Letter from George Hymas Camera Installation an Orwellian Nightmare The Village of Cooperstown is proposing to install surveillance cameras in public areas of the village. The deployment of the cameras would be under the guise of protection against crime and to enhance public safety. The police will monitor, access, and retain the data and images captured by the cameras. The slippery slope of surveillance is an assault on privacy and has a chilling effect on protest and dissent and could…
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Opinion - Page 70
Letter from Jane Kreischer Support for FoxCare Fitness Is Strong I’m sure this will not be your first, nor your last, letter imploring you to reconsider your decision to close FoxCare Fitness Center. Please understand that this letter is written with the utmost respect for both the Bassett system and the healthcare it offers. Most of us have been in the community for more than 50 years, and we have used every doctor, every facility, and every service it offers.…
Letter from Jim Howarth Character of VillageMust Be Preserved Last week, the Cooperstown Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously turned down a special use permit for the owners of 40 Lake Street to allow short-term rental tenants. I am writing to thank the ZBA for their decision. While one cannot know the motivation for the board’s decision, it seems obvious that the regulation that such rentals must be an “incidental use” to the property played a part. Their proposal would have…
Letter from Paul Lord Zamelis Piece Buried Last Week Please help me here. I want to thank you for publishing lawyer Zamelis’ letter in the March 16 edition of “The Freeman’s Journal,” but I also want to understand why that news, if it is true, was buried on page 8. It appears Zamelis’ story is the most important local news found in that edition of “The Freeman’s Journal.” Why is there no mention of the story on page 1? Will…
Letter from Elmer Luke ‘Big Picture’ Questioned Dr. Ibrahim’s essay of March 16, 2023 demonstrates well its headline, “No Easy Answers for Complex Challenges.” He offers none. He refers to inefficiencies and redundancies he has sought to eliminate. But as his actions have hollowed out medical care and services, what are Bassett patients left with? It has become increasingly difficult to get medical attention. Schedulers are like guards at the door, telling us to go elsewhere or to see an…
Letter from Chip Northrup STR Loophole a Real Concern We greatly appreciate the Zoning Board’s unanimous rejection of the absentee owner’s attempt to turn 40 Lake Street into a transient rooming house. Transient housing would have ruined the neighbors’ quiet enjoyment of their homes. Susan Snell has proven to be an excellent chairman of the zoning board.…
Letter from Celia Oxley ZBA Correct in 40 Lake Decision There was much public opposition to the granting of a Special Use Permit for short-term rentals at 40 Lake Street. The Zoning Board of Appeals was correct to deny the permit at a hearing on March 7. From the board’s discussion after the hearing was closed to the public, it seemed that the issue of incidental use was paramount to their decision to deny. The village zoning laws require short-term…
Letter from Pamela Fitch Tausta FoxCare Fitness: All or Nothing? I’ve been a member of FoxCare Fitness for over 20 years. In spite of what is being said, it is the gym most comfortable for middle and old age people. I have been to other gyms and find users leave the equipment laying around, eat potato chips while resting on the equipment, and never wipe off the equipment after sweating on it. FoxCare Fitness users put back the equipment, wipe…
The Partial Observer by Douglas Zamelis, Esq. What Are We Doing? Activity atAverill Road Property Questioned It’s common knowledge Templeton Foundation seeks to build a large housing development on its property on Averill Road in the Village of Cooperstown. The village zoning law requires a special permit prior to construction and state law requires that prior to granting approval, the Board of Trustees must assess and mitigate the project’s environmental impacts. Because the project is in an historic district and…
Life Sketches by Terry Berkson Retired Poultry FarmerRecalls ‘Roger’s Colossus’in Face of Avian Flu Epidemic Recently, Roger and Diane Vaughn—who operated the only small commercial poultry farm situated along the Route 20 corridor between Albany and Syracuse—retired. Theirs was one of about 15 remaining egg-laying operations in the state. At one time, there were 15 small farms like theirs within a 15-mile radius. Then, the average setup consisted of about 300,000 birds, which made the Vaughns’ flock of poultry look…
