The fate of the property known as Woodside Hall is a concern for many who live in and care about the Village of Cooperstown. This structure is a beautiful landmark in the village, and its preservation as an historic building is a desirable goal.

The potential uses of this property are limited by zoning restrictions that were enacted in 1989 to protect the quiet and private residential area east of the Susquehanna River from the business of tourist accommodations and hotels.

We purchased our property on Estli Avenue knowing it was zoned R1-A, the most restrictive residential zoning in Cooperstown. As property owners adjacent to Woodside Hall, we are opposed to any change in the zoning to accommodate a proposed business opportunity to make Woodside Hall a 22-room hotel with banquet facilities. A large hotel would clearly impact the adjacent properties and destroy the tranquility, privacy, and property values of our neighborhood. A decision by any governing body of Cooperstown to change this zoning would set a precedent and open up the entire residential area to development of tourist accommodations.

Does this community want to extend tourist and business development into one of the last quiet, tranquil, residential neighborhoods in Cooperstown? We have already sacrificed much in Cooperstown to accommodate the tourism industry.

What will become of Woodside Hall? This property has only been on the market for six months. We are hoping someone will buy it and restore it to its historical use as a private residence. Or perhaps a better idea will be put forward for use of this property that will be consistent with the residential zoning and character of its neighborhood. If anyone is interested in this issue, a public hearing has been scheduled by the planning board for Tuesday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the village offices below the library.

Laura Kilty

Bruce Kramer

Hage for

village trustee

My wife Stephanie and I consider ourselves very lucky to live in the village of Cooperstown. It is easy to take for granted the standard of living and the opportunities this small village offers. But, there is room for improvement.

As homeowners and new parents, we are concerned with the rising costs of village taxes and services. We are hopeful that the upcoming election for Village Trustee will bring two new candidates sensitive to the interests of village residents. Eric Hage has our confidence to recognize our situation and find solutions to the problems while keeping the traditional fabric of the village intact.

We know Eric Hage both personally and professionally. Eric is a family man, whose successful financial career and strong academic background stem from honesty, hard work, efficiency and risk management. Eric knows how to make quality, tough decisions based on extensive research and sound judgment.

It was Eric who introduced me to Cooperstown over 10 years ago as the place where he would raise his family. Leaving his job at Citigroup and opening a business in Cooperstown was a risk, but Eric decided Cooperstown offered a unique opportunity to his family. Cooperstown is not the typical locale to start a financial enterprise, but Eric’s talent and fortitude have made Cooperstown home to an investment firm that consistently outperforms its competitors. This is very important, as Cooperstown desperately needs unique small businesses, which create jobs and add to the tax base.

Eric and his wife Noelle have lived in Cooperstown for over 10 years. They are locals who volunteer, coach and assist in numerous worthy causes. You see them in church, at games or visiting his grandmother in the Thanksgiving Home. Their children go to school here, and as concerned parents, they take an active role in their education.

Every village resident’s duty is to see to it that the trustees represent us, as a community, in the best way possible. On March 20, Democrats, Republicans and Independents can make a difference. Village residents have an opportunity to elect a trustee who has the capability and desire to look out for us. Stephanie and I, as village residents, are supporting Eric Hage. Focused, diligent and talented candidates are not easy to find. Do not let this opportunity pass on March 20. Please join me and vote for Eric Hage.

Stephanie and Sean Nelen

Cooperstown

Vote Hage, Mebust for board

On March 20, Cooperstown finds itself with two fine candidates for trustee that, for years, have been working to keep Cooperstown a great place to live.

Lynne Mebust and Eric Hage moved here to raise their families and have been in the midst of youth activities, school fundraisers, and efforts to improve our village at many levels. While many move to larger urban areas where income levels are much higher, Lynne and Eric have chosen to make family a primary investment today, rather than tomorrow. When people reminisce about the village’s past, they speak of family and neighborhoods _ traditional values. Who better to guide the past into the future than two family-first individuals that have been living and working among us?

Involvement in the immediate community over many years also gives both candidates insight into vital issues that affect all residents. Campaign promises carry weight when backed by a record of community involvement and purposeful undertakings. Being caretakers of the Cooperstown community will be something Lynne and Eric find easy. After all, they’ve been living here and doing just that ever since they’ve moved their families to the village.

The Cooperstown of tomorrow must balance nostalgia with the challenges of a world that refuses to stand still. Our village, at its core, is still just neighbors spanning generations who want to protect a bygone era we call home.

Two of those neighbors are running for village trustee and have built many relationships on exactly that premise. A vote for Eric Hage and Lynne Mebust blends the values of a time past with the demands that will be placed on Cooperstown today and in our future.

Rich Campbell

Cooperstown

Ministry thanks supporters

The Jail Ministry of Otsego County offers warm thanks to all who supported our recent raffle to benefit Grace House Oneonta, and announces the raffle’s winners.

First, the winners: The 46-inch flat-screen TV was won by Tom Pullyblank of Fly Creek Valley. The Royal Chrysler service certificate was won by Christine Baker of Fly Creek. James Dean of Cooperstown won the George Harmer Smith framed watercolor, and Karen McShane the Baseball Hall of Fame yearbook, museum passes, and uncut sheets of baseball cards. The Lennox figurine was won by Wes Coddington of Langhorne, Pa., and the child’s pedal car went to Charles Gross of Oneonta. Maria McCord of Cherry Valley won the Day at the Spa.

The ministry is deeply grateful to the businesses and individuals who supported the raffle by donated prizes and ticket purchases, especially Royal Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Hyundai; River Valley Ford Tractor, Inc.; National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; RS Mercury Printing; and Essential Elements Day Spa.

When open, Grace House Oneonta will offer short-term, supervised housing and counseling for those returning into our community from the Otsego County Detention Center and other facilities. Too often, such returnees have no anchor points among us, and they end up back in trouble and back in jail. Your support will help us reduce this tragic pattern, and for that we ask God’s blessing on all of you!

Rev. Ameen Aswad

President

Jail Ministry of Otsego County

Money raised for mission projects

The Cooperstown Winter Carnival 2007 was exciting and fun filled from beginning to end thanks to the hard work and planning of its wonderful committee. Our church had the opportunity to participate in the weekend with our annual lasagna dinner on Saturday night. We raised $2,000 for our mission projects and we want to thank the carnival committee for all of their wonderful publicity, and also thank our caring Cooperstown Community and visitors for supporting our latest fund raising effort. You’re the best!

See you next year,

Pastor Sundar Samuel

Cooperstown Methodist Church

Cheesecake contest a success

The eighth annual Cheesecake Tasting Contest raised $1,098 for the Double H Hole In The Woods Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y. and will receive a $1,000 matching grant from the Oneonta Wal-Mart. The Double H is a free summer camp for children aged 6 to 16 who have critical illnesses and life threatening disabilities.

Paul Neumann and Charlie Woods started the camp and have put millions of dollars into trust funds for it, but the camp counts on other donations to keep it running.

My daughter, Elizabeth Dunn, went to the camp when she was 13 and said that it was the first time in her life that she felt lucky. When I see our Cooperstown friends and family baking and eating cheesecake and making donations to this wonderful camp, I feel lucky too, because of you.

Congratulations to Leslie Breiten for first prize, Sandy Dunn of the Cooperstown Diner for second prize and David Lockwood of the Otesaga Hotel for third prize.

And to all of the bakers and helpers, Steve Laubmeier, Doubleday Cafe, Tanhena Dunn, Jean Wyckoff, Nancy Davis, the Cooperstown Methodist Church, John Smirk, Ellen Rivera, Kristi Guetti, Ingrid Graham,Dianne Graham Feury, Janet Graham Faure, Linda Graham Smirk, Great American, Tara Santello, Jean Finch, Hoffman Lane Bistro, Nicoletta’s Italian Cafe, Price Chopper, Elizabeth Dunn, Liz Lohan, Barbara Dorsey, Bridget More and Wal-Mart, Devine Cheesecakes and The Nowhitney Family, God bless you all for making another child feel lucky!

Our sincere thanks to all,

Linda and John Smirk

Cooperstown Bed

and Breakfast

Think of

animals too

The JetBlue passengers who were stranded on an icy runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport for up to 10 hours, and the commuters who were recently stuck on the Philadelphia turnpike for a similar length of time, understand how frustrating it can be to be trapped in a small space, especially if you need a bathroom break. It’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and almost unbearable. But imagine how horrible it is for animals who are packed in crowded transport trucks for up to eight hours and shipped to slaughter without sufficient food, water, or veterinary care.

Workers grab thousands of chickens by the feet and shove them into the drawers of six-foot-high crates, often breaking their legs and wings in the process. Terrified cows are prodded onto trucks and often trample one another during the long journeys in all temperatures. Piglets weighing up to 100 pounds are given no more than 2.4 square feet of space, and farmers are warned that the piglets "probably will get sick within a few days after arrival." Once these animals reach their destinations, they are slaughtered and dismembered, often while they’re still conscious.

So the next time you’re delayed at the airport or sitting in a traffic jam, take a minute to think about these animals and the conditions that they endure. You can help them simply by going vegetarian.

Heather Moore

Senior Writer

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals