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VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, April 4, 2024
Volume 16, No. 23
COMPLIMENTARY
Decision on 27 Market Street Postponed Until October By DARLA M. YOUNGS
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ONEONTA n the evening of Tuesday, March 26, at a special meeting of the Common
Council, City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek pro-posed that any action regarding the sale of cityowned property at 27 Market Street be postponed until October. The Continued on page 7
Photo by Chris Walters Photography, used with permission from Destination Marketing Corp.
the partial observer
cass harrington
Water Trail Will Drive Tourism
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Flowers and All that Jazz
Photo provided.
FRANKLIN—Helios Care has announced that its Daffodil Jazz Brunch will be held on Saturday, April 20. This event is hosted annually by Tom Morgan and Erna Morgan McReynolds at their home in Franklin. Funds raised from the brunch are unrestricted and can be used immediately to support the patients and families of Helios Care. Attendees will enjoy brunch catered by Dee Hazlett, live jazz by the Rob Hunt Trio and the spirit of springtime in their choice of time slots, either from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or noon to 3 p.m. There will be a silent auction underway until 1:45 p.m. and folks will have the opportunity for a keepsake picture taken by award-winning photographer Gerry Raymonda. Tickets for the event are available until April 13 at a cost of $70.00 for a single ticket or $130.00 for couples. Those interested in attending can register at HeliosCare.org/events. INSIDE ► new medical students at bassett, page 2 ► updates on past stories and projects, page 3
Village Seeking Volunteer Support
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COOPERSTOWN illage of Cooperstown officials are ► housing complex issue seeking volunteers to help keep the for two munis, page 4 downtown district in general, and the ► Malone busts gas price rain gardens in particular, looking beautiful myth, page 4 during the spring and summer months. There are a number of ways in which volun► plan for successful aging, page 6 teers can help. They can: adopt a rain garden for the season; join the village’s weekly MainTain ► new sports major at team, which picks up trash and weeds each hartwick, page 6 Tuesday morning at 7 a.m.; help with initial ► patel writes about CCS cleanup as the village celebrates Earth Day on swim champs, page 7 April 20 from 10 a.m. to noon; donate peren► eclipse events, page 12 nials such as hostas or lilies; and/or assist with planting on June 8 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, e-mail Deputy Mayor Follow Breaking News On Cindy Falk at cfalk@cooperstownny.org or OTSEGO.com leave a message with the village office at (607) 547-2411.
All
ourism leaders across south-central New York are announcing the name of a new water trail being developed to attract visitors to eight counties along the Chemung and Susquehanna rivers. The New York Susquehanna Basin Water Trail is a conceptual trail, stretching 190 miles from Cooperstown to Corning. While encouraging healthy and responsible recreation, the new project seeks to spur environmental stewardship and economic growth along the riverfront and nearby
communities. According to recent tourism data: • In 2022, recreation was a $7.5 million industry in New York. (Tourism Economics) • Over the past 12 months, the average visitor to Otsego County spent $149.00 on outdoor recreation. In Steuben County, that number was $248.00, a 62 percent increase over 2022. (Zartico) • Central New York and the Finger Lakes saw an average increase of 27 Continued on page 9
County Appoints Lettis, Our First Otsego Female Public Defender
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OTSEGO COUNTY attorney at the time of our The Otsego County first meeting. I worked with Board of Repreher on some constituent sentatives recently issues initially. My first appointed local attorney impression of her was of how Susan Lettis to the position great a listener she was. She of public defender. Lettis truly cared about ‘righting was appointed by the board a wrong.’ Her capability to last November to complete listen helps her build trust the term of her predecessor, with those that she repreAaron Dean, and has been sents every day in the Public reappointed on her own Defender’s office. Building merits. trust and rapport with a client is crucial in the lawyer-client “We hired Susan in Photo by Gerry Raymonda relationship. the fall,” said Margaret SUSAN LETTIS “As far as the management Kennedy, Otsego County side of her job as PD, she has Board vice-chair. “We had a number of qualified candidates and several rounds gotten the office up to full staff again and of interviews. She emerged as the top continually looks for avenues to fund her office,” Frazier said. candidate. When asked about her appointment, “Susan has done a great job leading the Lettis explained that she accepted the department. There are a lot of responsiposition as a form of public service, to bilities,” added Kennedy, who represents improve the quality of justice in local Otsego County District No. 5 (Hartwick, courts and to ensure that the provision Milford, New Lisbon). of legal counsel to the indigent does not “I have known Susan for 12 years now, create an enormous economic hardship to since I first began with the county,” added taxpayers. Lettis is the first female public Board Chair Edwin Frazier (District No. Continued on page 9 1, Unadilla). “She was an assistant county
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