Oh, there’s a surprise! By Ted Potrikus We New Yorkers used to leave it up to our state Legislature to fulfill the once-a-decade duty of redrawing congressional and state election district lines. They got so good at it they made the map of the state’s voting boundaries look like the inside of a lava lamp. We New Yorkers got a little tired of it, so we voted in 2014 to amend our state constitution to establish an Independent Redistricting Commission.…
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This Week's Newspapers - Page 134
Editorial: The Sideshow “New York will create a bureaucracy out of anything.” So wrote one of this newspaper’s Facebook followers after reading a post about the state’s new “Office of Cannabis Management,” set up as the agency tasked to regulate legal weed and its derivations. The Office was a long time coming; ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo had stalled his appointment of potential agency leadership and then he stepped down. His successor moved (relatively) quickly and, voila, we have a new state…
SQSPCA head will chair state association Susquehanna SPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes takes on another role this year as Board President for the New York State Animal Protection Federation, a statewide organization formed in 2010 to safeguard the well-being of all animals through legislative and policy initiatives in the state. Ms. Haynes has served on the Federation’s board since 2019. The group is the voice of New York’s animal shelters, humane societies, and animal welfare organizations, and a trade/educational resource…
Library lovers line up for library love Kick the winter blahs with “Library Lovers’ Month” in New York State — a February event that our local libraries will celebrate in fun fashion. Friends of the Village Library in Cooperstown plan a month filled with activities for all ages — events the group hopes will help fill the void left by a year without Cooperstown’s Winter Carnival. The group is sponsoring a month-long writing contest for all ages, looking for “a…
Otsego County’s DA calls discovery, bail ‘form over function’ Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl is stark and passionate about New York State’s criminal justice reform to the point where — absent modification to the new laws — he won’t seek reelection in 2023. He’s on the record with that pronouncement from late last year, frustrated that from his point of view, New York’s bail and discovery statutes don’t let him do his job. “With the combination of bail and…
They’re just words now “Your call is very important to us. Please hold.” There’s one that’s hard to believe, particularly after you’ve been on hold for an hour with a faceless conglomerate whose digital operator’s repeated reassurance becomes more grating than helpful. “Thank you for your service.” A thoughtful and once-meaningful sentiment that recognizes our heroes who serve or have served our nation during war and peace. It keeps its intended depth on a one-to-one or small group setting, and…
News from the Noteworthy: Fund will support Otego library A donation to the Community Foundation of Otsego County from Otego author Dennis Fowler has created The Greater Otego Library and Education Fund, focused on maintaining the Harris Memorial Library building, supporting library programs and operations, and encouraging activities to educate and enhance the lives of the residents of the village. “Otego is such a wonderful place,” said Mr. Fowler, a 50-year resident and writer with nearly 60 books published, including…
‘Big Papi’ headed to Cooperstown Get ready to welcome the entire population of the city of Boston on July 24 when Fenway favorite David “Big Papi” Ortiz joins the ranks of the greats enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the only one of the 30 candidates to reach the necessary 75 percent of votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and gets into the Hall in his first year of eligibility. The tally leaves out career…
Farm Wage Board sets overflow meeting, decision soon? Because so many people registered to participate in its three virtual sessions, New York’s Department of Labor this week added an additional public hearing to its Farm Laborer Wage Board schedule for Friday, January 28, at 2 p.m. The three-member board is considering the existing 60-hour-per-week overtime threshold for farm workers in New York State “and the extent to which the overtime work threshold may be lowered.” Some worker advocate groups want…
Helios wins national honors, program grant Helios Care — formerly Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care —won a $200,000 year-end grant from The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for its award-winning “Choices” program, designed to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and address social needs for individuals with serious illness. “The cost of the final year of life is the most expensive,” said Helios Care President and CEO Dan Ayers. “Any service that can show reduction of cost has a place in…
