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Volume 15, No. 38
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AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE COMPLIMENTARY
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, July 13, 2023
County Cancels Auction Following May 25th Supreme Court Ruling By CASPAR EWIG OTSEGO COUNTY he Otsego County property tax foreclosure auction scheduled for August 16 has been cancelled and the entire in rem foreclosure procedure has been suspended as a result of the uncertainty created by a recent decision from the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the handling of surplus monies derived from the sale of properties at tax foreclosure auctions. “The lack of income from the auction sales will affect the present county budget,” Otsego County Treasurer Allen Ruffles noted, “because we had budgeted $650,000.00 in anticipated receipts for the fiscal year 2023.” However, Ruffles said this negative announcement is blunted by the good news that the county will be able to offset some of that loss via other means. “The treasurer’s office has been more aggressive in investing its funds, and that policy—coupled with the general rise in interest rates—has allowed us to realize an additional $308,000.00 over and above interest income achieved in the last fiscal year,” Ruffles pointed out. “Also, we are on the road to saving on expenses, since we are halfway through the fiscal year and yet have only incurred 46 percent of anticipated expenses,” he continued. At the current pace, the county will realize additional savings such that the budgetary hole as a result of the foreclosure postponement is estimated to be in the neighborhood Continued on page 13
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Joe Torre Named to HoF Board of Directors Photo by Teresa Winchester
INSIDE ► mlb draft yields 47 hall of famers, page 3 ► GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL KICKS OFF SEASON, page 4 ► TERRY BERKSON RECOUNTS SUBMARINE tale, page 4 ► PATHFINDER HONORS DEDICATED STAFF, page 6 ► RICHARD DEROSA MULLS OVER MISSING BIRDS, page 7 ► HART WICK ALUMS MEET AT ROD AND GUN CLUB, page 7 ► THE NEWS IN BRIEF, page 7 ► CARTOONIST’S WORKS APPEAR IN tfj/ho, page 10 ► s ports snippets, page 10
AllOTSEGO.com
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places to go and things to do, pages 8 & 9
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08 - 2023
& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch
Mayor Is Treated for Embolism ONEONTA neonta Mayor Mark Drnek was treated for a pulmonary embolism at A.O. Fox Emergency Department on Sunday, July 9, he announced on Facebook. He received a rapid diagnosis from Oneonta Specialty Services, part of the Bassett Healthcare Network. Drnek was in high spirits Monday and briefly visited City Hall to swear in Edmond Overbey as Seventh Ward council member. He said he plans to attend upcoming Common Council meetings and will continue to perform his duties. Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot, usually from elsewhere in the body, lodges in the arteries in the lungs. It can kill rapidly if not caught and treated. Drnek expressed his gratitude to the medical team for its quick intervention and to his wife, Betsy Holland, for insisting he be examined. He initially attributed his shortness of breath to overexertion in the heat while visiting businesses. “We are so very lucky to have such quality medical facilities and practitioners right here in the City of Oneonta. From the bottom of my heart… thank you for all you do!” he concluded.
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Photo by Joel J. Plue
Independence Day Images OTSEGO COUNTY—Raymond Musson, Claudette Newman and Larry Smith enjoy themselves at Gilbertsville’s annual 4th of July parade (top). A vanguard of classic cars kicked off Oneonta’s Independence Day parade along Main Street as an audience of all ages enjoyed the festivities.
COOPERSTOWN oe Torre has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, bringing the total number of directors to 17 for the nonprofit educational institution. “Joe Torre’s seven-decade career in baseball—as an AllStar player, Hall of Fame manager and revered member of Photo by Milo Stewart Jr./ baseball’s leadership team—has National Baseball Hall of Fame made him a singularly respected and Museum. voice of our National Pastime, JOE TORRE and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Museum’s Board of Directors,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Since his induction in 2014, Joe’s passion and dedication to the Hall of Fame has been steadfast, and his knowledge and insight will help guide the Museum into its future.” Born July 18, 1940, in Brooklyn, Torre signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959. A little more than a year later, he was in the big leagues. By 1963, Torre had earned the fulltime job behind the plate in Milwaukee and was named to the first of nine All-Star Games. Torre won the 1971 National League Most Valuable Player Award with the Cardinals and finished his playing career with a .297 batting average, 252 home runs and 2,342 hits. He managed the Mets for five seasons starting in 1977 and later skippered the Braves and Cardinals. Then, following Continued on page 13
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THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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