HOMETOWN HISTORY, June 8, 2012

125 Years Ago
The Local News – The new printing press being constructed at Miller’s machine shops has one feature at least that works like a charm – it takes off a finger or a thumb or a thumb nail with all the readiness of an old-style machine. The inventor tested it himself.
A Normal School building, a chair factory, a knitting mill, a new church, and very many of houses, all in course of construction, will be a sight to be witnessed in Oneonta in a few weeks. No newspaper, unless it retains a reporter for no other purpose, can presume to make note of all the new dwellings being constructed in Oneonta this season. Houses are springing up almost as if by magic in all quarters of the village, and it seems apparent now that more building will be done this year than ever before in one year.
June 1887

100 Years Ago
Miss Josephine Lindahl, city nurse and supervisor of the tuberculosis committee, made the following report of her work during the past three months at the Woman’s Club on Saturday afternoon, June 1: 59 school visits; 397 children visited and treated in school; 79 homes visited of school children; 65 school children treated in homes; 45 tuberculosis visitors; 31 charity visits; one case first reported as tuberculosis, later pronounced otherwise (deceased); one case also reported as tuberculosis, but on change of physician, said not to be. Patient moved; house fumigated; case not followed; one case patient moved, room fumigated, visited regularly. The condition of several school children are greatly improved as well as the condition of several homes, due to constant visits and instruction in cleanliness.
June 1912

60 Years Ago
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June 1952

40 Years Ago
Oneonta aldermen unanimously rejected a strongly worded anti-war resolution last night that would have called for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Indochina and a permanent halt to the bombing of North Vietnam. Immediately following the hour-long debate and quick vote, proponents of the resolution said they would attempt to get it on the November ballot in the form of a referendum. They also indicated they might field “peace” candidates for mayor and aldermanic positions at the next city elections in 1973. The anti-war resolution was offered to the Council in mid-May during several days of sit-ins on Dietz Street in front of local military recruiting offices. The original resolution was sponsored by Daniel Fine and Walter Schull, both of the Oneonta State faculty.
June 1972

30 Years Ago
Approximately 40 people, most of them opponents of the controversial Southside Mall, gathered in the Oneonta Town fire hall to question the thoroughness and accuracy of an environmental study of the proposed development at a public hearing called by the town’s planning board. The environmental study was prepared by the John S. MacNeill engineering firm of Homer, N.Y. Glenn Seale, a private economic consultant hired by the City of Oneonta, said his findings indicated that neither the town or the city could support a large retail center. Joseph Bernier, the city’s community development director, said the growth predicted by the MacNeill firm was “tremendously exaggerated.” Bernier suggested that the figures were inflated by more than 20 percent. If the MacNeill figures were accurate Bernier said it would be fantastic “because we would be experiencing an economic boom right now.” Lorraine Benedetto, a town resident, said she was tired of the town being the city’s “poor cousin.” She accused the city of trying to “take care of their business” at the expense of the town.
June 1982

20 Years Ago
Neil Nielsen, a building contractor in Central New York dating back to the 1930s died Sunday at the age of 78. Nielsen built more than a dozen buildings at Hartwick College, including the Willard E. Yage Library and Museum in 1967 and the Center for the Arts in 1973. Nielsen also built the college’s Dewar, Leitzell, Holmes, Van Ess, Miller and Smith halls, the maintenance building, Binder Physical Education Center, the Hartwick Seminary Memorial Wall and the Shineman Chapel House over a period spanning 1954-1973. In 1973, Nielsen was awarded an honorary degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters, by Hartwick College.
June 1992

10 Years Ago
The Catskill Area Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa recognized several area educators recently at its annual meeting held at Alfresco’s Restaurant in Oneonta. June Edwatds, professor of education at the State University College at Oneonta, was awarded the Charles Hunt Service to Education Award. Instituted in 1976, the award is given to a resident of the Catskill chapter who has participated for a minimum of 10 years in public education, and possesses qualification in leadership, service or research. Among other recipients are Royal Netzer, President of SUCO, Frank Cyr, BOCES superintendent and creator of the distinctive yellow color for school buses, and Madeline Coutant, designer of education programs for gifted students.
June 2002