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many learning opportunities at earth fesTival, page 3 VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE
Volume 217, No. 18
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, May 1, 2025
Newsstand Price $1
Bassett Distinguished for Gold Standard in Nursing Excellence
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COOPERSTOWN ast week, Bassett Medical Center achieved Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence, the highest national honor a hospital can attain for nurse satisfaction, patient outcomes and nursing quality. On Wednesday, April 23, officials from the American Nurses Credentialing Center gathered Bassett Medical Center nurses, other caregivers and leaders for a video conference to announce they had earned the distinction. When officials delivered the news, cheers were heard throughout the room as clinical staff celebrated all the hard work that led to this milestone achievement. According to a press release, with this credential, Bassett Medical Center joins an elite group of approximately 10 percent of U.S. hospitals. The rigorous process involves years of in-depth review, research, and process improvements to demonstrate an organization’s nurses and nursing leaders adhere to stringent principles for quality care, strategic planning, and professional development, officials said. This included a more than 1,500-page application, public comment period, and an ANCC site visit in February 2025, during which more than 100 employees and community members were interviewed in 70 survey sessions. “This designation means everything to the nurses at Bassett Medical Center and is truly a testament to their talent, skill, and dedication to excellence,” said Christina Curcio, MSN-RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing at Basset Medical Center. “It’s gratifying to see so many years of hard work by so many people come to fruition. Magnet designation is an indication to patients and the public, as Continued on page 10 INSIDE ► otsego county seeks climate smart certification, page 2
Photo by Tara Barnwell
Rest in Peace, Beautiful Bloom COOPERSTOWN—Community members paid their respects to Jonathan Talbot Ross this weekend after hearing the news of his passing. Ross, known by many as “Jonny Bench” for frequenting his favorite spot in Pioneer Park, was 61. His obituary can be found on page 10.
Regionalization
School Buzzword or a Means of Change? By BILL BELLEN
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MILFORD tsego County is by no means an urban metropolis. The rural nature of our area has resulted in a consistently declining student population throughout the last decade, with our region falling below 8,000 students for the first time ever, according to Milford Central School District Superintendent
Kristen Shearer. With this metric in mind, it is easy to see the conundrum posed by the ever increasing expenses of education, combined with our ever decreasing enrollment rates. As teachers, school districts, regions, and even the state at large are presented with this issue, one word continues to come to mind for many: regionalization. Regionalization has been a hot topic among numerous schools
Oneonta Restaurant Is Simply Tasty, Simply Thai By GAYANE TOROSYAN
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in Otsego County in recent years. Regionalization is the process of neighboring or nearby school districts sharing various services to lighten the financial load on each individual school, as well as provide new opportunities to their respective students. This is not to be confused with reorganization via school mergers, where all functions of multiple schools are combined into a single district. Continued on page 9
Thai, a popular downtown restaurant in Oneonta, faces the challenge of maintaining its affordability and reputation in the face of increasing tariffs on Asian goods. Owner Lily Karabinis said heightened competition at her supplier’s warehouse has made it difficult for local businesses to secure essential ingredients without driving up costs. “A lot of people who have money or a big business buy it all,” she said. “For us, the inventory that we have, everything is going up. And we cannot raise the prices, because it would affect everybody.” A distributor purchases authentic Thai food supplies from a New York City market
Photo provided
Simply Thai owner Lily Karabinis.
and delivers them to Oneonta twice a week, Karabinis said. However, obtaining those supplies has become increasingly challenging as businesses stock up on inventory in bulk ahead of tariff-related price increases. Despite economic challenges, Oneonta residents continue to pack the restaurant during lunch and dinner hours, Karabinis said. She noted that some patrons are exercising financial caution due to broader uncertainty. “Money-wise, I think some people are holding back,” Karabinis said, explaining that fiscal concerns are making customers more hesitant to splurge on fine dining. Still, demand for Thai cuisine has surged, a trend Karabinis attributes to HBO’s third season of “The White Lotus,” which highlighted the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia. Continued on page 8
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
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