COOP M IA
1808 BY
DG
E WIL
L
Cooperstown’s offiCial newspaper
JU
E
OUNDED
IN
R
•F
founded in 1808
CHERRY VALLEY TIMBER GAMES A BIG DRAW, page 3 VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 217, No. 23
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, June 5, 2025
N! E P O W NO Re-Opened
We Have r Living & o o d t u O our enter! Garden C e Us! Come Se
ens ur y Gard New Asb Street 248 River Oneonta 703 607-432-8 gardens.com ry newasbu
Newsstand Price $1
Selections Announced for Richfield Springs $4.5M NY Forward Revitalization Project By Eric SantomauroStenzel
O
RICHFIELD n May 16, Governor Kathy Hochul announced economic NY Forward development awards for 19 projects across the Mohawk Valley. In the Town of Richfield and Village of Richfield Springs, $4.5 million will be split between five proj-
ects. They include reviving the Elk Opera House for mixed-use development, revitalizing historic Spring Park, revamping the Cornerstone commercial/residential mixed-use structure, creating a small project fund to support local businesses, and growing the Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative. At nearly five times the Town of Richfield’s annual budget, the project funding represents an unprecedented
development opportunity for the community of a few thousand residents. The projects aim to develop and revitalize Richfield/Richfield Springs’ historic downtown. Larry Frigault, the Town of Richfield supervisor, thanked the governor’s administration for “recognizing Richfield’s potential.” Project sponsors, who “will greet this news with great enthusiasm,” Continued on page 9
First Ward Food Drive Sees Good Turnout Despite Bad Weather By BILL BELLEN
W
ONEONTA ith extensive rain throughout much of the day on Saturday, May 31, it would be enough for many to throw in the towel and stay inside all day. This was not the case for Elayne Mosher Campoli and Emily Ward, council representative and resident of the First Ward of Oneonta, respectively. These two endured the day’s showers to run the First Ward’s community food drive from 10 a.m. to noon, just outside of Valleyview Elementary School. Their setup consisted of a humble pop-up tent alongside Hudson Street, where they collected and organized food donations from those in and outside of the First Ward. “The First Ward organized it, and the food drive is INSIDE ► ccs team second in national quiz competition, page 2 ► hanford mills gets reprieve on fed grants, maybe, page 2 ► AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH GOES UNNOTICED, page 4 ► cfoc wATERSHED FUND REACHES $500,000 GOAL, page 5 ► HOUSING PROJECT FOR 217 MAIN EXPLAINED, page 8 ► TROLLS & ELVES, page 10 Follow Breaking News On
going to benefit the students of Valleyview Elementary School,” Mosher Campoli said. “We’re hoping to raise awareness about food insecurity in the area, and we’re also hoping to help local citizens and folks in need, especially the children.” This food drive was the culmination of an effort spearheaded by Mosher Campoli, part of a goal of familiarizing herself with the citizens of her ward and engaging them in their wider community. “It was a suggestion that I made, just out of the blue. It’s our first time that we’ve done anything like this … We’ve been having meetings together so I can get to know the constituents and they can have a time to talk to me, ask questions, things like that. We have been getting together regularly, so the idea came that we
should do something positive together, too, something that could contribute back to the community.” Providing food to children and families in need is not a new concept at Valleyview, with the school’s BackPack Program being a premiere example of this effort. This program, one of many similar initiatives around the country intent on helping fight food insecurity, sends children home on Fridays with food for themselves and their Photo by Maria Griwsold families to support Rita Casassa hands off her food donation to Elayne Mosher Campoli under the them through the shelter of the tent at last weekend’s First Ward food drive. weekend. Typically, some smaller snacks. connected to the First Ward there are food options Though the BackPack food drive, it is something that for each of the three main meals of the day, as well as Program was not directly Continued on page 9
Outdoor Exhibit Promotes Butternut Valley, Artists
B
BURLINGTON FLATS utternut Valley Alliance will hold its fifth annual “On the Trail of Art” Festival June 14 and 15. This year’s event will take place in the Basswood Pond State Forest in the Town of Burlington. The half-mile trail will feature student artists from Edmeston, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton and Morris central schools, as well as a new addition, Laurens Central School. Local artists with a connection to the Butternut Valley will also exhibit their works. Approximately 125 public school and homeschool students will have pieces in the plein air exhibit. They were assisted by their art teachers and used mate-
Photo provided
A painting by the late Betty Fraley of New Berlin was featured in 2024’s “Art on the Trail.”
rials provided by BVA, with the help of a substantial in-kind
donation of acrylic paints and other materials from Golden
Artist Colors in New Berlin. Strolling musicians, art demonstrations and “participation art” opportunities will be part of the festival. As new components this year, there will be a poetry reading by the Bright Hill poets and the Gatehouse Fiber Guild will be hanging their fiber works in the forest. A treasure hunt for crystal balls will continue this year, on a “finders-keepers” basis. By organizing the outdoor art festival, BVA seeks to integrate visual art with the natural environment, promote Butternut Valley artists, bring visitors to public lands and build community within the Butternut Valley. Continued on page 9
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD