COOP M IA
1808 BY
DG
E WIL
L
Cooperstown’s offiCial newspaper
JU
E
OUNDED
IN
R
•F
founded in 1808
town talk with mayor ellen tillapaugh, page 8 VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 217, No. 35
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, August 28, 2025
Newsstand Price $1
Bassett Awarded $7.6 Million+ To Expand Behavioral Health, Walk-In Care Services
B
COOPERSTOWN assett Healthcare Network has been awarded $7,633,694.00 in grant funds through Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program IV. The investment will provide Bassett with capital resources to open additional inpatient psychiatric beds at Bassett Medical Center and construct a new Convenient Care clinic at
its Hartwick Seminary Specialty Services location in Milford, officials said in a press release issued earlier this month. According to the release, Bassett Healthcare Network is included in more than 50 projects across New York State that are part of the transformation program, which focuses on efforts to expand critical access to inpatient, behavioral health, primary
and long-term care. “This transformative investment in access to care for New York State residents is tremendous,” said Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. “It is especially impactful in rural communities like Bassett’s region, where people in remote areas depend on Continued on page 9
Motorcycling for a Good Cause ONEONTA—Earlier this month, members of the Hudson Highlands Retread Motorcycle Club presented Helios Care and the Alzheimer Association’s Northeastern New York Chapter with donations totaling $2,500.00. For more information, see page 9. At left, Hudson Highlands President Betty Slavinski (red shirt) and club members gather with Joan MacDonald (hand raised, fifth from left), Helios Care board members and staff, and Ann Thayer (purple shirt, next to Slavinski), associate director of programs and services for Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties, for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Northeastern New York Chapter. (Photo provided) INSIDE ► MARKET RECIPIENT OF MAJOR GRANT, page 2 ► IDA ANNOUNCES SALE OF COUNTY LAND, page 3 ► BERKSON REMEMBERS LADY OSTAPECK, page 4 ► PROGRAM TO SUPPORT RENTAL REHAB, page 5 ► WINCHESTER TAKES ETSY TO TASK, page 7 ► WALKER IS NEW NYSYR CHAIRMAN, page 7 ► OLA SHARES WINNING PHOTOS, page 11 ► CALENDAR, page 12 Follow Breaking News On
New Marker Commemorates Anti-Slavery Heritage By BILL BELLEN
A
ONEONTA s Dr. Marcela Micucci, executive director of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society, quipped, it really does seem like rain only comes to town when there is a historical marker to unveil. In contrast to the poor weather, a crowd of jubilant onlookers stood beneath the awning of the Community Bank on Main Street on Wednesday, August 13, conversing about the legacy of the historical marker that stood before them under a black tarp. The fourth marker of the season, it represents the culmination of a rich history of
Oneonta and extensive, timeconsuming research. This marker commemorates the role of the Ford Mansion as a safe house for slaves utilizing the Underground Railroad on their journey to freedom. Built in 1841, the mansion was home to Eliakim Reed Ford, an early investor in the railroad that would go on to define Oneonta’s legacy. Ford was noted for being a staunch abolitionist and proponent of the antislavery movement that was rapidly expanding throughout the northern United States at the time. “This marker helps bring to light Oneonta’s role as a central location in New York of antiContinued on page 9
Photo provided
David Schumann (left) and Harry Bradshaw Matthews unveil the City of Oneonta’s first Main Street historical marker.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD
BEST BUFFET!!
Served protein station with hot and cold buffet stations including a salad bar. Soft Drinks, Iced Tea, Coffee, Hot Tea and more along with a Dessert station.
Oneonta, NY brooksbbq.com • 607-432-1782