Some concerns still linger, but most everyone reports they’re ready for the 50,000 or more people expected to arrive to see Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cooperstown Fire Chief Jim Tallman said he is worried about a change in plans that calls for shuttle buses from remote parking lots south of Fly Creek to drop off and pick up riders at the Clark Sports Center Induction site.

The change was announced by Otsego County Tourism Director Deb Taylor, who has been working with Birnie Bus Service, which will provide the shuttle buses.

Taylor said the decision was not hers but was made by the bus company.

``I see it as a real problem,’’ said Tallman, who added that those buses will likely become snarled in traffic and slow down the transport of people to and from the remote lots on Route 26.

``I think there is a level of understanding that they’re not going to be back (to their cars)in 15 minutes,’’ said trustee Jeff Katz.

The location for parking information handouts has been changed from Springbrook to the Common in Hartwick Seminary.

Chamber of Commerce Director John Bullis said he will have four people at the Commons from 7:30 a.m. to noon handing out 5,000 maps of parking locations.

Visitors coming from the west and north on Routes 80 and 28 will be directed south on County Route 26 at the blinking light in Fly Creek, but trolley committee chairman Giles Russell was worried no one would be directing visitors coming down the west side of the lake on Route 80.

Taylor said there is supposed to be a DOT sign on Route 20 directing people down Route 80 and not East Lake Road. There is no one to distribute maps along the route, however. One problem is a lack on manpower to fill all the positions.

``We’re exhausted. We just don’t have it,’’ Mayor Carol Waller said.

Handicap parking for the weekend will be located in the lot behind the Chamber of Commerce. The lot at the old jail will be used, in part, for vendors coming for the weekend.

Main Street merchant Vin Russo asked why officials were so concerned about outside vendor parking when no accommodation has been made for local businesses.

``Why should they get special privileges? Why should my employees be treated like second class citizens? I don’t understand why we would do it,’’ he said.

The majority are non-profit and not all of them are outside vendors, Mayor Waller explained.

Village clerk Teri Barown said following the meeting that vendors were told the village would try and find some spots, but advised them to be prepared to find parking on their own.

Officials said they have had calls from merchants expressing worries about getting to their stores to restock inventory, employee parking, and dropping off elderly former ball players who will be signing autographs.

Village Police Chief Diana Nicols said Main and Pioneer Streets will be closed Saturday and Sunday, but it may be possible to get in very late at night or early in the morning when the crowd is absent.

Other than that, she said she could make no guarantees.

Trustee Jeff Katz said the village website was down for a while because there was so much traffic and clerk Teri Barown said she has been inundated with calls from people seeking information, particularly about handicap parking.

Bonnie Kaido said they have volunteer EMS personnel and ambulances coming from as far away as Rockland County and Penn Yann.

Good luck and say your prayers,’’ Waller said at the close of the meeting.

Afterwards, the mayor signed the state of emergency declaration for Induction Weekend.

Last week, Butch Jones, Otsego County Emergency Services Coordinator, suggested Waller and Middlefield town supervisor Dave Bliss declare a state of emergency to be in affect for Induction Weekend.

Jones said with the number of people expected for the Induction, Waller and Bliss may want to declare a state of emergency as part of the preparedness and planning because the potential exists for an emergency.

``We certainly have, in my mind, the justification for it,’’ he said.

Bliss said this week that he signed the declaration last Friday.

A state of emergency would allow the mayor and town supervisor to make executive decisions without having to call a full meeting of their boards first.

It empowers them to cope with an emergency situation by committing resources to the emergency.

If there are problems, the declaration would help to streamline the process by making decisions or taking action to avoid or shorten a disaster.

Main Street from the traffic light to Fair Street and Pioneer Street from Lake Street to Church Street will be closed to traffic Saturday and Sunday. Susquehanna Avenue will be one-way only on Sunday to funnel the crowd out to the Sports Center. During the Induction ceremony Sunday, Brooklyn Avenue will be one-way heading north.

Now, all that’s left is for the weather to cooperate.

The National Weather Service’s long range forecast predicts rain off and on throughout the week and partly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain Induction Day.

Officials made little note of the weather during the meeting, but had said previously that rain could knock the remote parking lots in fields along Route 26 out of commission.

A representative of the Hall of Fame said Monday that the 45-acre, $50 a parking space field at the intersection of Route 33 and Estli Avenue, owned by Henry Weil, can not be used if there is rain.