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10-25-2007 There are several reasons for my decision, including the fact that Michael Coccoma is the most qualified candidate for the office, with more than 12 years experience as a County, Family and Criminal Court Judge, and seven years as an Acting Supreme Court Judge. I would like my endorsement to speak to the need for voters to put aside party labels and to vote for the most qualified candidate. If the former Democratic County Chairman can vote for a Republican, can't you put aside politics and vote for the most qualified candidate? This is the first time I have felt strongly enough to publicly announce my decision to support a candidate outside of my party and ask others to follow my example. When voters choose straight party candidates they encourage disaster, as we saw in the Otsego County Treasurer's race, where a well qualified Democratic candidate was narrowly defeated by an unqualified Republican candidate. That narrow partisan victory lead to incompetence in office and a disaster in the budget process in the following year. In the coming election, the qualifications and the positions of candidates at every level of government must be the deciding factor. This year Otsego County voters will elect not only a Supreme Court Judge but County Representatives to decide important issues like a professional County Manager, the future beyond MOSA, and other high stakes issues. In 2008 the stakes are higher still. I will be voting for Michael Coccoma and asking everyone I know to join me in supporting him and every other most qualified candidate for office regardless of party affiliation. Henry J. Nicols Cooperstown Parking rate unacceptable I have been following the ongoing parking debate and, while I greatly appreciate the time and effort the Police Committee has given to the matter, I believe the $2 per hour rate for Main and Pioneer streets is both short-sighted and unacceptable. To this end, I would like to share with you a few thoughts on this difficult and important subject. I have heard trustees refer to Cooperstown as a "tourist town." I believe that while we are a village with many tourist attractions, at our core we are more than that. The intensity with which tourism appears to have taken over the Village is a relatively new phenomenon. Seventeen years ago, when I opened Muskrat Hill, there were only four baseball- oriented businesses, including the Hall of Fame gift shop, in town. Although today, for 10 weeks (and perhaps another four or five weekends) it would appear that we are a tourist town, please remember there are 52 weeks in a year. I have also heard many lament the financial burden placed upon the Village by the tourists. Indeed, we endure many inconveniences by hosting as many visitors as we do, but, when asked for information as to what portion of the budgetary expenses could be attributed to tourism, three trustees were unable to quote me any figures. It would be useful to have more specific numbers available for this parking debate. When he founded the Village, Judge Cooper noted his hope that we would become a regional "crossroads." Over the past 200 years, we have become not only a regional but a national crossroads. That crossroads is truly our proudest asset, the source of our character. It is representative of our proudest past and our even prouder future. Long after the tourists have come and gone, our role as a crossroads will remain. It is a legacy that we must do everything possible to preserve and protect, just as we protect our architectural and environmental landmarks. I fear that the current parking proposals will do irreparable harm to the delicate balance that has created and sustained this crossroads. The proposals, as they now stand, have taken into account two of our most highly visible constituencies: the "affluent" long-distance tourist who will "gladly" pay $2 per hour to park in the Village; and the locals and commuters who would use a $10 per year parking pass. (The jury is still out on exactly how affluent our tourists are or how happy they would be to pay .50 for 15 minutes of parking time.) Having operated a nontourist- oriented business in the Village for nearly two decades, having had daily contact with those who patronize our Village on a regular basis and having discussed the matter with those who have operated similar businesses at one time or another over the past 50 years, it is my opinion that while both the long-distance tourists and the locals are highly appreciated and valued, combined they cumulatively represent no more than 50 percent of those who patronize the village. It is those outside the "locals" circle of Cooperstown, Hartwick, Fly Creek, Springfield, Cherry Valley and Middlefield, yet within the Albany to Binghampton to Syracuse triangle, who account for the majority of support for the non-touristoriented businesses in town. Recently, the students of Notre Dame reminded us that we are a village in need of a diversity of businesses. In order to sustain and grow a diverse business environment, a diverse client base is required. Those who fill the Otesaga on Mother's Day, attend the Harvest Festival at the Farmers' Museum, buy the old-fashioned doughnuts at Schneider's, sit on Santa's lap, attend our parades, visit Bassett Hospital and, yes, shop, dine and conduct business in the Village, are representative of that diversity. Over the course of a year, I am just as likely to see someone from, say, Otego as I am a tourist from, say, Long Island or someone from the immediate Cooperstown area. It is unfortunate that these non-tourist/ non-local visitors have been left out of the equation. We do not live in a particularly affluent district, nor do we have a plethora of mid-level employment opportunities. Recently, the median per capita income in the Village has risen to around $30,000. People here know where their dollar comes from, its value and what they had to do to earn it. This is the environment which has sustained Cooperstown for the past 200 years, and the one that will be most affected by the current proposals. Do we honestly believe that those who have sustained the Village will pay $2 per hour to park on Main Street? In fact, would any of us pay $2 per hour to park there? When we go to Albany or New Hartford or Oneonta Southside or Sharon Springs, Canajoharie, Cazenovia or Saratoga, how likely would we be to pay $2 per hour to park? How would we react to being treated as a "tourist" in any of those communities? If we did pay, how likely would we be to return? How likely would that 50 percent be to return? What will be the long-distance tourist's impressions? Will they return? How will this affect their recommendations to others to visit Cooperstown? In speaking with a prominent state official, it was noted that a key to economic rejuvenation in many communities has been the availability of free parking. Look to Saratoga as a case in point. At a recent meeting, Mayor Waller emphasized that the village should be run as a business. She further stated that we are giving away our most desirable parking assets while charging for those less so, i.e. the trolley lots. These were two of the guidelines the Police Committee was to work with. I do not believe those guidelines have been met. Under the current proposal, parking in the Doubleday lot would be at a rate of $1 per hour. With 120 spaces available, at 100 percent occupancy at an average usage of eight hours a day, the lot should yield around $960 a day — or $175,000 a year. Pretty good, except for the $10 annual pass, which would exempt the holder from that hourly rate. I have been monitoring the Doubleday lot for the past two weeks (we are past the peak of the tourist season). Between 9 and 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, I have found on average seven available parking spaces, with 15 to 20 available on Saturdays and 50 on Sundays. By 10:30 a.m., the lot has been full. There is a core 100 or so spaces which are occupied by either the same vehicles or by drivers with the same profile every day. Those drivers would presumably become $10 parking pass holders. At this rate, instead of generating $960 a day, Doubleday would yield $168 (20 available spaces at $8 each and 100 spaces at about $.08 each), or $31,000 per year. Would this accomplish the goals of the Police Committee? Are we operating the Village as an efficient business? Have we maximized the return on our most valuable asset? I know that much consideration has been given to the merchants, restauranteurs, bankers and other professionals in the business district. I was one of those who at first felt that we needed an affordable alternative for those who work in town. The pass is a result of that process. Then I recalled an encounter I had had when I first opened my business: When he saw that I had parked on Main Street, Dick Harry gently — and wisely — reminded me that parking spaces were there for the convenience of our customers. I believe that if the current proposals are enacted, a day will come when we business owners will tell our employees that we have good news and bad news for them. The good news is that we all have a parking space; the bad news is there is no longer a job or a business because there are no longer any customers. Perhaps we business owners need to go back to the drawing board and redirect our efforts. Perhaps the trolley system can be massaged to fit our needs. Perhaps we can work with the Otesaga and Bassett to establish a Village employee shuttle system. We must explore these and other potential options and have a comprehensive plan in place before we pass any proposals. One alternative proposal has been raised. It calls for a flat rate fee structure ($10 per day), with no passes in the Doubleday lot. Another proposal is to offer a flexible hourly rate with no time limits. One possibility may be to lease the Doubleday lot to a private contractor. We may want to look into leasing the two county lots on upper Main Street on weekends and charging for parking there. We may also wish to revisit, with the cooperation of the state, the matter of whether we may be able to issue parking passes to Village residents only. Others may have suggestions which have yet to be explored. The actions you take on this issue may have the longest and most dramatic effects on the Village since those taken by Judge Cooper when he established our “crossroads.” Please be wise. Please be patient. Please do everything within your powers to insure that they are right the first time around. We cannot afford it to be any other way. So please carry on, Trustees and Police Committee. Your hard work is leading us in the right direction but we are not quite there yet. Neil Weiller Cooperstown Legion Post raises money The Cooperstown Veterans Post, consisting of American Legion Post No. 579 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7128, has contributed in excess of $20,000 to local charities in the past few months, but who knows. This is over and above the thousands of dollars raised to furnish our active duty men and women with prepaid phone cards and other needed personal items, but who knows. Their local and surrounding area scholarship awards alone were in excess of $10,000, but who knows. Other recipients were the Cooperstown Food Bank ($1,500), Boy and Girl Scouts ($1,000), Red Cross, Hospice, Friends of Bassett and Otsego County Children's Fund to name but a few ($2,000), but who knows. These dedicated veterans ran the concession stand at the 4-H Junior Show, and gave $1,000 of the money to Kid City (the playground rebuilding fund), and more to the Otsego County Sheriff PBA, the Cooperstown Police Department- National Child Safety Council Teaching Aids, and the Otsego County Federation of Sportsmen DEC Camp, but who knows. Well, now you know! So, the next time you see one of these Heroes in the Shadows, give them a thumbs up and thank them for continuing to serve their community and country, long after they have completed defending them on active duty. God bless our veterans! John Famulare Public Relations Officer Cooperstown Veterans Post, Inc. Balcom goes above and beyond I am now compelled to chime in on the upcoming Hartwick election. The integrity of Mary Balcom has been questioned and I am angry. My husband and I have lost three signs supporting Mary Balcom, Dave Butler and Lynn Green. I'm not a native, but have lived here 26 years and have attended many meetings and know the current supervisor and board members well. Their goal is to do the best for the town, as a whole. I have seen them all struggle over very difficult decisions. They make choices, which may not be their personal favorites, in order to do what will best keep Hartwick a great place to live, despite inevitable change. Many years ago, I was invited, along with 8 to 10 other hamlet residents, to serve as water district citizens on the Water Board. This action was taken because the supervisor felt they needed more opinions. My questions and thoughts were always given honest and fair attention. Unfortunately, not all invited people still attend. If you aren't involved, is it fair to complain? This is not the town team I saw portrayed in a recent letter, accused of ignoring offers of help and suggestions from residents, and making all the decisions within their little group. I've seen people come to meetings with their own ideas, too, but if the board did not adopt their idea, they say the board “has not listened.” They do listen, they weigh and they decide. This is not a job to them. None claim to have all the answers and always ask for assistance, guidance or expertise to make the best choices. Being supervisor is, by definition, not a position of authority but of fiscal management, and doing those “other duties as assigned” that many of us have in our own job descriptions. I often see the current team at town events and fundraisers. Others I see only as Election Day comes near, or when a “hot topic” comes up. Who do I think is more attuned to the town needs? I think I'll ask the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. I've seen them at events, but, come to think of it, I've never seen Mary Balcom at the same time. There is more to the job than the title. Nancy Smalley Hartwick Use revenue for village I am writing in response to your article on the Public Hearing on paid parking that took place on Oct. 15. Let me preface my remarks by saying that I am in favor of paid parking in Cooperstown to generate revenue to repair the needed infrastructure problems in the Village. My prayer is that the Irish Hill section of the village will be top on that list. In the words of our Mayor, Irish Hill has been neglected for 30 years. Two years ago a group of Irish Hill residents presented our concerns to the Village Board, and we were told that we would be top priority on their list in the next year. We were also told that a mirror was ordered to be placed at the corner of Hill Street and the Main Street extension to take care of the blind spot and avoid any accidents with cars coming from Route 28. Still to this date nothing has been done. This is why I hope the Village Board will keep its promises to use the revenue for infrastructure issues, and that Irish Hill is on the top of their priority list. Another concern I have was the direction in which the Village Board Meeting went at 10 p.m. I don't know Eric Hage all that well but I felt that Jeff Katz unjustly treated him. His remarks were uncalled for, and I was also upset that our Mayor let this go on with out saying a word. I commend the Police Committee for all the hard work they put into the proposal, but still don't feel you are listening to the residents' and business owners' concerns. After the two town hall meetings, the only change I see is in the hourly rate increase for Double Day parking lot. I believe that Eric has some valid points to be considered. Sometimes hearing the truth and being held accountable hurts. May I remind you all that you were all elected by the residents of Cooperstown to work together for the best interests of the residents. I pray that that will happen at the next Public Hearing on Monday, Oct. 29. If that does not happen, may I remind you that there are elections coming next year and we will vote for candidates that will represent us and can work together. Ameen Aswad Cooperstown Endorses Durkin As a taxpayer in Cherry Valley for 42 years, I am interested in the following qualifications for our county representatives: ? Active interest in “Green” building principles ?Interest in bringing broadband to our communities ? Willing to overhaul the 911 system ? Has integrity (doesn't take the “perk” of healthcare for a half-time position) ? Keeps a current web site on county happenings so we all can be informed ? Attends town meetings to report on the decisions of the county board ? Is willing to go the extra mile! Phil Durkin of Cherry Valley meets all of these qualifications! I endorse this candidate. Linda K. Van Schaick Cherry Valley Meet Hartwick candidates I am writing to encourage the residents of Hartwick to attend the informal get-together that the Friends of Pat Ryan are hosting at Beaver Valley on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. It promises to be an opportunity for you to get to know Pat and Town Council candidate Martha Clarvoe as well as a good excuse to enjoy some free food and entertainment with your neighbors. Recently, I met with Pat and Martha to find out for myself just what they had on their minds. I knew of Martha from her work with OCCA and her desire to curb the use of burn barrels. I didn't know much of anything about Pat. I was very pleased to learn that they want to have a plan that benefits Hartwick and that they are not anti-development, ultra-liberal, hoity-toity treehuggers who want to impose their views on us. They are open-minded, down to earth and very interested in listening to the residents. In recent years, many of us have felt alienated from our town officials. What some newcomers have interpreted as apathy in the Hartwick residents is really in action as a result of frustration by being ignored and shut out of the decision making process. You can only knock on an unanswered door so many times before you give up and walk away. Once in office, Pat and Martha want to form committees made up of town residents to explore and realize goals. I applaud this. Rekindle your enthusiasm as I have and join us for a couple of hours on Nov 3. Find out for yourself first-hand just what Pat and Martha are thinking. The get-together is being held at Beaver Valley Campground, 138 Towers Rd. in Hartwick. Julianne Sharratt Cooperstown Parking fee is good I was looking at the poll on residents paying a small parking fee at Doubleday field which is on your website. If this fee lets you park at meters in the village without paying, think how much money the meters would provide toward running the village. This would help hold down taxes. I have a camp in Roseboom and use many local businesses often. Anything that helps the village prosper I feel is a good thing. John C. Hauck Freeport, N.Y. Appreciates school board In recognition of School Board Appreciation Week, the Grade Level Chairs at Cooperstown Elementary School would like to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to the Cooperstown Central School Board of Education. Our dedicated, all-volunteer Board, including Mark Rathbun, Rosemary Craig, Paula Greene, Mary Leonard, Susan Mulligan, Anthony Scalici, and Jean Schifano, spend countless hours working with the administration and staff to better understand the needs of our students. They give tirelessly of their time and energy, by working on committees, visiting classrooms, and meeting with members of the community to comprehend the complexities of our school. Without fail, the Board carefully considers all points of view, keeping the best interests of our students, and our future, in mind. They go about their work quietly and efficiently, often without recognition. They give freely of their time and expertise to make certain that our students are provided with diverse educational experiences, yet are always mindful of their fiscal responsibilities in these difficult financial times. We would like to let the Board, and the Cooperstown Central School District community, know how greatly we appreciate their efforts on behalf of our students. The caliber of the dedicated individuals serving on the Board is a true testament to the value our community places on education. Our children are indeed in good hands. Phyllis Newell, Susan Bergene, Margaret Welsh, Kathleen Galland-Bennett, Sandra Austin, Debbie Kiser, Laura Bliss Lamb, Mary Tedesco, Connie Herzig Durkin for county board I am writing to urge people to vote for Philip Durkin as county board representative. He has served us well this past term with his emphasis on open government. Because of him, all the minutes of the county board meetings and their committees' meetings, as well as those of the town boards in the three communities he represents — Cherry Valley, Roseboom, and Middlefield — are available on the Internet. We go to Boston for three months every winter, yet we can keep abreast of what is happening back home — a good feeling. He also makes himself available bimonthly in the towns he represents. County board representatives usually take full healthcare coverage. Philip says this is a part-time job, and does not take advantage of this offer. He also doesn't accept the thousand dollars that are offered to those who don't accept the coverage for the same reason. It's a part-time job. Because the county board representatives are all serving part-time, he believes very strongly that we should have a full-time manager to handle the $90 million plus of our budget. The towns which have hired a manager say it really saves them money. This past year, there was a pretty unpleasant brouhaha on the Board involving Philip. He handled the situation with dignity and was proved correct. I urge you to vote for Philip Durkin, who is running on the Democratic and the Independent tickets. Nancy Waller Roseboom Village should stick to increase I remember quite a few years ago when Bob Seaver drove into Cooperstown with a new bumper sticker on his pickup truck that read, “If It's Tourist Season, Why Can't We Shoot Them?” I really admired that sticker, and often thought about getting one myself. But somewhere along the way I began to realize that I too was a tourist whenever I went to Clayton, N.Y. for a boat show, or to Maine to learn how to build a wooden canoe. When I began to see that I was one of “them” I began to increase my tolerance for tourists in Cooperstown. Now when I see happy families enjoying their visit here, I actually keep my mouth shut and recognize how wonderful it is that we all have our favorite places to visit away from our own homes, and we are lucky if we all get to be a tourist somewhere. However, it now seems the tourists have begun to complain about us. I have noticed that ever since the Village began to consider raising the fee for use of Doubleday Field from $400 per game to $1,000 per game that a fair number of tourists have actually written letters to complain that the increase may put such a crimp in their budget that they might have to consider not coming here anymore. The old me would be tempted to say that alone is a good enough reason for raising the price. But the new me has decided to read these letters with an open mind and see if they have a point. The most recent letter I read was from a man in New Jersey whose letter was quite typical of all those I have read. This man made the point that the proposed increase in field rental was outrageous because it was a 250 percent increase. He's right. It is an increase of 250 percent, but because I live in the Village I would be glad to consider some sort of increase in cost to the tourists during their short visit, if it would somehow result in decreasing the cost to me of living in this village year round. This man from New Jersey further argued that he “patronizes nearly every local business in town during the week” and is proud of spending “over $3,000 for the week“. I find that quite impressive — and I realize there a quite a few visitors like him who want me to be impressed with how much they contribute to this town. But there is just something about this type of argument that does not make sense to me. In fact something about it seems downright annoying, and I was hoping someone smarter than I could help me figure it out. Here is what I can come up with on my own. I must admit I am not a math genius, and I will also admit I don't know a whole lot about baseball either, but from what I understand, you need nine men on each team (and most seem to have more than nine men) to play a game. Now if each team has a coach (and most seem to have more than one), then it seems that if you have two teams playing in each game there are at least a total of 20 players in every game “pitching in” to cover the cost of the game. So from what I can see, if 20 guys had to share the cost of a $600 increase, it would only cost each guy an extra 30 bucks. And if the teams were made up of a higher number of men — say 15 men (including coaches), then the cost increase per man would only be 20 bucks. Somehow this just doesn't seem to big too big a price to pay to live out a dream (and I think that is what we are talking about, otherwise they could all just play on the local high school field if they simply want to play a game in Cooperstown). The only problem I can see is that if the guy who is organizing these games decides to raise the costs to the players disproportionately (that's a big word), that may cause some heat, but I hope the Village does not get blamed. Now for the big news, and I hope this revelation will keep these guys coming back to play ball. If this guy from New Jersey spent $3,000 this year, the actual cost increase to his overall budget next year will only be a one percent increase. That's right. Thirty dollars is only one percent of $3,000. This is good news for the poor guy from New Jersey who seemed to panic when he heard about the increase of the field rental. He really seemed demoralized that he might not be able to come back to Cooperstown because he thought he could not afford it. By the way, I really don't mean to pick on this one guy from New Jersey. His sentiments just seem to be representative of many of others who think like he does. I also hope this is good news to the businessmen who panicked thinking these big dollar visitors might not be able to afford to come back to town. I am just sorry to see that the Village did not stick to its original cost increase. Now the proposed increase to just $600 per game means the field rental should only cost each player an additional $10 dollars or less per game. (And a $10 increase would be only .33 percent of a $3,000 budget). This seems like a reasonable price to pay to be able to hold onto a dream. I hope you realize I do not intend to exempt myself from the possibility that I too might have to face a cost increase in my vacation plans next year. This past summer, while all the tourists were coming to Cooperstown, I too became a tourist and took a vacation for a week on an island in the Thousand Islands. Staying on an island is part of the dream in my vacation, and I am willing to pay a bit extra to live out a dream. I don't really know how much my vacation cost me, but I would be a fool to believe the same vacation will cost any less next year — and if some aspect of my vacation plans next summer results in an overall cost of one percent, I don't think I would curtail my plans. I think I would just find some way to come up with the extra few bucks, or else I would somehow curtail my spending habits and perhaps buy one less T-shirt or eat at a cheaper restaurant. I certainly hope I don't fire off a letter to the local paper in the Thousand Islands without first doing the math. I am reminded of the old proverb, "It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." I may not be too bright, but I sure don't want to prove it. George Seeley Cooperstown Vote for Coccoma As a resident of Cooperstown and a former business owner, I have known Judge Michael Coccoma for many years. While best known as a lawyer, former prosecutor and respected judge, Mike Coccoma is much more. The Judge and his family are very active in our community. He volunteers on our local emergency squad, has coached youth sports, is a leader in his church, and performs community service as a member of the Rotary Club. As county Judge, Mike has handled many complex cases, presides over the Drug Treatment Court, established a Law Guardian Office, and helped create the Children's Center at our Court House. Additionally, for the past seven years he has served as Acting Supreme Court Justice. This year we have the opportunity to elect Judge Coccoma to the State Supreme Court in the 6th Judicial District. He is highly qualified for this important post based on his vast experience and qualifications, as well as his strong values and commitment. On Nov. 6, you will be able to vote for up to three candidates for State Supreme Court. One of these votes should be for Mike Coccoma. Marolyn K. Kellner Cooperstown |
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