Hometown Oneonta 06-11-20

FOR THE

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IRDS...

VISIT AUDUBON SANCTUARY ON FRANKLIN MOUNTAIN/A3

HOMETOWN E!

E FR Volume 12, No. 36

City of The Hills

& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, June 11, 2020

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hip Northrup knows a few things about protesting. “There was a big billboard outside of Dallas that proclaimed ‘Welcome to the Home of the John Birch Society’,” Floyds were among Northrup family’s serhe said. “So I got a gang together and vants in Houston.

3 Ceremonies To Mark OHS Graduations ONEONTA

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neonta High School is putting plans in place to hold the 2020 graduation ceremony on the OHS athletic fields, Saturday, June 27. According to Superintendent Thomas Brindley, the ceremony will likely be split into three services, with each student limited to two guests in order to comply with social distancing. On Sunday, June 7, Governor Cuomo announced that graduations could take place if less than 150 attend. SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON

we paint-bombed the billboard. I was Antifa before Antifa was cool!” And when he heard about the death of Houston native George Floyd, Northrup recognized the name immediately. “Hazel Gay Floyd was our maid,” he said. “She basically raised our children growing up, and I spoke at her funeral. When I saw that George was Please See FLOYDS, A7

By LIBBY CUDMORE

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f you see darkened windows at Mel’s at 22 on Thursday, June 11, don’t worry – they’re just getting ready to welcome everyone back in. “We’re closing on Thursday to get ready to reopen on Friday,” said owner Brian Wrubleski. Please See OPENING, A8

Protests Inspire County’s Jurist Talk Of Reform Top To Retire

Last year, she met Pope Francis; last Sunday, Paula DiPerna was among 850 people at the “Rally for Justice for George Floyd” in front of the county courthouse in Cooperstown.

By LIBBY CUDMORE COOPERSTOWN

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Jim Kevlin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

850 Rally In Cooperstown; Next, Action In Unadilla

AllOTSEGO.com ►ONEONTA’S JC PENNEY escapes latest closings. ►UN-PAUSED, churches look to open this Sunday. ►FIVE-STAR SUBARU DONATES $17k to SQSPCA “Shelter Us” campaign ►COUNTY BOARD RETREATS from threatened cuts to promotion agency ►PRIDEFEST 2020 held virtually. ►assembly candidates, Dan Butterman debated ►WITH PERMIT WITHHELD, Oneonta cancelled their annual “Hometown 4th of July” ►A black lives matter rally will be held Saturday, June 13 in Unadilla.

AllOTSEGO.com

Restaurants Families Like Floyd’s ‘Great Role Models’ To Reopen This Friday COOPERSTOWN

Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Visit www.

VICTIM, MANY KINFOLKS RAISED IN HOUSTON

By LIBBY CUDMORE

Greg Hunter leads the St. James Episcopal Church in song on Sunday, June 7, the first day that services could be held in-person. Churches could operate at 25 percent capacity; St. James held two services to accommodate.

ONEONTA

By JIM KEVLIN

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Attendees at the Sunday, June 7 “Rally for Justice” included the Pondolfinos, formerly of Oneonta: dad Tom, mom Amy and son Thomas.

fter “Justice for George Floyd” rallies in Oneonta, then Cooperstown, the focus is turning from talk to action. Local chapter Vice President Michelle Osterhoudt advised MayMacGuire or Gary Herzig of the Organizers Benton and Maria Noto NAACP’s four-point confront a flag-waver “We Are Done Dying” they feared was an program, including a agitator. ban on chokeholds, opening police disciplinary records, and citizen review boards. Paula DiPerna, the Cooperstown climate activist, said she has asked Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch Please See RALLIES, A7

henever County Judge John Lambert had a question about the law, he knew he could turn to Judge Michael V. Coccoma, the county’s highest ranking jurist. “He was my mentor,” Lambert said. “There were times that Judge Coccoma a question would arise about how to handle something, he was a great person to bounce ethiPlease See COCCOMA, A8

HARTWICK, SUNY-O SUBMIT REOPENING PLANS, AWAIT WORD

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t’s up to Albany. Both Otsego County’s colleges have prepared plans to reopen, and Hartwick plans to reopen in the fall, “if they let us,” said Vice President Paula Lee Hobson. SUNY Oneonta President Barbara Jean Morris sent her campus’ plan – she provided no details – to SUNY headquarters on Monday, June 8, and hopes to get Chancellor Kristin Johnson’s imprimature by July 7. For full story, visit

AllOTSEGO.com

www.

HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD