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1-17-2008 I wish to respond to a recent letter regarding sidewalk snow removal. I do not drive and so walk on a lot of village sidewalks, to Main Street, Great American, Bassett and elsewhere, and am keenly aware of problems encountered by pedestrians, particularly during winter. I grew up in a town in Minnesota where it was deemed the property owners' responsibility to clear snow from sidewalks bordering their property; failing this, a stiff fine was imposed. In my teens, I often helped my brother shovel the sidewalk in front of our house, and since then, I've done a fair amount of sidewalk-shoveling in other places I've lived, including here in Cooperstown. Years ago, I moved to a small town in Maine. There, after the first heavy snowfall, when I ventured outside, I was dumbfounded to find that not a single walk had been cleared, not by my landlord, nor by any other homeowner. I ended up walking in the street, just a few feet from passing cars. Later that day, I was astonished to see a little plow, sporting a town logo, chugging along one of the sidewalks. Only then did it dawn on me that the local municipality assumed this task. Nevertheless, the sidewalks in that town remained virtually unwalkable throughout the winter, and so I often braved the hazardous streets rather than risk the treacherous sidewalks. Later, I moved to a town in Vermont. Same story: it was the job of the local government to clear the sidewalks. There, too, the sidewalks were well nigh unwalkable in winter. I don't care to get involved in a debate as to whether the Village has the right to force property owners to maintain public property (i.e., sidewalks). To me and other pedestrians, the essential question is simply this: are the sidewalks walkable? In my experience, sidewalks can be walkable in winter only if property owners assume the care of the sidewalks bordering their respective properties. If one is relatively young and healthy, shoveling snow can be good exercise. If one is elderly or infirm, employment might be provided to others to do this job; or if there are kin living nearby, they might help out, and neighbors can sometimes lend a hand, too. Mary M. Weinberger Cooperstown Holiday breakfast a success Thank you to all who made the Cooperstown PTO's Holiday Breakfast and More a success. The "Come to the Table" silent auction, first-ever PTO Marketplace, Spirit Ware sale, and breakfast sales raised nearly $3,000 for our community's schools and students. Thank you especially to the businesses and individuals who donated items, gift certificates or services, including Alex & Ika, Applebee's, Augur's Books, Autumn Cafe, Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, the Clark Sports Center, Cooley's Stonehouse Tavern, Cooperstown Cookie Company, Danny's Market, Depot Deli, DiMaggio's Cooperstown Hotdog, Donna Borgstrom, Doubleday Cafe, Elena's Sweet Indulgence, Essential Elements, Foo Kin John Chinese Restaurant, Green River Stone Co./Fossil Interiors, Hoffman Lane Bistro, Jackie's Restaurant, Jillian Bos-Gourmet Road Show, Little Bo'Tique, the Maloney Family, Mohican Flowers, the New York State Historical Association, the Otesaga Hotel & Resort, Photography by Anita Briggs, Portobello's, Rose & Kettle, the Sacchi Family, Schoolhouse Kitchen, Stagecoach Coffee, Stella Luna, Stewart's, Stonehouse Gifts, Straws &Sweets, Tim Iversen, and Tin Bin Alley. Thanks to everyone who attended, the exhibitors, Santa, and to the many volunteers. We would especially like to thank Julie Cring, who acquired all the food for the breakfast, and led the team that served up a village's worth of pancakes. Erika Idelson and Alicia Chase Cooperstown PTO |
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