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Volume 15, No. 02
AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, October 27, 2022
COMPLIMENTARY
C’town Trustees Ban Smoking, Vaping on Main Street Sidewalks By CASPAR EWIG
In a lightly attended Cooperstown Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, October 24, the trustees voted to ban smoking cigarettes and vaping for all tourists and visitors, as well as local residents, while walking on the sidewalks of the business district of Cooperstown’s Main Street. The 7:30 p.m. public hearing was set to address an amendment to Chapter 233-3 A of the Village Code. The Proposed Local Law 8 of 2022 under consideration reads as follows, with the suggested amendments italicized: “The following areas owned by the Village are hereby designated as smokeand vape-free zones: Village Hall and adjoining land at 22 Main Street; Doubleday Field, the Doubleday Field grandstand, bleachers, and other spectator and player areas; sidewalks and adjacent public property on Main Street between Fair Street and Pine Boulevard: and Council Rock, Lakefront Park, Pioneer Park, Badger Park, Three Mile Point Park and Fairy Spring.” Only two residents in attendance made any comments, one of which was a personal recollection regarding the negative effects of driving through a smoking area in another town. No other statements were made by either residents or trustees that might be said to represent a reasoning for the underlying purpose of, or necessity for, the rule change. Nor was any discussion held on the economic or “positive experience” impact that the law might have on business going forward. Except for one trustee admitting that there INSIDE ► HAWAIIAN MIssION HOUSE GROUP TOURS VILLAGE, story on page A2
Photo by Tara Barnwell
Smoking and vaping on Cooperstown’s Main Street business district were banned by the Board of Trustees at a meeting on Monday.
might be a problem of practical enforcement since workers in the business establishments would want a place to smoke, the only lively discussion that took place among the trustees was to determine what areas were encompassed by the proposed amendment. For example, would the grassy area between the sidewalk and the roadway be considered within the definition, and what constituted “areas of adjacent public property.” Trustee Richard Sternberg short circuited that discussion with a suggestion that the Board pass the resolution despite the open questions subject to subsequent “tweaking” afterward. Or, in the words of another trustee, “Let’s pass it and see where it goes.” The penalty for violation of the new law would be the issuance of a summons that could result in a fine up to $100.00.
treated for lung cancer that
► Military interested in local had spread to the brain, an man’s invention, page A11 ► ONEONTA BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB GETS NEW LEADER, page A7 ► KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN, a gardner contemplates slowing down, page A9 Follow Breaking News On
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attending physician asked him, “What’s your life’s plan?” The doctor wanted to talk about brain surgery, and Dad was having none of it. “What’s my life’s plan?” he replied. “Pushing up daisies, that’s my life’s plan.” This was in the spring of 2006, and my father died shortly after. Since then, though, “pushing up daisies” has become a real option for those making end-of-life
Ready for Trick or Treating! The Railroad Inn on Railroad Avenue in Cooperstown has gone all out for Halloween... This skeleton is over 12 feet tall, and baby skeletons scale the entrance to the inn. For fun Halloween activities, check out pages 2 and 3 of this week’s issue.
FASNY: Practice Escape Routes Now to Save Lives Later
If your fire alarm were to go off right now, would you know what to do or where to go? What if you were stuck in the dark? What about your family and roommates? In the event of a house fire, you may have as little as two minutes to safely escape before smoke eclipses your vision. It is critical to practice escape routes ahead of time, so you will know what to do in an emergency, rather than allowing the panic of the situation to become the difference between life and death. In support of Fire Prevention Month and plans. The National Funeral Fire Prevention Week, which was October Directors Association reported last year that 55.7 percent of people surveyed in an NFDA Consumer Awareness and Preferences Report would be interested in green funeral options because of their potential environmental benefits, cost savings or other reasons. “Natural burial is an alternative to traditional burial and cremation. It is burial without embalming, in a biodegradable vessel, such as a burial shroud or plain 9-15, The Firefighters Association of the pine casket, and without a State of New York urges New Yorkers to steel burial vault,” explained develop and rehearse an escape strategy to
Natural Burial Gaining Countywide Interest
► A FEW THOUGHTS ON IMPORTANT THINGS: BOO!, By DARLA M. YOUNGS ghosts abound; COVID strikes back; Limited residential reDuring my father’s last sources for seniors, Locals travel hospital stay, as he was being to Scotland, pages A4, A5
Photo by Tara Barnwell\
stay prepared in the event of an emergency. Knowing your exits is especially important if a family is renting or visiting a home they may be unfamiliar with. “It’s critical to plan and practice a home fire escape route. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Every home is different, so every home fire escape plan will also be different,” said Ed Tase, president of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. “Have a plan that accommodates everyone in the home. Children, older adults and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will know how to help them!” A key part of every escape plan is to have a single rendezvous point that all people in the structure go to. Escape plans are not the only thing that residents should do to prepare for emergencies—checking that smoke alarms are operating properly is also essential. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors can give residents critical time to escape a home during an emergency. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, three out of every five home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms or in homes lacking smoke detectors. New York has the third most home fire
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD