to be heard

We would like to thank the members of the community who came to the public hearing held by the Planning Board of Cooperstown on Tuesday, March 13. Many longtime residents spoke about the implications of changing the zoning along Estli Avenue and Main Street where Woodside Hall is located. We would also like to thank those who could not attend the meeting but expressed their opinion to the board through their letters, and with their signatures on the petition that was circulated opposing the zoning change.

The planning board will discuss the proposal again at the next planning board meeting on March 27. If you missed the meeting on the 13th or would like to emphasize your views, you still have a chance to give your opinion to the board. Please send your letters to the Planning Board, Village of Cooperstown, 22 Main St., Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326. Your opinion needs to be heard, and letters to the board are very effective.

Laura Kilty

Bruce Kramer

Feury: I will improve village

As a candidate for Trustee for the Village of Cooperstown, I want to thank all the village residents who attended "Meet The Candidates Night" sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area. Many important concerns were expressed and discussed.

I wish to remind all residents of my three unique qualifications for being a Trustee. First is my background. I have been in close touch with Cooperstown for 60 years. Plus, my career as an actuary has provided me with a strong financial background. Second is my motivation. I grew up here and received a fantastic start to life. After living many places, I have returned to my home and now want to contribute to the village and its residents. Third is time. Being a Trustee will be my prime interest. While I serve, I will listen to the residents and improve the quality of life in the village.

Please vote for me on March 20.

Tim Feury

Cooperstown

Vote Mebust

for trustee

Over our many years of living, working and operating a business in Cooperstown, we have seen many changes, but there is one constant _ the need for good people to be involved with the issues facing our community. We have come to know Lynne Mebust and have found her to be truly caring and interested in many aspects of Village life.

Lynne has a real appreciation for Cooperstown’s small town charm and would work hard to preserve it. Before moving to Cooperstown with her husband and three sons, Lynne worked in connection with the Close-Up Foundation in Washington, D.C. managing civic program development and running corporate/ foundation fund-raising for such programs.

Here, Lynne has coached in the Little League Baseball program, serves on the Village Parks Board, is Treasurer of the Cooperstown Parent Teacher Organization, and is a Board member of the Friends of the Village Library. Lynne is also a volunteer in the Youth Education Department of her church. In order to continue keeping Cooperstown a vibrant and desirable place to call home, please vote for Lynne Mebust for Trustee.

Bob and Linda

Schuermann

Cooperstown

Hage gets

their vote

Due to our common business background, I began to get acquainted with Eric Hage before my family moved to Cooperstown. I have always found him to be attentive to detail and his decisions are always well thought out. Starting a successful financial services company, Mohican Capital, in Cooperstown, shows that Eric literally puts his money where his mouth is. His commitment to the Village is complete. Eric’s knowledge of finances and the long-term decision-making that comes with trading will be beneficial on a Trustee level.

He has been a homeowner in Cooperstown for a decade and he and Noelle have been very involved in the Village. They have also chosen to be here because they want to raise their three children in our Village.

Karen and I enthusiastically support Eric Hage for Trustee.

Jeff and Karen Katz

Cooperstown

Mebust vows to be responsive

On Tuesday, March 20, voters in Cooperstown will have the opportunity to select two new Village Trustees. I am running for Village Trustee because I believe each of us has an obligation to contribute what we can to make our community a better place. My professional experience in civic education, fundraising, and grant writing has given me many skills that I can bring to the Trustee position.

I believe that government ought to be open and responsive to citizens in the community, and if elected, I will always solicit and consider all viewpoints in making decisions on behalf of Cooperstown’s citizens.

Having lived in both cities and suburbs, my husband and I recognized the uniqueness of Cooperstown when we chose to move here to settle and raise our three sons.

We found here a small-town, welcoming community, coupled with outstanding institutions such as Bassett Healthcare, the Hall of Fame, NYSHA, and so many more. The special qualities of Cooperstown need to be safeguarded so that my sons and all the children in the Village now and in the future will have the opportunity to grow up in the same wonderful community that so many previous generations have enjoyed.

Since moving here in 2000, I have volunteered with many local organizations. I serve on the Village Parks Board and the Board of the Friends of the Village Library. I have been involved in the PTO and its numerous activities and events for many years, and am currently in my third year as PTO treasurer.

I am a coach in Cooperstown Youth Baseball. Each morning when I walk my children to school and I greet friends and neighbors, my family’s decision to choose Cooperstown as a home is reinforced.

I hope the voters of Cooperstown will give me the opportunity to work on your behalf as Village Trustee. I thank the many residents who have talked with me during this campaign. If elected, I will do my best to serve you responsibly and responsively.

Lynne Mebust

Cooperstown

Vote Mebust, Hage for trustee

It’s with great enthusiasm I extend my support to Lynn Mebust and Eric Hage for the positions of Trustee, Village of Cooperstown. Their demonstrated record of community involvement and vision for the preservation and betterment of our Village is consistent with the integrity this special Village deserves. Both candidates have made themselves visible and available _ qualities I appreciate and am confident will continue.

Rich McCaffery

Cooperstown

OCCA deserves World’ award

When I first came to this area, years ago I looked down from the small plane that would bring me to Oneonta, and was caught by the beauty of what I saw. I was looking at miles of green life. I have been grateful ever since to live in a place that could match anywhere in the world for its earth and sky.

I am aware that the physical land about us can deteriorate, and be polluted, and that it needs goodwill and care to maintain the structure that I am privileged to enjoy. For this reason I have appreciated, for many years, the dedicated work performed by OCCA, and hope to support the organization in whatever way I can. I am not protecting the environment. But they are.

For this reason I have nominated OCCA (Otsego County Conservation Association) for the Better World Award. To read the nominating essay, please check www.rezoom.com, click on the Better World site, then on the New York state map, which will produce a list of non-profits that have been nominated.

This is not the place to list everything that OCCA does, but one example involves paying the 25 percent farmer portion of a federal program which employs simple, effective techniques to divert dairy operation run-off from streams and lakes. This translates into 40 farms, $400,000 raised by OCCA, and $1.6 million leveraged in federal funds. OCCA is a small, grassroots organization. Yet its effectiveness in protecting the local environment has been outstanding. With regard to the Better World Award, the nonprofit organization with the most votes in a region will win $5,000. Many far larger organizations will be competing, so this is an appeal to readers. Please actively support the people who are working for us. Please log-in and vote for OCCA!

Mary Howes

Oneonta

Hage outlines credentials

In the year 2007, few villages in our country can match what we still have in Cooperstown. Look elsewhere and try to find a small village that has our combination of natural beauty, historical significance, national institutions, cultural activities, architecture, commerce, education and community spirit. My wife Noelle and I recognized the village’s uncommon attributes over a decade ago when we bought our home here and made this the place where I would start my business and we would raise our family.

Through much of the last century, Cooperstown’s natural isolation generally served to protect it from changes happening throughout the country, but we are no longer as insulated as we once were. If we truly value our village and want to control its destiny, we must be active as citizens. We need to anticipate how changes can affect us _ not because we are driven to follow, but rather because we desire to stay unique. We must recognize that our village resources are strained and all of us need to act to protect our lifestyle. It is imperative that our village government remain aware of forces that threaten the quality of life here and act to shape those forces in a way that will protect our future.

I am running for village trustee because I truly appreciate what we all hope to preserve here. My professional background in finance, combined with my personal approach to relationship building and problem solving, should assist the board in achieving its goals. I also hope to stimulate others around the village to get more involved in helping our government deal with the complicated issues it faces. It is vitally important today that our government sustain and nurture your interest by welcoming ideas, showing those ideas the proper respect and act on our best ideas in a timely manner.

Thank you all for your input to date and I ask for your support in our election for Village of Cooperstown Trustee on March 20.

Eric Hage

Cooperstown

Stop `us vs them’ mentality

In light of the former Town of Hartwick Supervisor’s need to respond to Pat Ryan’s letter of Feb. 9, I too have a need to respond to Ms. Nielzialkowski’s letter of March 9.

First, I’m concerned that a Town official (whether former or current) would find the series of letters to the editor from concerned citizens ``entertaining.’’ Perhaps statements like that have set the tone for our current leadership and the apparent ``we’’ versus ``they’’ mentality.

Additionally, Ms. Nielzialkowski, I don’t believe there are any ``new found’’ experts that are ``suddenly’’ living in the Town. What was discussed with both the Town Board and Planning Board was the fact there are residents within the town that do have experience and credentials in dealing with various land use issues. The point has been (and will continue to be) that the Town should capitalize on the assistance that has been offered from these individuals.

The hesitancy to explore what these individuals might have to offer raises a few questions in my mind. Why wouldn’t you use the assistance offered from these individuals? Is it because it’s easier to limit alternative ideas and, therefore, expend less effort having to address them? Is it because the board members truly do think they know everything there is to know about land use? Or, is it because ideas that may be a little different from their own ideas are not welcome? Hmmm ... I also recall hearing first-hand one of the Town Board members saying something like, ``If you don’t own 80 acres or more, you shouldn’t have a say in what’s being done.’’ On many other occasions there’s been concern expressed about whether an individual is a ``native’’ or has relocated from ``the city.’’ Could this type of thinking be part of the problem?

Personally, I have over 20 years of professional planning experience in land use, water resources and environmental planning. I would have loved to (as you put it) ``get off the bleachers and onto the playing field.’’ However, the Town Board is apparently not interested in any such assistance. Further, they do not appear to be overly interested in suggestions or comments from the residents who attend meetings, either.

Will the Planning Committee produce a revised Comprehensive Plan? Yes. Will the plan be as good as we, collectively, could have produced? Yes, but only if we stop the ``we’’ versus ``they’’ mentality. We are all residents of the Town of Hartwick!

Jessica Breiten

Hartwick