OUNDED
OOP
E
•F
M C
IA
DG
E WIL
L
rdens bur y Ga New As Street er 248 Riv a Oneont 8703 2 607-43 r ygardens.com u b s newa
JU
Cooperstown’s offiCial newspaper
1808 BY
We Hav iving & L l o o d t our Ou Center! Garden ee Us! Come S
R
IN
! N E P O NOWe Re-Opened
founded in 1808
ccs school board candidateS Q&A, page 8
VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 216, No. 18
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, May 16, 2024
Newsstand Price $1
Oneonta’s Main Street Offers a Variety of Shopping Options By EMILY HILBERT ONEONTA neonta: the City of the Hills, and the city with a bustling main street. Much like our article on Cooperstown’s business district a few weeks ago, we once again ventured out of the newsroom to check in with some local business owners. What’s their business like? Anything in the shop they really enjoy? Any deals or events readers should be anticipating? All this and more will be revealed as we take a trip to downtown O-Town. Craving a sweet treat? Recently opening in the center of activity, at 179 Main Street, Freestyle Confections is run by Vincent and Rebekah Hopkins. A husband-and-wife duo ready to bake the city by storm, the pair run a home
O
bakery for now, as they work on securing a commercial kitchen. Vincent does the baking while Rebekah runs the business and gift shop side of the bakery. The pair enjoy everything about the store, but the baking is where the passion really is. Currently, Vincent is enjoying testing out different bread recipes. Want to stop by? Freestyle Confections is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Can’t make it to the physical location? Don’t worry, they deliver. Rebekah remarked that they make deliveries to SUNY Oneonta campus almost daily and are very grateful for the support of the school. Subscription deliveries can also be arranged. If one bakery isn’t enough, try this one out. The Sugar Beat, at 281 on upper Main Street, specializes in French Continued on page 11
Photo by Hudi Podolsky
Representatives of the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area reported a lively and informative two-hour panel with Cooperstown school board candidates on the evening of May 13. “I believe there were about 60 constituents in attendance. The questions from the floor covered a range of topics, from the broad question of what the school board does to narrower questions about providing foreign language instruction in the elementary grades and instruction in the arts,” reported Hudi Podolsky. “There was a lot of discussion about the need to improve communication, both within the district and with the public. There was also discussion of falling enrollment and state mandates. The conversation was polite and respectful, and Maureen [Murray] and her timekeeper, Nancy Potter, did a great job of keeping things moving. Pictured above are Padraic MacLeish, Matthew Monahan, Mary Beth Murdock, Keith Parr, Anthony Scalici and William Streck.
Board Candidates Make Case for Support Amid Controversy By DARLA M. YOUNGS
O Photo by Emily Hilbert
Oneonta’s Main Street offers a plethora of dining and retail options.
INSIDE ► BVA Successful in bid for new bank, page 2 ► Nelson, Broughton are ‘life trustees,’ page 3 ► scenic roads ain’t what they used to be, page 4 ► more thoughts on brookwood, page 4 ► happy birthday, carrie! page 6 ► dog charmer back with more advice, page 6 ► what is dick derosa up to now? page 6 ► calendar, page 12 Follow Breaking News On
AllOTSEGO.com
LaCombe Set To Deliver Inaugural Svahn Lecture
B
COOPERSTOWN assett Healthcare Network will host the inaugural David S. Svahn Humanities in Medicine Memorial Lecture at Bassett Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, May 24. Cardiologist and storyteller Dr. Michael LaCombe will deliver the lecture, which is available in person or via Zoom at bassett.org/Lacombe-lecture. The event honors the late Dr. David Svahn, a longtime Bassett physician who passed away in July 2023. Dr. LaCombe is the author of more than 100 peerreviewed stories of medicine and more than a dozen books, including “Bedside: The Art of Medicine,” a collection of fictional stories drawn from his experiences. In addition to readings and lectures, theatrical performances of his stories have been recorded for use in medical ethics and humanism training. “It is a great honor to host Dr. LaCombe,” said Dr. Continued on page 9
COOPERSTOWN n Tuesday, May 21, Cooperstown Central School District residents will vote on the 2024-25 proposed school budget. They will also choose three Board of Education members from a slate of six candidates: Keith Parr, Padraic MacLeish, Matthew Monahan, Mary Beth Murdock, Anthony Scalici and William Streck. Both Monahan and Scalici are sitting board members whose terms expire on June 30. Monahan has two children currently enrolled at CCS and Scalici has served on the Board of Education for 30 years. All four of the challengers also have close ties to the school. Parr is married to science teacher Amy Parr. Padraic MacLeish has five children in the school system and his wife, Shelby, is coordinator of the CCS Kid Garden. Murdock is a former CCS teacher and a prior president of the Cooperstown Faculty Association. Streck’s daughter, Molly Richtsmeier, is also a teacher at CCS. The Cooperstown Faculty Association—also referred to as the Cooperstown Teachers’ Association— has endorsed candidates for the first time in recent memory. Parr, Murdock and Streck get the nod from the association, which represents regular full-time, part-time, probationary or tenured teachers of the district. A flier reportedly being circulated to members of the community refers to the trio of candidates as “pro-public schools.”
In response to e-mail inquiries sent last week to both Anne Reis and Rebecca Burke-Sciallo—president and vice president of the CFA, respectively—asking why the association chose to endorse candidates this time around and not before, an e-mail from unionpresidentcfa@gmail.com said: “In conjunction with New York State United Teachers, the Cooperstown Faculty Association has joined in a long-standing practice implemented across the state of New York of endorsing candidates for the local school vote. Teachers are at the forefront of a school district’s success. As educators, the Faculty Association understands and values the election process. The members have endorsed three very qualified candidates that will bring a fresh perspective as well as incredible support for our students, our teachers, our district, and the members of our local community. “It is wonderful that the Cooperstown community has six candidates, and the CFA would like to thank each candidate for their interest in CCS; we value the time put into the process and look forward to our continued collaboration. If any community members know that they are interested in running for the Board of Education in the future, the CFA looks forward to speaking and working with you. “We wish all of the BOE candidates the best of luck!” Responding to questions raised by the public regarding the CFA’s endorsement of candidates, President Reis Continued on page 8
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD