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Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, July 4, 2024
Volume 16, No. 36
COMPLIMENTARY
Committee Outlines Plans for Hartwick’s Hatchery Building By DARLA M. YOUNGS
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HARTWICK he Town of Hartwick Community Center Committee met on Monday, July 1 to discuss proposed renovations to the municipality’s former Hatchery Building in order to accommodate a new community center for use by residents. The Hatchery Building, located at 48 Wells Avenue in Husky Park, is being considered by officials to replace the town’s former community center building, which had been put up for sale and was recently sold. That building had been neglected and had fallen into disrepair under the watch of multiple administrations, committee members said, and was too expensive to maintain. A handful of concerned citizens attended the meeting at the Town Hall and expressed their concerns to committee members Bryan LoRusso, Sandra Austin and Town Clerk Andrea Vazquez. Committee member Tom Murphy did not attend. Worries centered primarily on parking issues, traffic and safety. LoRusso had prepared preliminary renderings of what the building renovations might entail. The proposal currently includes a large community space, kitchenette, two handicap accessible bathrooms, a utility room and a space in which to display the Hartwick Fire Department’s historic Seagraves fire truck. “This is just a concept drawing,” LoRusso said. “A drawing for conversation.” According to officials, the Hatchery Building is currently used for storage. “I personally think it’s a neat building,” LoRusso said. “She’s very straight, off the ground, has good timbers. It’s not a difficult construction project. In my opinion, you will have a functional working space in a year.” Repurposing of the Hatchery Building is not a new idea. Committee members confirmed the project Continued on page 7
Photo by Monica Calzolari
On June 21, Anne Marie, Margaret, Kevin, AJ, Merredith, Alison and Nicole Musser visited the American Legion Post 259 to present a collage of their collective military service to the Oneonta Veterans Museum.
Musser Family Donates History of Military Service to Oneonta Veterans Museum By MONICA CALZOLARI
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ONEONTA lex and Joan Musser, dairy farmers from Garrattsville, had seven children. Six of their seven children either served in the U.S. military or married individuals who served our country. On June 21, the Musser family donated a large-framed collage of their military service to the Oneonta’s Veterans Museum, housed with American Legion Post 259. It features photographs of four servicemen pictured
with three different U.S. presidents: President Ronald Reagan, President George H. W. Bush and President George W. Bush. Margaret [Musser] Bunnell proudly pointed to the photo of her husband with President Reagan. Margaret, the second oldest sibling, joined the U.S. Army after graduating from SUNY Oneonta. When she served in Germany, she met and married Ronald Bunnell, whose first assignment in the Army was with the White House Communications Agency. Ronald Bunnell served at the White House from 1986-1993
under three presidents: Reagan, the elder Bush and Clinton. Bunnell called his family’s history of military service a “once-in-a-lifetime story [that] needs to be told.” He said, “It’s amazing to realize that one family had six of seven siblings tied to the U.S. military and even more astonishing that this one family has ties to five different presidents.” During their 20-plus years of military service, some also served President Barack Obama, bringing the total to five presidents served from 1981-2013. Continued on page 7
Historic Cemeteries Receive Restoration Help from CFOC
INSIDE ► cherry valley store entices with books, ambiance, page 3
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
► an unhappy alternative for voters come november, page 4 ► green toad bookstore strives for community inclusivity page 4 ► have fun on the fourth five different ways, page 5 ► chill out on oneonta’s main street, page 9 ► former mayor, wife to be honored, page 10 Follow Breaking News On
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SPRINGFIELD ack in March of this year, the Community Foundation of Otsego County announced that it was accepting applications for the Otsego County Cemetery Restoration Fund, to support preservation and historic renovation in small cemeteries. As of today, eight projects have been Photo provided awarded and three more are in The Westville Cemetery sign has been revived, thanks to grant funds from the pipeline, awaiting approval. the CFOC Cemetery Restoration Fund. Executive Director Jeff Katz said in a recent e-mail that historic renovation projects.” the history of its towns remain CFOC was contacted by an These awards—up to accessible to all. anonymous donor who “sought $5,000.00 to applicants with at “The history of Otsego to support the preservation least partial matching funds— County can be told through and historic quality of Otsego are helping to ensure that Otsego the people in our cemeteries— County cemeteries with small County’s outdoor museums and people who had the vision to
found towns and villages, establish long-standing businesses, and even fought a revolution,” Katz said. “What could be more visionary than that? These founders of Otsego County are all around us in our cemeteries, and improving those settings is important to county residents.” More than 330 historic cemeteries have been identified here in Otsego County, according to data mapped by Otsego County Planning Department intern Brendan Ceccolini in 2015. According to Katz, projects have been approved by CFOC for eight cemeteries thus far: Harmony Cemetery, Morris; Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown; Huntley Cemetery, Plainfield; Exeter Continued on page 7
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