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On AllOtsego.com: Coop School Board Passes Capital Project Bond Resolution VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 218, No. 5
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, January 29, 2026
Newsstand Price $1
Treasurer Clarifies Hartwick Tax Increase By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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HARTWICK n response to community concerns about increases in property taxes in the Town of Hartwick, County Treasurer Allen Ruffles explained the change at the town board’s January 20 work session. Residents had seen a total of a 13.1 percent increase. Ruffles told attendees that for the prior year the total value of all property in the Town of Hartwick
was about $306 million, according to New York State. “This year, they came in and said Hartwick is worth $360 million,” Ruffles said. As a result, Ruffles said, the town must pay a greater portion of the county’s budget. That is a jump from 4.59 percent of the county budget to 4.99 percent. He said the Town of Springfield’s value also increased significantly, by 13.4 percent. A major reason for the increase in value, Ruffles said, is that properties have sold for significantly more
money than they have been assessed for. The state equalization formula for calculating value incorporates the sale numbers. The good news, Ruffles said, is that Hartwick grew more than any other town in the county. The town’s last property reevaluation was conducted in 2008. “The board absolutely has work to do to try and get back to 100 percent without an equalization factor,” Councilmember Bryan LoRusso Continued on page 2
Constitution Revives 125-Mile Pipeline Push, Faces Criticism By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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UPSTATE NEW YORK illiams Companies subsidiary Constitution Pipeline LLC recently filed documents with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to continue its attempt to build an approximately 125 mile, 30-inch natural gas pipeline from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania to Schoharie County. In response to FERC’s entertaining the proposal under its old docket number and opening a public comment period, the Office of the New York State Attorney General has threatened legal action. Originally approved by FERC in 2014, the project was paused in 2020 amidst what Williams Companies has described as regulatory delays. In a December 19, 2025 filing with FERC, developers sought the reissuance of a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing construcINSIDE ► Village volume vote, page 3 ► primary concerns, page 4 ► your views on ice, pages 4 and 7 ► in defense of dogs, page 4 ► cemetery restoration funds available, page 5 ► art auction to benefit fairy spring, page 6 ► FORECLOSURES, pages 8-10 ► CALENDAR, page 12 Follow Breaking News On
tion, and reaffirmation of a ruling that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation waived its right to assess water quality impacts by taking too long to do so. The public may submit comments on the project until Thursday, January 29 at 5 p.m. Comments may be submitted on docket number CP13-499 at www.ferc. gov/how-file-ecomment. Constitution Pipeline Company LLC said in the filing that they are resuming efforts “in response to persistently high natural gas and electricity prices, growing demand for energy, and ongoing reliability challenges in the Northeast” which were “acknowledged in President Trump’s day-one Executive Orders declaring a national energy emergency.” Developers had refiled a water quality certification request with the NYSDEC in May 2025. They withdrew it in November after multiple requests Continued on page 2
Photo by Nancy L. Ford/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
‘Look at Me, I Can Be Centerfield’ COOPERSTOWN--Andruw Jones (left) and Carlos Beltrán to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. More information on page 3.
New Faces and Fresh Starts on Coop’s Pioneer Street By BILL BELLEN
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COOPERSTOWN or decades, Cooperstown has served as both a prime example of the beauty of small-town Americana and a staple of small business success. Nothing displays this more clearly than the recent group of new storefronts opening their doors on Pioneer Street. At least four new businesses have been welcomed by the community since fall 2024 on this short streetscape, bringing new offerings and life to that part of town. Beginning this wave, CEO Emilie Rigby—self- Christene Springle shows off some of her shop’s wares.
Photo by Bill Bellen
described as “craft enabling officer”—opened a brick and mortar location for Rigby Handcraft, which has held an online presence since 2021. Rigby’s business specializes in unique gifts, particularly Christmas ornaments, selling the work of roughly 30 artists. The store also offers a variety of craft supply kits for shoppers to try their hand at crafting themselves. Rigby Handcraft prides itself in its second-hand tools and materials initiative, where the proceeds of the sale of unwanted craft items given to Rigby go toward benefiting organizations like the local food pantry. Continued on page 2
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD