On behalf of the Cooperstown Youth Baseball Board of Directors I want to thank the players, coaches, parents, families and volunteers for making Saturday, our Opening Day, such a success. Let’s hope the good weather continues. Thanks to Connie Herzig and Glen Noto, our special guests, who always "Honor the Game." Finally, my special thanks to the Board for its continued tireless commitment to the youth of our community.

Honor the Game.

David Borgstrom,

president

Cooperstown

Youth Baseball

Too late for Bush

Those who are offended by criticisms of G.W. Bush say that U.S. citizens ("True Patriots") should respect their President. That belief needs serious amendment:

1) most U.S. citizens believe that their President is one who has been elected by a majority of U.S. voters, not by a Florida court. To those who believe thusly, Bush is not, in fact, their President.

2) Bush, with his despotic assumption of the role of "decider" shows no respect for the Constitution he swore to uphold, nor for the opinions of the people he is supposed to represent not rule.

It is far too late for Bush to redeem himself as a true leader. Even Nixon, who showed of the same tendencies to exceed his Presidential powers, eventually had the good sense to resign. With Cheney as Vice-President, however, only a joint resignation would clear the way for a national renewal.

William F. Roberts

Otego

Nursing Home Week May 13-19

National Nursing Home Week, which is scheduled to begin on Mother’s Day, May 13, and end on May 19, is a special week where residents caregivers, families, staff and volunteers honor and celebrate nursing facility life.

This week is a perfect time to visit your loved ones, friends, and neighbors as many facilities will be holding special events. If you are unable to visit, please make a phone call, send a card, deliver flowers, or even an email_this special attention will make someone’s day.

Take this time to reach out and let someone very special know that you are thinking about them now and throughout the year.

If you are not a regular visitor or feel uncomfortable about visiting, call ahead and we will gladly have someone help you make the visit a rewarding experience.

Jeff Emhof, acting administrator

Otsego Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Pamela Harmon

Stamford

Kurt Apthrope

Delhi

Greene outlines credentials

As a candidate for the Board of Education in the Cooperstown School District, I am writing to introduce myself to the community.

Like many parents, my husband and I moved to the Cooperstown school district for its public school system. We decided that the sacrifice we made in paying higher property costs would be outweighed by the benefits of having our children receive a quality education. I share the objectives of many members of the community who are striving for an excellent education for their children in the Cooperstown schools. I also share the concerns of some who believe there is room for improvement within the schools.

I am running for school board because I think the board would benefit from having a member with young school-age children and because I believe I have the requisite skills to face complicated issues and make difficult decisions. I served for many years as a legislative attorney, which required me to sift through complex problems and offer innovative solutions to some difficult, politically charged issues.

Although the school board today faces myriad challenges, including a declining enrollment in the schools, an ever-increasing number of state and federal mandates _ many of which are unfunded, an aging infrastructure, and a tax base that exempts a larger proportion of real property than our neighboring school districts, one of Cooperstown’s biggest assets is its families and their desire for wanting the best for their children.

Every child must be academically challenged to meet his or her full potential so that they are adequately prepared for college or entering the workforce.

I believe that the Cooperstown Central Schools can and should strive to be one of the top achieving school districts in the state and I’d like the opportunity to work toward that goal. Please consider voting for me on May 15th. Thank You.

Paula Greene

Cooperstown

Capital project makes sense

Public hearings generally bring out issues of criticism rather than support; so, opposition can appear as the more common theme in news reporting. In this regard, last week’s hearing on Cooperstown’s proposed School Budget was not unexpected with most concerns voiced about ever-growing costs and taxes and why this occurs with shrinking enrollment. It seems that as student populations fall, there should be a proportional reduction in teaching and expense. The equation, however, is not so simple.

Learning for young people in an ever-changing world is the purpose of education. Class size for elementary grades and choices of non-required and advanced learning courses for middle and high school students are what drive our program of education. There are also out-of-class academic experiences and athletics that are integral to learning. But within this overall context, cost is never disregarded, though the particulars of a school board’s decision making can only get briefly touched in a forum for public input where the board’s job is to hear from taxpayers. And so, a few points should be made as residents are about to vote for next year’s spending plan and for a capital project.

As our student population has declined over recent years, there have been staffing reductions: two at the elementary school, one at the middle school, and one in high school science. Additional staff reductions have been in home economics, instrumental music, and physical education. Clerical staffing has been reduced by one and one half positions and one bus route has been eliminated. At the same time, new academic offerings have been made available in math, science and technology where enrollment levels have been high and consistent. Clubs and athletics have also been added based on student interest and participation. Over these student-based program and operational choices are the outside cost factors that are not by choice: the increasing role and complexity of computer technology, mandates for new teaching and student services, testing and data management, annual contract obligations of wages and benefits, energy costs, etc.

The budget proposed for next year represents an increase of 4.9 percent, which is considerably less than increases generated by contract and state-mandated expenses, and this budget includes the first year of payments for the roof bond. This increase is also less than the State average (6 percent) and the county average (6.8 percent) where all schools are experiencing similar drops in enrollment. We recognize that what happens elsewhere doesn’t lessen the effect of local costs here, but we say this to illustrate the commonality of school budgeting.

The proposed spending plan includes an infusion of revenue from the district’s fund balance that is not likely to be as large in the future. It is our intention to open a forum during the next school year for the public to be more involved with directing priorities for spending. Issues of what are most important for our young people’s learning and how to maintain these need to be better understood alongside the realities of our area’s changing demographics.

For now, however, we ask district voters to consider that the proposed budget represents the continuation of a respectable program of education and the proposed capital project represents a renovation plan that is necessary for safety, reasonable modernization, and future energy savings.

CCS Board of Education

Anthony Scalici, President

Greene for CCS school board

A school board election is coming up for Cooperstown Central School District residents, and we are writing to endorse Paula Greene as a candidate for our school board.

We feel that Paula is qualified for this demanding and influential position because of her balanced and thoughtful nature.

In addition, she is a parent of school-aged children, which will give her a unique perspective on the board of the internal workings of our schools and what is truly needed in them.

Paula Greene will consider decisions carefully and weigh all options before making choices that will benefit the entire school district in a financially responsible manner.

We urge CCS voters to join us in voting for Paula Greene as their school board representative on May 15.

Thank you.

Jeff and Karen Katz

Cooperstown

Rotary thanks residents for help

Thank you to all who contributed in making the Rotary Re-Run community service project a success. Hundreds of shoes collected in Cooperstown were deposited in the Sneaker Mobile at this year’s annual Rotary District Conference for distribution to individuals throughout the world who are without footwear.

The Rotary Club of Cooperstown is especially grateful to Ron Jex for use of plastic merchandise bins for collection containers and to The Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown Elementary School, and the Cooperstown Middle/High School for agreeing to be drop off locations. Thank you to everyone who donated used sneakers.

Michael Jerome

Rotary Club of

Cooperstown

A conflict of interest

On January 2, 2007 the Stark Town Board made a move that should cause citizens to pause.

Without any public notice beforehand, the Board surreptitiously appointed Kay Sheldon Moyer, a vocal proponent of Community Energy’s wind turbine project proposed in the Town of Stark, to the Stark Planning Board.

The seat vacated by Ken Hogeboom had been left open for several months. There was ample time to give suitable notice to the public that this seat was vacant and that deliberations would be made to determine the most qualified individual to fill that vacancy.

The Board should have solicited resumes, asked for community input and, at the very least, informed its constituency that a process of appointment was in motion. But all was done in secret.

There were no postings, no notices in the newspapers. Indeed, at the Town Board meeting where Ms. Moyer was appointed, Supervisor Bronner held up a piece of paper so only the Board members could see it, and called for a vote on it. Members of the public in the room did not know what they were voting on.

After the vote was taken, Bronner turned to Ms. Moyer and said, ``Congratulations. You’re on the Town Planning Board until 2010.’’ Only then did the people attending the meeting know what the board had voted on. Rick Bronner, Town Supervisor, had been sending a newsletter to the people of Stark, informing them of town business and decisions. Why didn’t he inform the people through his newsletter that this was taking place? Given the profound importance of this position at a time when the two towns of Stark and Warren are on the brink of making a decision that will substantially and irrevocably transform this entire area, this was not a minor oversight.

What is most disturbing is that Ms. Moyer is the chairperson of FORE, the group founded primarily by the turbine leaseholders.

This organization is obviously well funded by outside (i.e., non-local) interests, given its recent slick 4-color extensive mailings soliciting support for the wind turbine interests. Does this not assuredly constitute conflict of interest?

Louise Doubleday

Warren

Capital project way out of line

Most of us want the best for our public schools. With the upcoming budget and board member vote, we have the opportunity to help shape the future of CCS.

Certainly, our students are worthy of state of the art science classrooms and a new playground area. Our bus maintenance crew and drivers deserve an updated plant. Replacing doors and windows would likely add to the aesthetic value, safety protection and energy effectiveness of our facilities. And, a new heating and air exchange system would provide greater comfort and utility efficiency.

But... But... those numbers. Can we trust our school’s administration and board of education with their assessment of facility needs and cost analysis?

Recently, they railroaded through a video surveillance system for protection against tourist threats. Talk about playing on people’s emotions. Sure, many of the tourists are demanding, disrespectful, obnoxious, etc. Hey, I have neighbors who allows their dog to freely roam my property, where he dumps his waste, irritates my dogs and intimidates my guests. But, I would never suggest my neighbors vandalize my property.

Equally, it would be foolish to believe that the middle class family tourists, that visit our area, vandalize our school.

At least, the cameras did not cost that much. Isn’t that what the administrator said when asked by the reporter? It was clear he had no idea how much of our money he would need to spend. Yet, it did not seem to matter. He wanted surveillance cameras and he determined they would be worth any price tag. Great!

Back to the budget. I know it was not the school administration or board of education that arrived with these lofty budget figures. They hired consultants _ experts _ paid them tens of thousands of dollars. Consultants know what they’re talking about. They also know that if they propose improvements that are not 100 times their fee they are deemed worthless.

Our Board of Education and Administration was trying to be prudent. The Pentagon tries to be prudent. They hire consultants. Remember their infamous budget _ the one that smelled similar to the CCS Capital Proposal _ the one that incorporated $7,500. toilets, $3200. bolts (without the nuts), and $17,500. water fountains? Few want to deny the Defense Department the basic facilities common throughout industry. But, few were not appalled by the ignorance and/or negligence that proved costly to the taxpayer.

How dare I suggest that a couple of heating and air exchange systems, some new windows and doors, a new playground, a renovated garage, and five updated classrooms are not worth 7 million dollars. How dare the owner of the Holiday Inn (three miles south of the village) has quotes to build a new 72 room hotel (from the ground up) with 72 bathrooms, swimming pool, conference rooms, eloquent lobby, computerized security entries, etc., etc., for 3 million dollars. How dare the school administration and board of education ask us to bite into their nonsense.

It is time for tax payers of the district to say, Enough! The capital budget is far out of line. With a rapidly shrinking school enrollment, we need to carefully assess our needs. Wisely choose the new Board of Education candidates who will hold the school accountable. Should you have a moment, visit www.matthewktabor.com. At least one candidate wants accountability.

Eric Rheinhardt

Cooperstown

Windmill defeat stifles progress

I was reading the response that Susan Bernard sent the Crier last week. She basically hit the nail on the head.

I have been monitoring the windmill "crisis" for a couple of years now. My family still owns property in Springfield, which we have been paying local and school taxes on for 40 years, so I have a relative interest on what happens in the area.

I have is one question to the local leaders:

Why do you think most of the best and brightest childrencitizens leave the area?

I know the answer but it seems that a lot of you don’t get it.

The defeat of the windmill project is a great example of stifling progress in northern Otsego county. There are numerous other decisions that have been made to deter progress but I don’t have time in this letter to list them all.

Easing the tax burden, providing additional income to local families and lower electric bills would have gone a long way in revitalizing the local community.

The additional revenue would have expanded the tax base because people would have more expendable income. Heck maybe some might try and open a business with the additional revenue.

With the wonderful types of decisions that are being made in northern Otsego county I guess the only thing the Cherry Valley area will be exporting for years to come will be the educated and talented citizens that once lived and were raised there.

It’s a shame but there is one benefit:

You still have those pretty hills to look at.

Patrick Crain

Charleston, S.C.

Something must be done

We enjoy vacationing in your area and our lives and work are very much concerned with travel on our nation’s roads.

One of us works for a highway engineering firm, and the other’s family business has been in trucking for many years, and we are alarmed that the cost of gas is spiraling upwards, leaving people increasingly strapped and stranded as they try to go about their daily lives.

The expense of trucking goods to their destinations to meet the needs of people is growing daily and ratcheting up the price of every item delivered, including food to supermarkets.

The increasing difficulty for millions of Americans and their families to get what they need because oil companies insist on making outrageous, record-breaking profit is outright cruelty and inefficiency for our nation.

We feel it is vital for all our neighbors and elected officials to know what historian and economist Eli Siegel, founder of the education Aesthetic Realism, has shown: that our economy, valuing profits above all else, is based on contempt for people.

It is emergent that our economy be based on good will which he defined as ``The desire to have something else stronger and more beautiful, for this desire makes oneself stronger and more beautiful.’’

A country which meets the hopes of every citizen will be a reality when this question asked by Mr. Siegel is asked and answered, ``What does a person deserve by being a person?’’

Eve Lustig and

Ivan Gerdwagen

Central Islip, N.Y.