LETTER from ALLEN ANDERSON Sanctuary Idea About Guns, Our Freedoms To the Editor: In a recent opinion piece by Julie Sorenson of the League of Women Voters, she urged the Otsego County Board of Representatives to vote against making the county a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” and stated the adoption of such a resolution was problematic because it was intended to subvert New York State gun laws. She then goes on with the usual rhetoric about gun control. What Ms. Sorenson…
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Assemblyman John Salka ‘I Know How To Help Constituents’ By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN – It’s been a long journey for John Salka from a boyhood in Utica’s Corn Hill section to the sumptuous New York State Capitol. His tiny 5-foot mom Carmella, a single parent, supported him and his sister Carole by working in a suitcase factory in Whitesboro. “A lot of glue; a lot of grimy work,” said the son, who at one point worked…
1,500 Revelers Evoke COVID-Spread Fears By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com NEW LISBON – County Treasurer Allen Ruffles arrived on the scene Thursday, Oct. 8, to issue a friendly advisory to organizers of the 23rd annual NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Fair/Political Rally. “We told them they couldn’t stay there,” said Ruffles, who was accompanied by county Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. The day before, the county had seized the 144 acres for back taxes, he told owner George…
WINTER WELLNESS Feeling Blue? There Are Remedies With fall getting underway, staying resilient calls for an extra focus on self-care, an essential ingredient of emotional and physical wellbeing of our families and our community. Stress wears us down. How can we counteract that? Let’s take a look at some basic protective factors: nutrition, sleep, activity and meaningful connections. Mood, energy and resistance to illness are hugely impacted by body chemistry, and we can do things to improve that chemistry. Notice…
EDITORIAL Let’s Stick With It: We’re Beating COVID-19 COVID-19 numbers are rising again nationally, but we’re zigging as the nation zags. As this edition went to press Tuesday, Oct. 13, SUNY Oneonta had not reported a single COVID case in the previous five days. This, in an institution that had 100 infestations in one night at the end of August. Since infections there totaled 712, and they closed the campus until after Thanksgiving. So zero-zero-zero-zero-zero is particularly welcome news. •…
Food For Thought King Of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “decided years ago, partly by watching his father, that Democrats can’t govern effectively, that they are a tax-and-spend juggernaut, and that any power they have in the Legislature is bad for him,” Bill Lipton, a former political director of the Working Families Party, told me. “The ease and consistency with which he does one thing in practice while arguing in public he’s doing the exact opposite – and saying anyone…
LETTER from DAN BUTTERMANN Needed Bail Reform Needs More Reform The intent of New York State’s bail reform law was good – to make the pretrial process equal for all and free from bias. However, the reform bill passed in 2019 had flaws. Although I fully agree that the enacted law needs reform, we cannot return to a system that allows for punishment before a conviction. At the same time, our system must be sufficiently flexible to ensure violent criminals…
Editorial Can Sanctuary Energy Be Channeled Into Reform? In 2017, you may remember, the Village of Cooperstown dipping its toe in the “sanctuary” pond. The Village Board passed a resolution telling the federal government it could not depend on the cooperation of Cooperstown police if ICE – U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement – were to launch a local raid. Happily, ICE was occupied with real hot-spots and the resolution sort of faded away. • Now, another idea is on the table:…
LETTER from JASON HEWLETT Trump, Biden Turn Voters Off To the Editor: Being a somewhat conservative Christian man, I have always preferred Republican candidates over Democrats. I have voted or wanted to vote for Republicans because they have the same views that I do on major issues such as abortion, homosexuality and prayer in public schools, to name a few. But as I get older and more educated, and I begin to understand what’s most important in life, I realize…
HOMETOWN HISTORY October 15, 2020 150 Years Ago The complete census returns of Otsego County give the population at 43,982, an increase of 1,344 in five years. Harvey Baker has commenced building another house on Baker Street. Welcome Parish and Wm, Mickle have commenced building new houses on Centre Street. Others will soon follow. At the annual meeting of the Union Graded School, on Tuesday evening, W.W. Alton and S. Sullivan were elected Trustees for three years and N.I. Ford…
