The DVD features interviews with long time area residents Alberta Bowes, Bill Bowes, Nancy Dunn, Peg Hage, Ellen Hankin, Ellamae Hanson, Betsy Hawn, Grace Kull, Art Laidlaw, Mimi Lehman, Ted Peters, Cathie Sanford, Sue Stevens, Stuart Taugher, Doug Walrath and Peg Walrath. Written interviews with four more area residents, Mary Pangborn, Roger C. Smith, David Svahn and Howard Talbot, are included in a booklet, "Cooperstown Memories," which is included with the DVD. A similar fourth grade project was done for the 1986 Cooperstown Bicentennial. At that time, the finished project was a booklet entitled "Cooperstown Memories." This year’s project, in keeping with advances in technology, resulted in the DVD, a limited number of which are still available at Augur’s Bookstore.

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Metta Kane Chambers, a member of the C.C.S. Class of 1923. Although we are not certain, we tend to think that Metta, at the time of her death, was the oldest living alum of the school. And we well remember how Metta enjoyed attending the annual Alumni Banquets in the days when she, and her late husband, Bob, were able to make the trip from their retirement home in Florida to Cooperstown. Interestingly enough, Metta and Bob lived in the same mobile home park in Florida in which our parents had a second home for a number of years. We fondly remember visiting Metta and Bob whenever we visited our parents in Florida. To her family and friends, we extend our sympathy.

We have had the occasion, three separate times, to observe cars taking the right turn "Y" at the corner of Beaver and Chestnut Streets and then, from that right turn "Y," making a left turn onto Chestnut Street. And while we suspect the maneuver is not illegal as the right turn "Y" does not have a "No Left Turn" sign, we do find it rude. Not only is it used to cut ahead of cars lined up to turn left from the appropriate left turn "Y," but it also tends to hold up traffic which takes the right turn "Y" because of a planned right turn onto Chestnut Street.

If it were up to us, which it isn’t, we think we would plant a "No Left Turn" sign on the right turn "Y" and a "No Right Turn" on the left turn "Y" if for no other reason than it might prevent us from sharing our thoughts out loud, in fact, very out loud, with fellow drivers.

Likewise, we would like to ban the use of cell phones within 50 feet of anyone who is partaking of any kind of refreshments within the confines of an established eatery, be it either indoors or outdoors. We recently had the rather unpleasant experience, while we were sitting at a table outside a local restaurant enjoying an iced tea with a friend we had not seen in quite a while, of being party to a gentleman’s cell phone harangue about some air conditioning problem he was encountering somewhere. And while we had little choice but to listen to his ranting and raving, we had had enough when he announced "They don’t know sh ... from Shinola." We responded with "Nice language," to which, much to our amusement, he was offended. We certainly have no idea why he thought we would not only like to hear his personal telephone conversation, but also his choice of seemingly inappropriate language in such a public venue. But perhaps he thinks the whole world is his telephone booth and that we were, somehow, intruding upon it. Once again, we are stuck by the fact that when it comes to cell phones we find ourselves dealing with someone’s private undertaking in a very public space.

We were interested to learn that The Daily Star, which we tend to think of as the parent paper of The Cooperstown Crier, has a new publisher, Tanya Shalor.

According to the article in The Daily Star "The publisher is responsible for a number of areas, she [Shalor] said. This includes the daily operations of the newspaper and the leadership of the management team. She will also be an integral part of the community, keeping in touch with leaders in areas such as business and government, as well as meeting the needs of advertisers and readers, she said ... One of her focuses will be on continuing "our superior customer service," she said. Anyone who would like to share their concerns or suggestions can reach Shalor at 432-1000, ext. 214."

We cannot help but wonder if "customer service" might include delivery of The Cooperstown Crier. We do know that if, which is actually when, one has problems with the Crier delivery system, one is to call The Daily Star. We know because we have done it often enough.

In closing, the he-we always hated to see the mail arrive as he never knew what might be lurking in it that would set us, the she-we, off. And we must admit, we do tend to go overboard about what we find in the mailbox. But we have always thought our going overboard was entirely justified. For example, why should we have to deal with junk mail that is addressed to Ellsworth Lake with the salutation of "Dear Ellsworth." We immediately called the sender to request that all such future mail be stopped as it was being sent to a nonexistent person. Unfortunately, we don’t think we got too far as the sender did not seem to be able to do anything unless we could furnish the telephone number of the nonexistent person.

We also had trouble with a magazine subscription renewal letter which started with: "Now that your current membership year is coming to an end ..." We checked. We received the renewal in May for a subscription which runs through the end of January 2008. We will no doubt consider renewing the magazine at such time as the end of the subscription is indeed forthcoming. Until then we shall just have to wade through all the many reminders that we know will be in our mailbox soon. It almost makes us want to cancel the subscription altogether or at least have it sent to Ellsworth Lake.

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.