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Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, September 12, 2024
Volume 16, No. 46
County Representatives Discuss Electrification and Sprinklers, COVID and Foreclosures By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY
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OTSEGO COUNTY t’s a curious feature of Otsego County government that the monitor which displays voting results on matters before the Board of Representatives is set up so that every member is already listed as a “Yay” before a vote is even called on any particular issue. In that sense, it came as no surprise that a raft of resolutions bundled into the consent agenda—as well as one resolution edited in order to fix a typo, and an added resolution following an executive session—were all unanimously approved by board members at their regular meeting on September 4 in the Otsego County Board Chambers. With all votes taking place without public discussion, most of the board’s conversation during the monthly meeting took place amid the reports given by the chairs of various board committees. The September meeting started with SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle and Otsego Now Chief Executive Officer Jody Zakresvky each making presentations to the board, with both leaders speaking about their entity’s relationship with Otsego County government; the role that their institution or organization fills in the county; projects that each has underway or on the horizon that will be to the benefit of the county; and the various challenges each entity faces—particularly in recruitment and retention of staff. INSIDE ► county board grapples with workforce challenges, page 3 ► tourism lowers taxes for residents, page 4 ► sensible gun laws will save kids’ lives, page 4 ► 25 for 25: city of Oneonta’s goal, page 5 ► morris welcomes sfcu on main street, page 6 ► prep underway for coop dinner, page 9 ► tour otego graveyard at night, page 12 Follow Breaking News On
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Recognition for A Job Well Done WASHINGTON, D.C.—Armindo Ortiz-Bailon, a 2019 graduate of the Oneonta Job Corps Center, was honored last month at the Job Corps Leadership Summit event in Washington, D.C. Oneonta Job Corps Center Director Thayne Bodenmiller accepted the Successful Graduate Award on behalf of Ortiz-Bailon during a ceremony held in culmination of a yearlong Job Corps 60th anniversary celebration. Ortiz-Bailon was recently promoted to foreman at Pro-Tel, an engineering company he has been employed with since graduating. “We are immensely proud that an Oneonta Job Corps graduate has been recognized with the Successful Graduate Award,” Bodenmiller said “Ortiz-Bailon was an excellent student who used the skills he learned at our center to secure a great job at Pro-Tel, where he continues to thrive and build a strong future for himself.” The Successful Graduate Award honors Job Corps graduates who completed the program within the last two years and have successfully begun their career path. Ortiz-Bailon was one of seven recipients honored during the ceremony, which included awards for Hall of Fame, Successful Graduate, Staff Motivator of the Year and Rising Star. The Leadership Summit event, held from August 13–15, brought together 245 students and staff from more than 120 campuses nationwide to celebrate the 60th anniversary, meet with government leaders, develop their leadership skills, and tour the nation’s capital. Above, Bodenmiller accepts the Successful Graduate Award on behalf of Ortiz-Bailon from Job Corps Acting National Director Erin McGee.
Eagle Scout Project Helps Retire Old American Flags By MONICA CALZOLARI
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freshman at SUNY Cobleskill majoring in wildlife management. Along the way, Casola earned 36 merit badges. “Eagle Scout is the highest rank you can achieve in the Boy Scouts,” he explained. He added, “The whole point of the Eagle Scout project is building leadership skills.” Casola spent hours planning the project, writing it up and applying for permission to build six indoor boxes distributed throughout Oneonta. He wanted to educate people, young and old, how to properly retire an American flag. Every spring since he was 12, Casola Photo by Ryan Pereira and his troop of Boy Scouts helped the Eagle Scout Benjamin Casola stands beside one of the American Legion and older veterans
ONEONTA enjamin Casola, age 17, decided at age 12 that when he became an Eagle Scout, he wanted to educate others about the importance of retiring old American flags properly. “I got the inspiration because when I was 12 years old, I saw a temporary box on Main Street [in Oneonta] for flag collection,” he said. “It was only there a week, but it gave me the idea for my Eagle Scout project.” Casola joined the Cub Scouts in first grade when he attended Valleyview Elementary School. He became a Boy Scout in the fifth grade when he entered Oneonta Middle School. He graduated from Oneonta High boxes he had built to encourage retirement of old AmeriSchool in May 2024 and is now a can flags. This one is in the Town of Oneonta Town Hall.
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THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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Following the presentations and committee reports, the board’s consent agenda contained a host of resolutions asking to approve committee decisions on department requests concerning everything from the construction of tiny homes for the unhoused to creating or abolishing county staff positions, to software, technology, or equipment purchases. The lone resolution that substantially differed from the rest came out of the Public Safety and Legal Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Daniel Wilber. Resolution 301, as proposed, said the county board was “opposing updates to the New York State uniform fire prevention and building code requiring automatic fire sprinkler systems in all new residential construction and to the state energy conservation construction code prohibiting fossil fuel equipment and building systems in all new construction.” A 2023 report from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services noted that “sprinkler systems rapidly apply water to a fire during its initial phase, when it is smallest, far sooner than a responding fire department, reducing fire and smoke damage, providing residents extra time to escape, and reducing the risk to firefighters.” Meanwhile, according to the New York-based nonprofit organization Urban Green Council, the fossil fuel measures proposed by the state are to “require zero-emissions new construcContinued on page 8
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