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VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Volume 217, No. 17
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, April 24, 2025
Newsstand Price $1
Group Working To Help Save Cherry Valley Health Center By DARLA M. YOUNGS
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CHERRY VALLEY committee formed at the suggestion of Cherry Valley Town Supervisor Thomas Garretson began work in January to identify solutions that would allow Cherry Valley Community Health Center services to continue. Lisa Hershey, tapped to lead the committee, indicated in an e-mail on Monday, April 21 that Garretson, who is also the chair of the health center’s Board of Directors, is collaborating with commitee members on potential solutions to ensure that the health center remains open. The problem? The health center’s annual revenue is less than the annual costs for the services. The gap is estimated to be $150,000.00-$250,000.00. In February 2025, the health center’s expenses totaled $82,613.00, with just $58,094.00 in revenue, according to the Town Board meeting minutes of March 13, 2025. According to Hershey, the Town of Cherry Valley owns the health center building at 2 Main Street, maintains it and holds the Article 28 certification as a diagnostic facility from the New York State Department of Health. Article 28 of the New York State Public Health Law establishes the framework for the state’s healthcare facilities. Operation of the health center is tricky, though, according to Hershey. “This is complicated and was set up a long time ago,” she explained. “The town operates and manages the health center, does the billing and receives payments for the services. Bassett Healthcare Network ‘leases’ the town INSIDE ► entries sought for Logo Contest, page 2 ► five questions to ask before surgery, page 4 ► torosyan: immigrants make nations great, page 4 ► CSO Season finale celebrates cinema, page 5 ► fire, water on hartwick agenda, page 6 ► fontaine takes over at csc, page 6 ► things to do, page 12 Follow Breaking News On
It is not viable for the taxpayers of the Town of Cherry Valley to continue to cover the [revenue] gap. The health center does not receive any outside funding or funding from any of the surrounding towns.” — Lisa Hershey
the staff—two nurse practitioners, two nurses and two medical office assistants.” One person is employed by the town to handle the health center billing. “The town takes in the revenue for services and Bassett bills the town for the staff,” Hershey said. Over the past three or four years, the health center has accrued a significant debt to Bassett, which Hershey largely attributes to billing issues at the health center and invoicing issues at Bassett. “The town taxes covered the loss, resulting in an approximately 20 percent increase in 2025 to property taxes in Cherry Valley on top of the tax dollars already covering the annual gap. It is not viable for the taxpayers of the Town of Cherry Valley to continue to cover the gap. The health center does not receive any outside funding or funding from any of the surrounding towns,” Hershey said. The committee’s first step was to evaluate financials and services, in order to determine the viability of the Continued on page 11
Photo by Monica Calzolari
Bryan Shaughnessy presented his case for why 27 Market Street should remain free parking for the foreseeable future. He marked up a Google arial view of downtown Oneonta to show locations of parking on Market Street.
Shaughnessy: Parking Essential to Oneonta Economic Development By MONICA CALZOLARI
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ONEONTA usiness owner and former network engineer Bryan Shaughnessy was the first to present his proposal for 27 Market Street on Tuesday, April 15 at the City of Oneonta Common Council meeting. The jammed-packed agenda drew about 100 people to the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center. Shaughnessy’s message was clear and simple. For existing businesses to thrive, and for new businesses to invest in downtown Oneonta, ample, convenient parking is essential. As he has done for the past six months, Shaughnessy gave the council a litany of reasons why maintaining 27
Market Street as a parking lot is the best option for business development in the short term. He told the council that he is willing to buy 27 Market Street and lease it back to the city for free for at least one year. The lot at 27 Market Street “is striped for 49 cars,” Shaughnessy said. “If you take the (five) dumpsters out, you can fit 60 cars in that lot.” Shaughnessy reminded council that “Fiesta closed five months ago.” He predicted that no new business is going to lease in Clinton Plaza without sufficient parking. “The many commercial vacancies throughout downtown all require parking,” he said. Without the availability of 150-200 Continued on page 8
Art Garage Features ‘The News According to Bonhomme’
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COOPERSTOWN he Art Garage celebrated the opening of its new show, “French Connection: The Political Art of Olivier Bonhomme,” on April 19. The exhibition features several dozen drawings Bonhomme made between 2015-2024, described as “powerful, first-edition, full-color giclee images.” Born in 1986, Bonhomme lives in Montpelier, a famous cultural center in the south of France, and is a regular contributor of political cartoons to “Le Monde,” a leading French newspaper. According to a press
release, his work has also been featured in major publications
“French Connection: The Political Art of Olivier Bonhomme” presents the artist’s views on world events from his perspective, grounded in a European Union country. He also provides visual commentaries on contemporary culture—social media, TikTok, political and social movements, cell phones, and more, today all recognized globally. “The work is illuminating, thought-provoking and visually striking,” said Sydney Waller, curator Graphic provided and Art Garage founding including “The Washington director. Continued on page 9 Post” and France’s “Arte.”
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