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explore historic cherry valley, page 8 VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 218, No. 32
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, August 6, 2026
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Coop Residents Raise Concerns over Fire Pits, Parking Burdens, Water‑Billing Dispute By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
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COOPERSTOWN slew of issues and pointed public comments were raised at the Monday, July 27 Cooperstown Board of Trustees meeting, where residents raised concerns on parking‑ticket processing, a disputed water‑billing matter and the health impacts of recre‑ ational wood‑burning fire pits. The meeting opened shortly before 7 p.m., and speakers urged trustees to address what they described as growing strains on local systems and lapses in communication.
The first concern came from Town of Otsego Board Member Deb Dalton, who told trustees that the Town of Otsego Court is overwhelmed by the volume of parking citations issued within the village. Dalton said more than 2,900 citations had already been issued this year, with dozens more added that same day. She explained that the court now spends “80 percent of the time” processing parking tickets, even though all fees collected from those citations are returned to the village. Every ticket, she said, requires intake, data entry, docketing, processing and reporting through the court’s management system— Continued on page 11
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned for New YMCA Sports Park
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ONEONTA he Oneonta Family YMCA invites the community to celebrate the opening of its new Outdoor Urban Sports Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 12 at 11:30 a.m. at the YMCA, located at 20 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. According to a press release, “the ceremony marks the comple‑ tion of a transformative project that has converted an underutilized space alongside the YMCA into a vibrant outdoor recreation destination for the community.” There are dedicated areas for basketball, soccer, youth program‑ ming, pickleball, and outdoor fitness, creating new opportunities for healthy living, recreation and community connection, officials said. “This project represents so much more than a new recreational space,” said Frank Russo, executive director of the Oneonta Family YMCA. “It reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our community INSIDE
► HARTWICK HUDDLE, page 2 ► BEER BUDDIES, page 3 ► pursuing passion, page 4 ► foundations feed, page 5 ► meet macleish, page 6 ► festival fervor, page 7 ► council catchup, page 7 Follow Breaking News On
lives. We aren’t just opening a new program space. We’re creating a place where memories will be made, friend‑ ships will grow and our community will come together for years to come.” The Outdoor Urban Sports Park was made possible through the generosity of local donors, including a lead invest‑ ment from Community Bank NA and Brian Wright, whose support helped turn the vision into reality. “At Community Bank, we believe strong communities are built by investing in the places where people live, work and raise their families,” said Dimitar Karaivanov, chief executive officer of Community Financial System, the parent company of Community Bank. “The Oneonta Family YMCA has been a trusted partner in creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn, connect and thrive. We are proud Photo provided to support this project and help bring The Oneonta Family YMCA’s new Outdoor Urban Sports Park will host youth sports, recre- a new space to life where children can ation programs and pickleball play, among other activities and events. build confidence, families can spend by creating welcoming spaces where neighbors can connect and people of time together and the entire commu‑ Continued on page 9 children can play, families can gather, all ages can lead healthier, more active
Allen Tapped To Lead Otsego Electric Cooperative
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HARTWICK tsego Electric Cooperative’s Chief Executive Officer Timothy Johnson has announced his plans to retire on January 2, 2027, after 10 years of dedicated service. Prior to his years as CEO, Johnson served OEC as its attorney and served cooperatives nationally on staff at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. According to a press release, during Johnson’s tenure he helped guide OEC through signifi‑ cant improvements,
Photo provided
Photo provided
TIMOTHY JOHNSON
CODY ALLEN
most notably launching OEConnect, a critical broadband Internet initia‑ tive to connect under‑ served rural members.
Otsego members expressed their satis‑ faction with Johnson’s leadership in the recent customer satisfaction
survey—receiving an excellent rating, officials said. “I have greatly enjoyed my time at Otsego Electric. I want to thank the employees, our Board of Directors, and the entire member‑ ship for all their support throughout the past 10 years,” said Johnson. “I am fortunate to leave a very dedicated team of employees to lead the co-op into the future.” “The Board of Directors sincerely appreciates Tim’s lead‑ ership and commitment over the years,” said
Gary Potter, OEC board president. “His leader‑ ship has helped posi‑ tion OEC for continued growth and success. We thank him for his service and wish him all the best in his retirement.” A familiar face for Otsego Electric Cooperative has been selected as the new CEO. To support a smooth transition, the board has chosen Cody Allen to take on that role. “Allen’s 14 years with OEC has given him valu‑ able insight into the coContinued on page 10
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD