 record from 1992-2001, which included a 67-game league winning streak, four sectional title and a share of the Class C state crown in 1999.
Also to be inducted is 1991 graduate Tim Osterhoudt, the 1991 boys soccer team which advanced to the state Final Four, and the 1994 girls track team which won a Section Three Class C title and featured both Welch and Sanford.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
PLAY BALL!
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| Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal Cooperstown Youth Baseball’s Colorado Rockies lead the season opener parade down Main Street Saturday, April 30. Behind them (in the blue shirt) is coach John Lambert. Contamination at Beanie Ainslie Field at the end of Walnut Street caused the CYB to play its games this year at the Clark Sports Center, the Hartwick Little League field, and Beaver Valley Campground, Hartwick Seminary. |
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| Shayne Chase takes a timeout for the traditional Little League snack, the hotdog, at opening ceremonies. |
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| Batter Jack Poulson waits for a pitch as Little League action got underway on the diamond at the Beaver Valley Campground, Hartwick Seminary, which owner Dwaine Sharratt made available to the boys this year. Scott Curtis is catching, and Dale Scuck, who drives out annually from Wyoming, is ump. |
First Child Celebrated, But Autism Hits Home
By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN
You may remember her as that super-efficient former waitress at the Doubleday Cafe. Or as the Rev. Sundar Samuel’s daughter.
But, now Anne Steinbuck, she was back in town from Clifton Park the other day for a very special purpose: to join the Autism Walk Saturday, April 30, at Glimmerglass State Park.
She was walking for Sam’s Team, Sam being Samuel Nicholas Steinbuck, first grandson of the Cooperstown Methodist Church pastor and his wife, Deborah, a lively lad who was exploring the parsonage porch the other day while the adults talked.
Lively, but quiet. And that began worrying Anne and her husband, Nick, when the toddler reached 15 months. “He was diagnosed as being in ‘the spectrum’” of autism, his mother said.
The Steinbucks knew little about autism, an umbrella term that covers a range of disorders from severe to, in Sam’s case, mild.
Eventually, he is expected to talk. Meanwhile, Early Intervention Services in Saratoga County, where the family lives, is sending specialists to their home three times a week to have Sam go through exercises to help him socialize with other youngsters. Among other things, he’s learning signing.
While most of us are familiar with the term “hypersensitive,” Sam is the opposite – “hyposensitive.” Rather than being overstimulated by experiences, he tends to underreact.
On the porch the other day, the boy, playing with a pinwheel, stuck the stick sharply on the roof of his mouth. Most children would have screamed, but Sam took it without a murmur.
Anne was raised in Bainbridge, where her father was a pastor before moving here seven years ago. She attended Clarkson and SUNY Oneonta, studying biology, then business and history, and is now a manager at a CVS. Nick, raised in Andes, attended SUNY Delhi and studied auto mechanics at Lincoln Tech in Mahwah, N.J. He works at Lia Infiniti, Latham.
The couple began researching autism, and learned about an Autism Walk in the Capitol District, which they attended. They hadn’t even heard of the local Autism Walk, but when they did they formed the local team with the help of her parents.
“We were initially sad about the whole thing,” said Mrs. Samuel, “and sad for these young people as parents.”
But the whole process of putting together a team raised awareness locally and within the local congregation about the disease.
“We kill two birds with one stone,” Anne observed. “We walked, and we visited my parents for the weekend.”
And, Sam’s Team raised $1,700 for autism research.
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| The Freeman’s Journal Nick, Anne and baby Sam after the Saturday, April 29, Autism Walk at Glimmerglass State Park. |
You may remember her as that super-efficient former waitress at the Doubleday Cafe. Or as the Rev. Sundar Samuel’s daughter.
But, now Anne Steinbuck, she was back in town from Clifton Park the other day for a very special purpose: to join the Autism Walk Saturday, April 30, at Glimmerglass State Park.
She was walking for Sam’s Team, Sam being Samuel Nicholas Steinbuck, first grandson of the Cooperstown Methodist Church pastor and his wife, Deborah, a lively lad who was exploring the parsonage porch the other day while the adults talked.
Lively, but quiet. And that began worrying Anne and her husband, Nick, when the toddler reached 15 months. “He was diagnosed as being in ‘the spectrum’” of autism, his mother said.
The Steinbucks knew little about autism, an umbrella term that covers a range of disorders from severe to, in Sam’s case, mild.
Eventually, he is expected to talk. Meanwhile, Early Intervention Services in Saratoga County, where the family lives, is sending specialists to their home three times a week to have Sam go through exercises to help him socialize with other youngsters. Among other things, he’s learning signing.
While most of us are familiar with the term “hypersensitive,” Sam is the opposite – “hyposensitive.” Rather than being overstimulated by experiences, he tends to underreact.
On the porch the other day, the boy, playing with a pinwheel, stuck the stick sharply on the roof of his mouth. Most children would have screamed, but Sam took it without a murmur.
Anne was raised in Bainbridge, where her father was a pastor before moving here seven years ago. She attended Clarkson and SUNY Oneonta, studying biology, then business and history, and is now a manager at a CVS. Nick, raised in Andes, attended SUNY Delhi and studied auto mechanics at Lincoln Tech in Mahwah, N.J. He works at Lia Infiniti, Latham.
The couple began researching autism, and learned about an Autism Walk in the Capitol District, which they attended. They hadn’t even heard of the local Autism Walk, but when they did they formed the local team with the help of her parents.
“We were initially sad about the whole thing,” said Mrs. Samuel, “and sad for these young people as parents.”
But the whole process of putting together a team raised awareness locally and within the local congregation about the disease.
“We kill two birds with one stone,” Anne observed. “We walked, and we visited my parents for the weekend.”
And, Sam’s Team raised $1,700 for autism research.
Surplus Raided Again To Keep Taxes Steady
Village Plans $200,000 In Road Work In ’11
COOPERSTOWN
The village’s 2011-12 budget completed by the May 1 deadline taps another $390,000 from surplus funds, compared to the $265,000 originally proposed by Mayor Joe Booan.
But it keeps the tax rate steady at $4.6 per thousand, and it contains $200,000 shortterm street repairs, less than the mayor originally sought but almost 50 percent higher than the new bloc of trustees had proposed at one point.
The road repairs, Booan said, will be “mill and fill” and “oil and stone,” and will be done on some of the streets targeted in his original budget.
While most of the personnel cuts the mayor proposed – he planned to use the savings for a full-bore streets – were put back in by the new Village Board, the mayor was able to express some satisfaction in the final document.
For instance, $10,000 was allocated for Lamont Engineering, the village’s consultant, to begin planning future roadwork. “It will help us get ‘shovel ready’ for future projects,” Booan said.
The mayor was also foiled in an effort to use some of a $750,000 surplus in the water fund for roadwork, a permitted use, according to the state Conference of Mayors.
COOPERSTOWN
The village’s 2011-12 budget completed by the May 1 deadline taps another $390,000 from surplus funds, compared to the $265,000 originally proposed by Mayor Joe Booan.
But it keeps the tax rate steady at $4.6 per thousand, and it contains $200,000 shortterm street repairs, less than the mayor originally sought but almost 50 percent higher than the new bloc of trustees had proposed at one point.
The road repairs, Booan said, will be “mill and fill” and “oil and stone,” and will be done on some of the streets targeted in his original budget.
While most of the personnel cuts the mayor proposed – he planned to use the savings for a full-bore streets – were put back in by the new Village Board, the mayor was able to express some satisfaction in the final document.
For instance, $10,000 was allocated for Lamont Engineering, the village’s consultant, to begin planning future roadwork. “It will help us get ‘shovel ready’ for future projects,” Booan said.
The mayor was also foiled in an effort to use some of a $750,000 surplus in the water fund for roadwork, a permitted use, according to the state Conference of Mayors.
THE SPORTS BEAT
CCS graduate and Clemson junior Philip Pohl is batting .360 for the Tigers this season, good for second on the team. Pohl was a two-time Class C Player of the Year at CCS, where he also led the team to a Section Three Class C title.
He struggled at the plate during his first two years at Clemson, but has settled in this year, with 54 hits in 150 at bats, including four home runs, 15 doubles and 29 runs batted in over the first 44 games of the season.
Pohl has a .984 fielding percentage at his catcher position, and has started 38 of 41 games. Clemson, which advanced to the College World Series last season, is 29-15 on the season.
4 Locals Compete In Half-Marathon
Nancy B. Mitchell of Milford, along with Michele and Matthew Pearsall and Holly Conway of Oneonta, competed in the Inaugural Lake George Half Marathon April 23 in Lake George.
Of the 300 runners, Matt Pearsall finished in 1:52:52 earning him fifth place in his age group. Michele also came in fifth in her age group with a time of 2:08:41. Conway’s time of 1:55:50 earned her a 7th age group place and Mitchell placed 1st in her age group with a 2:13:05.
Matt Pearsall is Bassett’s director of pharmancy in Cooperstown. Michele Pearsall is SUNY Oneonta’s interim director of career development and an adjunct professor. Conway is Bassett administrative director of surgery in Cooperstown. Mitchell is a SUNY adjunct professor and Clark Sports Center fitness instructor.
CCS Tennis Team Wins League Tourney
With 31 points, CCS’ tennis team won the CSC Tournament Saturday, April 30, in Utica, with Will Derouin and Joe Kevlin taking first-place laurels in singles.
Sauquoit Valley scored 29, Mount Markham 22, Hamilton 21, Westmoreland 21, Little Falls 19, Ilion 15, Morrisville-Eaton 14, Canastota 13, Waterville 9, Herkimer 7.
Clark Plans Foot, Bike Combo Race
The Clark Sports Center’s inaugural run-bike-run Just “Du” It Duathlon is Sunday, May 15. Go to http://www.clarksportscenter.com/events/duathlon/ for race registration forms.
Registration starts at 9 a.m.; the race, at 10:30. Athletes can participate singly or as a team (one runner, one biker). The 3.35-mile running loop (run twice) is on sports center grounds, followed by an 18-mile bike course down Route 33 to Milford and back to the Clark on Route 166.
Hall of Fame Headliners Due At Classic
Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Goose Gossage, Phil Niekro, Tony Pérez, Jim Rice, Ozzie Smith and Dick Williams are among the headliners at the third annual Hall of Fame Classic 2 p.m. Sunday, June 19, at Doubleday Field.
Tickets are available at 1-866-849-7770 or by visiting www.baseballhall.org. They are $12.50 for first and third base seats and $11 for outfield seats. Call 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 9 a.m-6 p.m. Saturdays.
Items for The Sports Beat nay be e-mailed to Sport Editor Eric Ahlqvist at eahlqvist@hotmail.com
While Grown Men Cry, Pacherille Pleads Guilty
TEEN’S FATHER VOWS TO APPEAL
Boy Faces 8-11 Years In Shooting
COOPERSTOWN
After pleading guilty to attempted murder – in the end, not as a hate crime – in last year’s Good Friday shooting, Anthony N. Pacherille, 17, will return to Otsego County Court at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 22, to learn his fate.
Appearing before Judge Brian D. Burns Friday, April 29, at a hearing punctuated with drama, the teen pleaded guilty to a single charge for the attempted murder of classmate Wesley M. Lippitt in the second degree.
The plea Pacherille agreed to with District Attorney John Muehl would send him to state prison for 11 years, followed by five years of post-release super-PLEA/From A1
vision. With time served and good behavior, he could be home in eight years, when he is 25.
On Friday, April 2, 2010 – Good Friday – Pacherille discharged two rounds from a .22-caliber rifle at Lippitt, who was struck in the arm by one round. The other round missed Lippitt but came close to hitting Cooperstown Police Officer Jim Cox. Pacherille then fired a third bullet into his chin; it lodged behind his eye, centimeters from what would have been a fatal spot.
The shootings occurred in front of the glass window of the Cooperstown police station in the lower level of the Village Hall, where Lippitt had fled from Pacherille after he was chased from nearby Cooper Park, where the encounter began.
Pacherille had been charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, but the hate-crime component, which could have had Pacherille serving up to 25 years, was dropped. However, Muehl required Pacherille to say on the stand that he chose to shoot Lippitt because he was black.
The three-page, hand-written suicide note, which included derogatory references to several races, was not read aloud. However, it became part of the court record and copies were provided to the Lippitt family and members of the media.
Responding to a series of questions from Judge Burns, Pacherille said he intended that day to “shoot myself and someone else.” Twice, Pacherille stated he chose to shoot Lippitt “because he was an African-American.”
Pacherille asked the judge to repeat questions several times and also occasionally consulted with his lawyer, E. Stuart Jones of Troy, before answering, “Yes, your honor,” or, “No, your honor.”
The hearing, which had been scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., was not called until 2:08 p.m. It concluded at 2:38 p.m. The Pacherille case was delayed as the court heard other matters and allowed time for consultations regarding last-minute refinements to the plea agreement.
Pacherille’s guilty plea forestalls what may have been a lengthy trial, scheduled to commence on May 23. Otsego County officials were about to issue jury summonses to 300 county residents, and weeks of court time had been set aside for the trial.
From Pacherille’s standpoint, by pleading guilty, he avoids the possibility of receiving a substantially longer sentence, particularly if convicted of a hate crime. However, the defendant’s father, Tony Pacherille, that evening characterized the plea bargain as “extortion,” and would use it as the basis of an appeal.
According to the father, Burns summoned the son and his lawyer to a conference Tuesday, April 26, where he pointed out that, even if found not guilty by reason of insanity, the boy could find himself in the state psychiatric system, perhaps for life. He said any plea agreement must be completed by Thursday, April 28.
That, said the father, amounted to coercion. He added that community leaders had encouraged the plea deal so a racially charged trial would not be under way when the tourism season began.
The judge said that, due to constraints under which he must operate, he was unable to comment. However, the district attorney in an interview denied any coercion and said tourism influenced the case in no way. He said the judge had to convene 300 potential jurors by that Friday and, if he did, the trial would then go forward.
The courtroom’s spectator area filled up to near-capacity by 1 p.m. Eventually, more than 100 persons were seated on the pew-like benches which roughly divide the stained-glass main courtroom into two sectors.
Members of the Pacherille family and many of their supporters sat in the spectator area behind the defense counsel’s desk, where Pacherille and his lawyer were sitting. Seated with the Pacherille family was Father John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Catholic Church, an adherent of his young parishioner’s innocence.
Earlier, as their son was brought from the Otsego County Jail to the courthouse at 12:50 p.m., Pacherille’s parents and several relatives and friends stood waiting near the entry to the building for security officers to admit members of the public.
As correctional guards escorted their son to the entrance, dressed in a horizontally striped jail jumpsuit, shackled and handcuffed, with his head bowed, the defendant’s father called out, “Be strong, Anthony.” A woman in the group also called out, “Say hello to your mother,” as the prisoner was led through the door.
The Lippitt family, including Wesley, took seats in the spectator area behind prosecutor John Muehl’s desk. Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols was also present and a number of Wes’ CCS classmates were seated directly behind Lippitt and his parents.
As the hearing began, Judge Burns warned spectators that outbursts or disruption by spectators during the proceeding would not be tolerated. While recognizing there were “emotions” on both sides in this case, the judge added, “This is not the place to express your emotions. Decorum prevails here. You need to conduct yourselves appropriately.”
At the judge’s invitation, prosecutor Muehl described a taped telephone conversation that took place the night before, where Pacherille’s father, a lawyer, instructed his son in what the D.A. characterized as a plan to disrupt, and potentially nullify, the results of the hearing.
(The father said later that he indeed called his son in prison, and knew the conversation was being taped, but did so out of concern that the son’s lawyer might have agreed to concessions that would not be in his son’s best interests. His concern was prompted by an erroneous report on www.thedailystar.com Thursday afternoon – repeated in the print edition the next morning – that the teen had agreed to plead to a hate crime. If that appeared to be happening, the father intended to signal the son to declare he was firing his lawyer, which would have brought the hearing to an end.)
Judge Burns then reiterated his warnings regarding court decorum, speaking directly to the father and to other members of the Pacherille family and their supporters.
Minutes later, as Judge Burns questioned the defendant regarding his intentions on Friday, April 2, 2010, a voice from the Pacherille section was heard saying, “It’s a lie.” The statement was repeated three times by the same person. Other members seated in the Pacherille section were heard muttering and there were sounds of crying. Men and women were weeping in the courtroom, and in continued outside as they watched Anthony escorted in handcuffs and ankle bracelets to the van that would return him to the prison.
County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin approached the seating area and reported to Judge Burns, “I can take the whole row out,” referring to the Pacherilles. In the end, only one man – an uncle – was escorted from the room and the judge allowed the others to remain, including the defendant’s father. No further interruptions occurred.
As part of the plea agreement, Pacherille agreed to waive his rights to appeal. However, by statute in New York, there are only three reason to appeal a plea: “ineffective counsel,” “an involuntary plea” or the “imposition of an illegal sentence.” The appeal must be made within 30 days of sentencing.
Muehl said he settled on the 11-year proposal only after serious soul-searching. If he sought the 20+ years a hate-crime conviction could trigger, Anthony would be incarcerated until his mid-30s. In eight years, he would be in his mid-20s, young enough to fit in at college and begin to rebuild his life, the prosecutor said.
Asked about fears the teen could be injured, even fatally, in prison, Muehl said he couldn’t remember the last time a jail-house slaying occurred in New York State, and expressed confidence Anthony would be secure, and would also receive needed psychological treatment.
In coming weeks, the county Probation Department will compile a pre-sentence report which will become part of the court record when he reappears on Friday, July 22, for formal imposition of his sentence.
Boy Faces 8-11 Years In Shooting
COOPERSTOWN
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| Family photos from www.pacherille.com At Christmas, age 3. |
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| The future baseball star. |
After pleading guilty to attempted murder – in the end, not as a hate crime – in last year’s Good Friday shooting, Anthony N. Pacherille, 17, will return to Otsego County Court at 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 22, to learn his fate.
Appearing before Judge Brian D. Burns Friday, April 29, at a hearing punctuated with drama, the teen pleaded guilty to a single charge for the attempted murder of classmate Wesley M. Lippitt in the second degree.
The plea Pacherille agreed to with District Attorney John Muehl would send him to state prison for 11 years, followed by five years of post-release super-PLEA/From A1
vision. With time served and good behavior, he could be home in eight years, when he is 25.
On Friday, April 2, 2010 – Good Friday – Pacherille discharged two rounds from a .22-caliber rifle at Lippitt, who was struck in the arm by one round. The other round missed Lippitt but came close to hitting Cooperstown Police Officer Jim Cox. Pacherille then fired a third bullet into his chin; it lodged behind his eye, centimeters from what would have been a fatal spot.
The shootings occurred in front of the glass window of the Cooperstown police station in the lower level of the Village Hall, where Lippitt had fled from Pacherille after he was chased from nearby Cooper Park, where the encounter began.
Pacherille had been charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, but the hate-crime component, which could have had Pacherille serving up to 25 years, was dropped. However, Muehl required Pacherille to say on the stand that he chose to shoot Lippitt because he was black.
The three-page, hand-written suicide note, which included derogatory references to several races, was not read aloud. However, it became part of the court record and copies were provided to the Lippitt family and members of the media.
Responding to a series of questions from Judge Burns, Pacherille said he intended that day to “shoot myself and someone else.” Twice, Pacherille stated he chose to shoot Lippitt “because he was an African-American.”
Pacherille asked the judge to repeat questions several times and also occasionally consulted with his lawyer, E. Stuart Jones of Troy, before answering, “Yes, your honor,” or, “No, your honor.”
The hearing, which had been scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., was not called until 2:08 p.m. It concluded at 2:38 p.m. The Pacherille case was delayed as the court heard other matters and allowed time for consultations regarding last-minute refinements to the plea agreement.
Pacherille’s guilty plea forestalls what may have been a lengthy trial, scheduled to commence on May 23. Otsego County officials were about to issue jury summonses to 300 county residents, and weeks of court time had been set aside for the trial.
From Pacherille’s standpoint, by pleading guilty, he avoids the possibility of receiving a substantially longer sentence, particularly if convicted of a hate crime. However, the defendant’s father, Tony Pacherille, that evening characterized the plea bargain as “extortion,” and would use it as the basis of an appeal.
According to the father, Burns summoned the son and his lawyer to a conference Tuesday, April 26, where he pointed out that, even if found not guilty by reason of insanity, the boy could find himself in the state psychiatric system, perhaps for life. He said any plea agreement must be completed by Thursday, April 28.
That, said the father, amounted to coercion. He added that community leaders had encouraged the plea deal so a racially charged trial would not be under way when the tourism season began.
The judge said that, due to constraints under which he must operate, he was unable to comment. However, the district attorney in an interview denied any coercion and said tourism influenced the case in no way. He said the judge had to convene 300 potential jurors by that Friday and, if he did, the trial would then go forward.
The courtroom’s spectator area filled up to near-capacity by 1 p.m. Eventually, more than 100 persons were seated on the pew-like benches which roughly divide the stained-glass main courtroom into two sectors.
Members of the Pacherille family and many of their supporters sat in the spectator area behind the defense counsel’s desk, where Pacherille and his lawyer were sitting. Seated with the Pacherille family was Father John P. Rosson, pastor of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Catholic Church, an adherent of his young parishioner’s innocence.
Earlier, as their son was brought from the Otsego County Jail to the courthouse at 12:50 p.m., Pacherille’s parents and several relatives and friends stood waiting near the entry to the building for security officers to admit members of the public.
As correctional guards escorted their son to the entrance, dressed in a horizontally striped jail jumpsuit, shackled and handcuffed, with his head bowed, the defendant’s father called out, “Be strong, Anthony.” A woman in the group also called out, “Say hello to your mother,” as the prisoner was led through the door.
The Lippitt family, including Wesley, took seats in the spectator area behind prosecutor John Muehl’s desk. Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols was also present and a number of Wes’ CCS classmates were seated directly behind Lippitt and his parents.
As the hearing began, Judge Burns warned spectators that outbursts or disruption by spectators during the proceeding would not be tolerated. While recognizing there were “emotions” on both sides in this case, the judge added, “This is not the place to express your emotions. Decorum prevails here. You need to conduct yourselves appropriately.”
At the judge’s invitation, prosecutor Muehl described a taped telephone conversation that took place the night before, where Pacherille’s father, a lawyer, instructed his son in what the D.A. characterized as a plan to disrupt, and potentially nullify, the results of the hearing.
(The father said later that he indeed called his son in prison, and knew the conversation was being taped, but did so out of concern that the son’s lawyer might have agreed to concessions that would not be in his son’s best interests. His concern was prompted by an erroneous report on www.thedailystar.com Thursday afternoon – repeated in the print edition the next morning – that the teen had agreed to plead to a hate crime. If that appeared to be happening, the father intended to signal the son to declare he was firing his lawyer, which would have brought the hearing to an end.)
Judge Burns then reiterated his warnings regarding court decorum, speaking directly to the father and to other members of the Pacherille family and their supporters.
Minutes later, as Judge Burns questioned the defendant regarding his intentions on Friday, April 2, 2010, a voice from the Pacherille section was heard saying, “It’s a lie.” The statement was repeated three times by the same person. Other members seated in the Pacherille section were heard muttering and there were sounds of crying. Men and women were weeping in the courtroom, and in continued outside as they watched Anthony escorted in handcuffs and ankle bracelets to the van that would return him to the prison.
County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin approached the seating area and reported to Judge Burns, “I can take the whole row out,” referring to the Pacherilles. In the end, only one man – an uncle – was escorted from the room and the judge allowed the others to remain, including the defendant’s father. No further interruptions occurred.
As part of the plea agreement, Pacherille agreed to waive his rights to appeal. However, by statute in New York, there are only three reason to appeal a plea: “ineffective counsel,” “an involuntary plea” or the “imposition of an illegal sentence.” The appeal must be made within 30 days of sentencing.
Muehl said he settled on the 11-year proposal only after serious soul-searching. If he sought the 20+ years a hate-crime conviction could trigger, Anthony would be incarcerated until his mid-30s. In eight years, he would be in his mid-20s, young enough to fit in at college and begin to rebuild his life, the prosecutor said.
Asked about fears the teen could be injured, even fatally, in prison, Muehl said he couldn’t remember the last time a jail-house slaying occurred in New York State, and expressed confidence Anthony would be secure, and would also receive needed psychological treatment.
In coming weeks, the county Probation Department will compile a pre-sentence report which will become part of the court record when he reappears on Friday, July 22, for formal imposition of his sentence.
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| Practicing at St. Mary’s. |
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| With dad and dog. |
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| Amanda Hoepker/The Freeman’s Journal Anthony Pacherille, 17, is led to the van that carried him back to Otsego County Jail after he entered a guilty plea. |
Silvera, Wehner, Reis Expected To Shine At Don Howard Invitational
By ERIC AHLQVIST -Sports Editor
Longtime Cooperstown track coach Don Howard started the Cooperstown Invitational in 1989 as a way to get all the local schools together for a day of competition.
Last year, though, there was not much competition on the boys’ side as the host Redskins won 12 of 17 events and amassed over 200 points, the first time a team had done that in the first 21 years of the meet.
Star-studded Cooperstown figures to flex its muscles once again this Saturday, May 6, when it welcomes 11 schools to the 2 p.m. meet, renamed the Don Howard Invitational in 2007.
Headlining CCS’ strong squad is senior Alec Silvera, who won a Division II gold medal in the 110 hurdles at the state meet last year. Silvera’s teammate, Chris Wehner, is also strong in the 110 hurdles. Josh Winchester of Unatego should also be in the mix, CCS head coach Joe Kennedy said.
“The lead story for Cooperstown this year is our middle-distance team, led by senior Will Reis and supported by juniors Jeremiah Ford and Jacob Miller,” Kennedy said. “All three of these athletes won medals at the state championships last year, and have a repeat trip in their sights for this year.”
Reis runs everything from the mile to the 400, Kennedy said, and has an area-best time (2:01.26) in the 800 this season.
Reis and Oneonta’s Zach Rabeler will duel in the 800 in one of the most anticipated local races of the day, Kennedy said.
“They are ranked first and second in the area in the event and will be seeded about one second apart,” he said.
Ford and Miller ran with Reis (and now-graduated Caleb Edmonds) to a fourth-place showing at States last spring in the 3200 relay.
“Ford has branched out this year, showing his versatility in the 110 hurdles (16.7) and 400 hurdles, (area best 58.72), as well as running on the 4x100 relay in addition to the 4x400 and the 4x800,” Kennedy said.
Miller has yet to lose a 400-meter race this season.
Wes Lippitt is Cooperstown’s best chance to score in the 100 and the 200, and will also run on Cooperstown’s 400 relay, according to Kennedy.
Brandon Daniels, a senior shot putter, has an area leading 44-9.5 throw in the shot and also leads the area in the discus, 112-4. He will be favored to score well in both events.
Kennedy said races of particular interest on Saturday will be in the 100 and 200. Eddie Cotton of G-MU (11.44 in the 100) and David Van Alstine of Unatego as well as Lippitt of Cooperstown (11.6) will make the 100 extremely competitive, he said.
On the girls’ side, Oneonta is the favorite to defend its title of a year ago, said CCS head coach Connie Herzig.
“They have star power and they are very balanced,” she said.
Herzig said the high jump should be one to watch, with three area athletes already clearing 5-2 this season. Herzig said Oneonta’s Christie O’Connor is the “high jump queen,” and Cooperstown’s Lucy Ford and Oneonta’s Brittney Herrick are also top performers.
Freshman Haley Hohensee should be competitive in the 200 and 400 and also runs in the 4x100 relay; and fellow junior Katelynn Kiuber is second in the area in the long jump with a distance of 15-6.
Traditional powers Sidney and B-GA will not attend the meet, but should return again next season.
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| The Freeman’s Journal CCS’ Alec Silvera heads for a school record at last year’s Don Howard Invitational. He’s a favorite again this year. |
Longtime Cooperstown track coach Don Howard started the Cooperstown Invitational in 1989 as a way to get all the local schools together for a day of competition.
Last year, though, there was not much competition on the boys’ side as the host Redskins won 12 of 17 events and amassed over 200 points, the first time a team had done that in the first 21 years of the meet.
Star-studded Cooperstown figures to flex its muscles once again this Saturday, May 6, when it welcomes 11 schools to the 2 p.m. meet, renamed the Don Howard Invitational in 2007.
Headlining CCS’ strong squad is senior Alec Silvera, who won a Division II gold medal in the 110 hurdles at the state meet last year. Silvera’s teammate, Chris Wehner, is also strong in the 110 hurdles. Josh Winchester of Unatego should also be in the mix, CCS head coach Joe Kennedy said.
“The lead story for Cooperstown this year is our middle-distance team, led by senior Will Reis and supported by juniors Jeremiah Ford and Jacob Miller,” Kennedy said. “All three of these athletes won medals at the state championships last year, and have a repeat trip in their sights for this year.”
Reis runs everything from the mile to the 400, Kennedy said, and has an area-best time (2:01.26) in the 800 this season.
Reis and Oneonta’s Zach Rabeler will duel in the 800 in one of the most anticipated local races of the day, Kennedy said.
“They are ranked first and second in the area in the event and will be seeded about one second apart,” he said.
Ford and Miller ran with Reis (and now-graduated Caleb Edmonds) to a fourth-place showing at States last spring in the 3200 relay.
“Ford has branched out this year, showing his versatility in the 110 hurdles (16.7) and 400 hurdles, (area best 58.72), as well as running on the 4x100 relay in addition to the 4x400 and the 4x800,” Kennedy said.
Miller has yet to lose a 400-meter race this season.
Wes Lippitt is Cooperstown’s best chance to score in the 100 and the 200, and will also run on Cooperstown’s 400 relay, according to Kennedy.
Brandon Daniels, a senior shot putter, has an area leading 44-9.5 throw in the shot and also leads the area in the discus, 112-4. He will be favored to score well in both events.
Kennedy said races of particular interest on Saturday will be in the 100 and 200. Eddie Cotton of G-MU (11.44 in the 100) and David Van Alstine of Unatego as well as Lippitt of Cooperstown (11.6) will make the 100 extremely competitive, he said.
On the girls’ side, Oneonta is the favorite to defend its title of a year ago, said CCS head coach Connie Herzig.
“They have star power and they are very balanced,” she said.
Herzig said the high jump should be one to watch, with three area athletes already clearing 5-2 this season. Herzig said Oneonta’s Christie O’Connor is the “high jump queen,” and Cooperstown’s Lucy Ford and Oneonta’s Brittney Herrick are also top performers.
Freshman Haley Hohensee should be competitive in the 200 and 400 and also runs in the 4x100 relay; and fellow junior Katelynn Kiuber is second in the area in the long jump with a distance of 15-6.
Traditional powers Sidney and B-GA will not attend the meet, but should return again next season.
‘Talking Opera’ Series To Begin
COOPERSTOWN
The Glimmerglass Opera Guild’s “Talking Opera” series begins at 7 p.m. Monday, May 9, at Christ Episcopal Church, featuring Charlotte Greenspan, author of “Pick Yourself Up: Dorothy Fields and the American Musical.”
Subsequent programs include:
• Monday, May 16 - An in-depth look at Medea, the legend and the music, with SUNY Oneonta Theatre and Music Department faculty.
• Monday, May 23 - The many faces and facets of Carmen.
• Monday, June 6 - David Angus: “The Glimmerglass Orchestra - the Music Director’s View.”
Programs continue Mondays through June 17.
The Glimmerglass Opera Guild’s “Talking Opera” series begins at 7 p.m. Monday, May 9, at Christ Episcopal Church, featuring Charlotte Greenspan, author of “Pick Yourself Up: Dorothy Fields and the American Musical.”
Subsequent programs include:
• Monday, May 16 - An in-depth look at Medea, the legend and the music, with SUNY Oneonta Theatre and Music Department faculty.
• Monday, May 23 - The many faces and facets of Carmen.
• Monday, June 6 - David Angus: “The Glimmerglass Orchestra - the Music Director’s View.”
Programs continue Mondays through June 17.
COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
HELP ON WAY:
The village is seeking emergency bids for engineering to repair a storm sewer behind 11 Walnut St. after recent heavy rains caused raw sewage to pour into a backyard there.
TROPHY HERE:
The San Francisco Giants’ 2010 World Series trophy will be on display Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
ALL FOR MOM:
On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, all moms will be admitted for free at the Fenimore and Farmers’ Museums. The day before, a flower will be presented to each mom attending the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market.
GARDEN HELP:
Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners are available 9 a.m.-3 p.m. most weekdays to answer your questions. Call 547-2536 ext. 228 or e-mail mastergardener-otsego@cornell.edu.
ON THE FARM:
The Farmers’ Museum is recruiting teens, age 12-14, for this summer’s Young Interpreter program. Apply by May 15 at 547-1457, or e-mail g.miner@nysha.org.
The village is seeking emergency bids for engineering to repair a storm sewer behind 11 Walnut St. after recent heavy rains caused raw sewage to pour into a backyard there.
TROPHY HERE:
The San Francisco Giants’ 2010 World Series trophy will be on display Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
ALL FOR MOM:
On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, all moms will be admitted for free at the Fenimore and Farmers’ Museums. The day before, a flower will be presented to each mom attending the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market.
GARDEN HELP:
Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners are available 9 a.m.-3 p.m. most weekdays to answer your questions. Call 547-2536 ext. 228 or e-mail mastergardener-otsego@cornell.edu.
ON THE FARM:
The Farmers’ Museum is recruiting teens, age 12-14, for this summer’s Young Interpreter program. Apply by May 15 at 547-1457, or e-mail g.miner@nysha.org.
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| Amanda Hoepker/The Freeman’s Journal Upcoming inductee Bruce Blyleven felt “chills” while touring the Hall of Fame during his Tuesday, May 3, orientation |
Film, Talk Focus On Organ Donation
COOPERSTOWN
Lisa Hamilton, Bassett RN, will discuss a personal experience with organ donations after a free screening of “Return to Me,” a romantic comedy with David Duchnovy and Minnie Driver dealing with the issue, at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the Fenimore Art Museum auditorium.
“I really hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to see a wonderful movie while also learning more about the topic of organ donation,” said Hamilton.
A sister-in-law, Lori Holdridge, died suddenly at 45 and the family, after difficult discussion, donated organs that benefited six other people.
Bassett chief nursing officer Connie Jastremski and Heather Hickland from the Center for Organ Donation & Transplant will be available to answer questions
Lisa Hamilton, Bassett RN, will discuss a personal experience with organ donations after a free screening of “Return to Me,” a romantic comedy with David Duchnovy and Minnie Driver dealing with the issue, at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the Fenimore Art Museum auditorium.
“I really hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to see a wonderful movie while also learning more about the topic of organ donation,” said Hamilton.
A sister-in-law, Lori Holdridge, died suddenly at 45 and the family, after difficult discussion, donated organs that benefited six other people.
Bassett chief nursing officer Connie Jastremski and Heather Hickland from the Center for Organ Donation & Transplant will be available to answer questions
THE SPECTACLE(S) OF ART
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
CCS student Sarah Breiten holds up a pair of giant spectacles, one of the works that will be on display as part of Cooperstown Central School’s annual student art show, which opens with a reception 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the ballroom above the Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main. In the downstairs gallery, juried art show, “Essential Art,” and Ty Steinbacher’s “Memories of Cooperstown” will also open at that time.
CCS student Sarah Breiten holds up a pair of giant spectacles, one of the works that will be on display as part of Cooperstown Central School’s annual student art show, which opens with a reception 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the ballroom above the Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main. In the downstairs gallery, juried art show, “Essential Art,” and Ty Steinbacher’s “Memories of Cooperstown” will also open at that time.
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