The Present State of Rural Economies Glimmerglass Film Days this year featured a documentary entitled “Storm Lake” that chronicled the operating of The Storm Lake Times, a small local newspaper in Iowa farm country much like The Freeman’s Journal/Hometown Oneonta. The community of Storm Lake endured profound changes in the last two decades as the local farm economy declined and was replaced by a very large Tyson pork processing plant that now employs 2,500 mostly migrant workers. The town’s population…
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Columns - Page 51
The Dogs we love and lose Readers of my columns over the years know that I always end with an observation about what my beloved Sheltie Gabby might think about what I have written. In actuality, during the sixteen years of her life we did carry on quite a few conversations. I would say something to her and she would look up at me with those deeply set sable eyes and I would understand. There are times when wordless chats…
Bound Volumes 210 YEARS AGO We present our kind readers with the compliments of the season. The good Apostle said, “Is any man afflicted, let him pray; is any merry, let him sing psalms.” “A Merry Christmass” is reciprocally given and received, and we sincerely hope that few or none will be otherwise than “merry and wise,” and not “merry and sad,” as we fear is sometimes the case with the inconsiderate. Such seem to have forgotten the intent of…
COVID 2022 predictions By Richard Sternberg, M.D. It seems to me that almost every other columnist, and most periodicals, publish predictions for the coming year. I might as well share mine regarding COVID. What follows is solely my opinion. While this is based on what I’ve researched and behaviors I’ve seen over the past two years, much of what I’m saying here is pure speculation. By the end of the coming year, 85 percent of the US population will have…
Bound Volumes 210 YEARS AGO Advertisement – Millinary (sic), Miss Smith informs the public that she has commenced the Millinary business in a part of the store formerly occupied by Cory & Cook; where she has just received from New York the latest fashions for Velvet Jockies, Winter, Straw and Silk Hats, Turbans, etc, which will be sold at the most reduced prices for cash. Cooperstown. December 21, 1811…
News from the Noteworthy: Tell them you’re grateful With Christmas only two days away, I am filled with thoughts of family, friendship, and community. But, what is family? How do we define community? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a family is “a social group made up of parents and their children,” and a community is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” While these definitions are technically correct, what they fail…
Life during COVID: December in Otsego By Richard Sternberg M.D. Checking the Otsego County Department of Health dashboard on December 20 showed a distinct uptick in a number of cases of COVID in recent days. Most of these still are probably from Delta, but also are beginning to reflect the Omicron variant. The website did not identify the specific variant of those cases. Dr. Fauci says the number of cases of the Omicron across the United States doubles every two…
With apologies to Charles Dickens By Ted Potrikus I welcomed Christmas Past into our family room a few nights ago by playing Bing Crosby 78s from my parents’ record collection. Knowing these belonged to my Mom and Dad brings me great joy, and as the perfectly scratchy discs played, it was nice to be sitting again in the village where they lived and played those same records dozens of years ago. Of course I thought of them as I often…
Hometown History 135 Years Ago The new truck of the D.F. Wilber hook-and-ladder company arrived on Saturday. It is said to be the finest truck for hand service in the world. Rumsey & Co. of Seneca Falls are the builders. It is very handsomely decorated, and it is equipped with the latest appliances, including a Bangor extension ladder. On each side is a portrait in oil of D.F. Wilber. We congratulate the company, and the Oneonta Fire Department, upon the…
Bound Volumes 210 YEARS AGO From Washington – the report of the Committee of Foreign Relations, so anxiously looked for, was this day presented to the House. The Committee reports six resolutions: 1. That our present military establishment be completed. 2. That 10,000 additional troops be immediately raised. 3. That the militia be organized to be ready for service. 4. That the President be authorized to accept the service of 50,000 volunteers. 5. That the national vessels out of repair,…
