Editorial Let’s get out of the fog Something remarkable happened last week, Wednesday July 21, in Otsego County. It happened in other places, too — New York City, Philadelphia, Albany, Ontario, Boston — in fact in the entire northeastern part of the country. Most people thought it was a heavy fog, typical of all the other heavy fogs that are apt to enshroud us in the mornings this time of year, only to disappear before noon when the sun burns…
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Opinion - Page 126
Life Sketches Fighting the burdock seems to be my mission Burdock is an enemy I’ve been trying to eradicate since we moved to the farm. It was growing thick all around the barn, so, first I weed-whacked it and later mowed it and now there’s only grass where there once stood a Velcro-like mob waiting to take hold of your pants, socks and bootlaces. When these sticky weeds are at the edge of a hayfield or in a hedgerow it’s…
Life in the Time of Covid-19 Here we go again with the coronavirus pandemic Several months ago, I stopped writing my weekly column on life in the time of Covid-19. The rollout of the vaccinations was going well locally, the numbers of people hospitalized locally were low, and organizations were opening up. The Rotary Club that I belong to in Cooperstown was making plans to go back to meetings in person. I was also recovering from major surgery and it…
Up On Hawthorn Hill Looking at language changes with displeasure Despite knowing all too well that language is always evolving, there are some aspects of its constant evolution that stick in my craw. My wife is the unfortunate recipient of my constant grousing about things I hear people say on the radio every morning. If I were to compile a list it would be long and, well, possibly annoying to some (especially the guilty!) and characterized as pretty nitpicky. So…
HOMETOWN HISTORY July 29, 2021 Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library 135 Years Ago It would be difficult for the lover of wild and picturesque scenery to imagine a more delightful trip than that afforded by a ride at this season over the New York, Ontario, and Western railroad between Sidney Plains and Middletown. The road winds its way through the wildest regions of Delaware and Sullivan counties, traveling up mountain…
The Old Badger Willow Brook has been altered again Originally published in The Freeman’s Journal on Aug. 3, 1977. Willow Brook runs into Otsego Lake near the foot of Pioneer Street. Its course has been altered to run down the far side of a strip of land there, which is being readied for whatever is going to be built – probably houses. The brook ends at the Lake, but … Where does it begin? I’ll trace it to its source…
Bound Volumes July 29, 2021 Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library 210 YEARS AGO With what contempt does the freeman of America glance at the silly attempt of such things as emperors and kings to induce them to join their sanguinary play, which sends thousands in an hour to their long home; while the Americans are infinitely better employed in cultivating their fertile fields and extending their settlements into a vast…
LETTER from WAYNE MELLOR What’s the cost of zero-carbon energy I received several thoughtful comments from our readers concerning the last column and would like to address them. The investment bank Lazard published the most recent Lazard’s “Levelized Cost of Energy and Storage” in late 2020. The comprehensive report includes all the costs of creating and storing a megawatt of power including land, construction, operating and maintenance. According to the Lazard report, new, unsubsidized utility scale power sources have the…
Life Sketches Howling at the moon to help ‘the chickens’ During a cold snap several years ago, night temperatures up on our hill on the west side of Canadarago Lake were hovering around 22 below zero. Worried about my chickens freezing their gizzards off, I hung a 100-watt bulb on a wire in our small coop inside the barn and let it burn 24 hours a day. I’m sure it raised the temperature a bit, but it also increased egg…
Be Afraid, But Do It Anyway Our family secrets still feel haunting Nature or nurture is a question I keep asking myself. Why have I always been afraid? Did I learn fear? Why did my parents keep to themselves? Kept us close to them? No overnights with other kids. Or other kids sleeping at our house. Maybe not just because our house wasn’t as nice as the other kids? My family lived secrets. Were Mom and Dad just shy? Or…
