Having looked at the figures, we feel that something in the neighborhood of 75 percent of the project needs to be done. To our thinking, the science classrooms and the playground present the biggest sticking points. Yet, when we compare the condition of the science classrooms to the condition of a home kitchen, we find it easier to make the case for the science classrooms. Most people in a home with a 1969 kitchen would probably want to have it updated. Likewise, it would seem that a 1969 science classroom might need an overhaul. Times had changed and with them the processes available to the home kitchen as well as, we are quite certain, to the science classroom.

The playground, unfortunately, presents a somewhat more difficult argument. The problem is not that a school needs a playground but rather that a playground would cost $425,000. That is a figure for a playground that is most difficult to comprehend. It simply does not compute. And there are people who have told us point blank that there is no way they will vote for a project which includes a $425,000 playground. And while we understand that sentiment, we do feel it would be unfortunate to have the project, which includes many needs of the school district, defeated because of the playground. We would hope that would not be the case. And if it should be the case, we will certainly wish that the proposed project would have been presented differently.

Yet, having said we think the project needs to be passed, we fully understand that there are many people who will feel they cannot vote for the project as it will indeed increase already high school property taxes at a time when there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding what seems to be an ever upward spiraling cost of goods and services. And we think that voter dilemma needs to be respected. Thus we would encourage all eligible residents of the district to vote based on their criteria of not only the proposed capital project, but also the annual school budget and school board candidates.

We note that the next meeting of the Literary Discussion Group, sponsored by the Women’s Club of Cooperstown, will be held on Thursday, May 24 at 2:30 p.m. at the Village of Cooperstown Library. The book for discussion will be When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. The meeting is open to the public.

We have received information about two more websites which feature information on Cooperstown. The first of these websites was brought to our attention by Jim Lynn of Baltimore, Maryland who wrote: "You might be interested to visit a website that chronicles the history of one of the boys’ camps that once populated the region. Hyde Bay Camp was situated between what is now Glimmerglass State Park and The Hyde Bay Colony, then Rathbuns. www.hydebay.net encompasses the history of the camp from 1927 until its closing after the summer of 1969. It was founded by Herbert Pickett, a teacher who also started the Cooperstown Academy in the 1940s. This summer, alumni from the camp will meet at the Otesaga from June 21-24 for one of a series of reunions held since the camp closed. The website has great photos from the old days with wonderful images of the lake and likely some photos of Cooperstown boys who spent their summer at the other end of the lake."

We checked out the website and indeed found it to be quite interesting. The camp was before our time in Cooperstown, but we certainly have always known about it. The website has a camp catalog from the 1960’s, a history of the camp, home letters, news of reunions and a number of photographs, including some which lack identification. We suspect that anyone who has an interest in the camp will enjoy the website. And we thank Mr. Lynn for bringing it to our attention.

The second website, toiletnet.com, was brought to our attention by someone we feel should remain anonymous. This particular website features, we discovered, pictures of toilets and urinals from around the world, including some fifty pictures from Cooperstown. It is a virtual tour of bathroom possibilities. We learned that of the 29 pictures of Cooperstown toilets, 15 of them include, in close proximity, a plunger. We are not certain whether this speaks to the plumbing systems or the users of the facilities. We were also surprised to discover that there were three pictures taken in locations which we could not place. We have since found out where two of them are, but are still clueless about the location of Anglesey Field. And we must say that although we were amused by this website, it does make us wonder if perhaps we should be more selective about what websites we choose to include in the column. We shall have to give this a bit of thought.

In closing, we have been plagued with a situation that we must admit we have been delighted to have. We have received more information for and response from the column than we can use in what we consider to be a timely fashion. However, we wish to assure all that eventually we will be able to use the information. At the moment, we have on hold responses to our orphanage discussion as well as information on Cooperstown penny postcards and a copy of the "Prophecy" from the Class of 1896 at the Cooperstown High School.

We remain,

In these Otsego hills,

The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer St., Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326, by telephone at 547-8124 or by e-mail at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com. They look forward to hearing from you.