I want to thank all of the members of the Cherry Valley-Springfield school community for taking the time to participate in our recent budget votes.

I am relieved and delighted that we together found the path that allows us to provide the education our children need and deserve. Your school has asked a lot of you this spring and you were there when it counted the most.

There is no doubt that the Board of Education still has much work to do. As a member of the Board, I welcome the active engagement of our community as we begin work on next year’s agenda. We need to develop a capital project that will be supported by a substantial majority and that will permit us to make necessary repairs and renovations. We need to articulate a long-term fiscal strategy that both reflects enrollment patterns and maintains educational quality.

We need to support a culture of openness and transparency that encourages students, parents, staff, and administrators to work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect. In short, we need to commit to an agenda supporting responsibility, accountability, communication, and involvement.

I ask all members of our community _ "yes" and "no" voters alike _ to join in and help maintain the common ground so that we can continue to move forward for education, for our children, and for our school.

Steve Schneider

Cherry Valley

Schneider is vice-president of the Cherry Valley-Springfield board of education.

Project Prom a success

Too often in today’s society we hear, "What’s happening to our young people?" On Saturday, June 16, nearly 100 Cooperstown Central School seniors and their dates attended Project Prom 2007, an alcohol/ drug-free after prom celebration.

The smiles, behavior and expressions of gratitude from the students allowed us to recognize what a privilege it is to have such an event in our community.

The Cooperstown community, the parents of the Class of 2007 and other attendees of Project Prom have so much to be proud of. Together, our community and our families have raised fantastic young adults who have so much to offer our society now and in the future.

We graciously thank the Clark Sports Center for the use of their facility and the support of their staff. Val Paige, Assistant Director, said, "What a great event from our point of view at the Sports Center. It was well organized, the kids were great, and you’d never know on Sunday that there had been a huge event here on Saturday night. Thanks to everyone who helped put on an event that was classy and enjoyable and once again kept our Cooperstown kids safe on their prom night."

Our special thanks go out to the committee chairs and parent volunteers who have been planning this event since early January.

Their dedication to our Senior Class made the evening a great success. They are Jenny Richman _ Decorations, Nancy Adikes _ Treasurer, Mike and Terry Covert _ Security, Janette Lyons _ Student Contracts, Mike and Sue Otis _ Casino, Vicki and Jim Gates _ Entertainment, Brian and Mary Ellen Wrubleski _ Food, Sarah McGuire _ Fundraising, Michelle Adsit and Julie Tirrell _ Gifts, Dina Sams _ Memory Lane, Geoff Bell and Ross Soraci _ Smoothie Bar, David Adikes _ Clean Up, and the Cooperstown Central School student liaisons, Victoria Bell, Lindsay Soraci, Sean Gates and Gavin Harris.

After clean up was complete around 6 a.m. we walked into a local diner looking somewhat tired. A man seated at an adjacent table asked if we had just finished with Project Prom. We replied, "Yes, and it was a great evening."á He stated, "Yes it was, as a member of the Cooperstown Fire Department, the whistle did not go off!"áIn the end, that is what this is all about, and for that we want to thank each of you for theárole you played in making it a reality.

To the graduating seniors, it was truly our pleasure to provide you with this memory at the culmination of your high school years. We wish you health, happiness and success in whatever path you may chose to follow.

Good luck to 2008 Project Prom co-chairs Kathy Bell and Kim Lierhiemer.

Kathy Bell and

Sandi Soraci

Co-Chairs,

Project Prom 2007

Thanks for fundraiser help

Dear Classmates, Parents and Mr. Synder:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your help with the fundraiser for Helene Wamuzilla of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a world that too often says, "But what can I do?", it was great to see a group of young adults do something to help someone else.

I first heard of Helene through a Christian organization run by Brad LaBriola that traveled to the DRC to raise awareness of women caught in the conflict there. They did this by producing advertising showing the situation there.

Information about the women, the organization and much more can be found online at www.womeninwarzones.org.

Many of the women in the conflict zones of the DRC suffer from abuse perpetuated by men in their community. Helene was one of these women. She was living in a little room in a safe, but overcrowded, clinic.

However, she was to be sent back to her dangerous hometown unless she found the means to support her continued stay at the clinic.

In Mr. Snyder’s Participation in Government class at Cooperstown, I asked my fellow classmates to assist in raising money to help Helene stay in the safety of the clinic. She needed $30 a month to be able to stay.

Through your efforts, we raised $150 for Helene. The money went through an organization called Food for the Hungry (www.FH.org) and went directly to Helene. I hope to send some more money to her soon.

We can make a difference and by helping a young woman out, we show that there is compassion and caring in our generation. Even if we feel like we can’t do anything to help, there is a young lady out there now that feels differently. So again, I would like to thank my classmates, their parents, Mr. Snyder, and the many others that helped in this project.

With sincere thanks,

Chelsea Sams

Cooperstown