COOP
M IA E WIL
L
2-7 607-43
founded in 1808
otsego county spring HAS SPRUNG/page 4
mWa o S n a r tIon C e t o Pr ices
IT Servch.net d n a r e t te Compu090 • www.isd
DG
Ion S DIvIS m e t S n Sy matIo Infor re
1808 BY
Cooperstown’s offiCial newspaper
JU
E
OUNDED IN
R
•F
VISIT www.
Volume 215, No. 15
AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, April 13, 2023
Newsstand Price $1
Averill Road Parties Have Day in Court
Commission Holds Hearing
Templeton Foundation To Proceed with Geotechnical Testing on Site, Contingent Upon DEC Compliance
Redistricting Explained; Draft District Map Viewed By WRILEY NELSON
WAMPSVILLE ollowing 90 minutes of oral argument on Thursday, April 6, Madison County Supreme Court Justice Hon. Patrick J. O’Sullivan has determined that the Templeton Foundation can move forward with geotechnical testing on its property at Averill Road in Cooperstown, in order to understand the subsurface conditions of the potential development site. However, in order to do so, Templeton must first satisfy the conditions of a Notice of Violation issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation two days earlier.
F
Events Leading Up to April 6 DEC’s Notice of Violation is the latest action taken against Templeton, which seeks to build housing for Bassett Hospital employees on its Averill Road acreage. On January 18, environmental attorney Douglas H. Zamelis filed a petition in the Madison County Supreme Court on behalf of clients Michael Swatling and Carolyn O’Brien, in which they alleged that the Cooperstown Board of Trustees applied an incorrect standard when analyzing the proposed housing project’s environmental impact in light of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. Trustees had approved a Special Permit for the project on January 5. Upon review of the complaint and realizing these allegations had merit, attorneys for all parties agreed the suit should be discontinued but with the full right of Templeton to reapply. The defendants “immediately capitulated,” Zamelis said to Judge O’Sullivan on Thursday. Zamelis then filed a second petition on behalf of his clients on March 19, again in Madison County, contending the Averill Road housing project was already under construction without the necessary Special Permit from the village Continued on page 6 INSIDE ► USS Cooperstown story continues, page 2 ► fasny speaks out in favor of volunteers, page 4 ► s tudy looks at impact of alcohol on women, page 5 ► sqspca seeks funds to care for blind mare, page 7 ► evs increase by 83 percent in county since 2021, page 7 ► HARTWICK STUDENTS TO PERFORM OSCAR WILDE’S “EARNEST,” page 9 ► futsal tourney, sculpture trail, fishing/heritage day in news briefs, pages 2, 10 Follow Breaking News On
AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA he City of Oneonta 2020 Redistricting Commission held a public hearing on its proposed Common Council ward map on March 28. To ensure that each vote counts equally, New York’s Municipal Home Rule Law requires cities to reapportion their voting districts after the decennial federal census. The COVID-19 pandemic made this process considerably more difficult in Oneonta; SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students—who make up a significant percentage of the city population— were absent and often difficult to reach during the census. The census used dormitory population reports from April of 2020 to estimate the student population. Like other upstate localities, Oneonta has also experienced an influx of downstate residents affected by the pandemic. The Common Council appointed a redistricting commission on November 15, 2022. Commission Chair Gary Herzig, city mayor from 2015 to 2021, opened the meeting with a discussion of the state and city laws guiding the commission’s work. The most challenging guideline, he said, was the population provision in MHR section 10: “the difference in population between the most and least populous district shall not exceed five percent of the mean population of all districts.” In Oneonta, Herzig explained, “The most populous ward can have no more than 80-something people more than the least populous ward. That’s a high bar for us to meet.” The state also forbids redistricting with any intent or result of abridging the electoral rights Continued on page 11
T
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
Photo provided
May I Please Have the Remote? SPRINGFIELD—Miss Kitty Burnside looks on disdainfully as “brother” Colt hogs the TV remote. They live at Valley Brook Farm, where Colt is known by many for his relentless pursuit of thrown balls. A gallery of our readers’ pets is now available for viewing on the AllOtsego.com website at htpps://www.allotsego.com/fureverfriends-and-purrfect-pals/. Every week, we’ll select at least one photograph to be highlighted in our newspapers, on Facebook and online. Send your photos to darlay@allotsego.com.
Documentary Offers American Mosaic, Searches for Common Ground “Something in the Water” by the social discontent brewing before, during and after the 2020 presidential election. Although the ONEONTA film’s title may suggest an environmental he New York premiere of theme, the term, metaphorically, alludes to “Something in the Water,” an awarda recurring phenomenon among numerous winning documentary about finding people within the same area. common ground among Americans, will be Dissatisfaction with reporting of events shown at the Foothills Performing Arts and by the major news outlets led Wachter and Civic Center in Oneonta on April 21 and Stillman to develop a film deemphasizing 22. Musical entertainment in the Atriumdivisiveness and stressing the complexity Bar will begin at 6 p.m., with the film of people and their thought processes. screening at 7 p.m., followed by an audi“We felt like prisoners of the regular ence discussion. news cycle, felt bias from both sides. Admission is free; those wishing to We are far more complex than what was attend should reserve tickets at https:// being represented in the daily news,” somethinginthewater.today, by e-mailing Wachter said. hope@somethinginthewater.today, or by Feeling palpable tension in the village of calling (607) 226-4181. Photo Joseph C. Stillman Gilbertsville, Wachter and Stillman put out The film is produced and directed by Filmmakers Joseph C. Stillman (left), and Jeri Wachter (right), with Betsy a call for people to come to The Major’s Scanlin, owner of The Roman Theatre, Red Lodge, Montana in 2021. Gilbertsville residents Jeri Wachter and Inn to be filmed sharing their feelings about “We think it’s important for people to see this Joseph C. Stillman, who expressed gratiwhat was going on. tude to Five Star Subaru for its sponsorship of film because it’s a search for common ground,” These interviews were followed by two weekthe event, allowing the public to see the film at Stillman said. ends of interviews in Oneonta. The filmmakers were prompted to make Continued on page 11 no cost. By TERESA WINCHESTER
T
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD