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Oneonta, N.Y., Thursday, May 7, 2026
Volume 18, No. 28
Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees Adopts Overall $9M Balanced Budget By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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COOPERSTOWN t its April 27 regular meeting, the Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees unanimously voted to adopt its 2026-2027 budget totaling $9,059,499.00 across its general, water, sewer, and trust funds as well as the trolley enterprise fund. The budget is a decrease from the adopted $11,554,408.00 last year, largely attributed to a reduction in debt service obligations and calculations in grants. The estimated tax levy will be $1,864,182.00, with a
tax rate per thousand dollars of assessed property value of approximately $5.41, up from $5.22 last year. The levy represents only around 32.5 percent of the total general fund budget, with the rest coming from a mix of sources including state aid, sales tax, fees and other sources. The levy had previously been around $1,800,000.00 for several years. In a “Village Voices” newsletter, Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh lauded that the budget was balanced. The largest percentage of appropriations, 63 percent, is for the general fund and totals $5,669,760.00. The Continued on page 15
SUNY Faculty, Staff Advocate for State Contract at May Day Rally By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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ONEONTA midst statewide contract negotiations for SUNY faculty and staff, around a hundred members of the SUNY Oneonta and local community gathered on campus to celebrate May Day (also known as International Workers’ Day) and advocate for improved working conditions and compensation. The demonstration’s focus also included calls to tax the rich; fund education rather than the U.S. war with Iran and the Trump administration’s deportation agenda; and “defend academic freedom, free and fair elections, and democracy itself.” The May 1 rally was organized by campus locals of the United University Professions, which represents around 900 faculty and professional staff; the Civil Service Employees Association, which represents around 220 employees ranging from custodial to clerical staff; and the liberal activist group CooperstownOneonta Indivisible. It INSIDE
► GOP PRESSES ON SOLAR, page 3 ► In Vision: A Garden, page 5
Photo by Briana Ferguson
Around 100 SUNY Oneonta and local community members gathered at the IRC Quad on campus to celebrate May Day and advocate for labor contracts for university employees on Friday, May 1. At the mic, Virginia Kennedy of Cooperstown Oneonta Indivisible addresses the crowd with Ethan Fox of the campus chapter of United University Professions next to her at the left, with hand up.
came as part of a national day of action with the May Day Strong coalition, a network of hundreds of groups across the country holding similar demonstrations. Ethan Fox, who is the political outreach coordinator for UUP Oneonta and has worked as a service desk coordinator at SUNY Oneonta for the past several years, told AllOtsego that the “state’s coming up against the wire” and that fellow union members are “itching for an on time contract.” Their current statewide contract is set to expire July 1. In parallel, CSEA is in negotiations for a new contract after their old one expired in March. The groups aimed to stand in solidarity with one another at the rally. Jennifer Regg, the president of CSEA Local 635 at the university and who is on a large negotiating team meeting with state officials, told AllOtsego that it was good to collaborate because “we enjoy the same things, and want to see the same things for people.” Continued on page 13
Freestyle Brings Family, Flavor to New NY-28 Location By JULIA DELPOZZO
SUNY Institute for Local News MILFORD reestyle, a family-run “cafe, bakery and gift ► faculty association shop” known for its creative baked goods article in full, page 7 and welcoming atmosphere, has found a new home at 2515 New York State Route 28, just south of ► new food pantry Milford Center near Goodyear Lake. director, page 7 Owned by husband-and-wife team Vincent and ► Acres and arcs in Rebekah Hopkins, Freestyle—previously known otsego, page 8 as Freestyle Confections—has grown steadily since opening its brick-and-mortar shop in 2021. The ► CCS student art on bakery, which serves customers from Oneonta and display, page 11 surrounding communities, is rooted in family, flex► rural internet ibility and a love of food made with care. investments, page 12 Both owners grew up surrounded by cooking and baking. Rebekah spent years watching and learning on her grandparents’ farm, while Vincent was raised in a Puerto Rican household where, as Rebekah puts Photo by Julia DelPozzo 1 98715 21709 4 Continued on page 15 Vincent Hopkins works behind the counter of Freestyle, now at 2515 State Route 28.
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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
BROOKS’ BBQ IS BACK TO FULL TABLE-SIDE SERVICE! STD PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ONEONTA PERMIT NO. 890
The Family Restaurant for Over 75 Years I-88 Exit 16, Rt. 7 Oneonta • 607-432-1782 • brooksbbq.com