Community Speaks Out For and Against Sign Law Amendment

By DARLA M. YOUNGS
COOPERSTOWN

Approximately three dozen people gathered at the Cooperstown Village Hall on Monday, September 23 for the Board of Trustees meeting and public hearing on proposed changes to the village’s sign law. The public hearing, where it was standing room only, comes as a result of an inquiry by Joan Parillo regarding possible placement of Hometown Heroes banners in the village. The banners can be seen in communities throughout Otsego County and New York State, and have become a popular way of honoring the service of individual veterans, but the village’s current sign law would prohibit the hanging of such banners on public property.

Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh opened the public hearing at 6:35 p.m. by reading the guidelines for public comment. Nineteen individuals respectfully addressed the assembly, including both residents of the Village of Cooperstown and those residing in the immediately surrounding areas.

Comments ranged from support of the current sign law and concerns that the banners might be too distracting and therefore likely to cause accidents, to those in favor of the proposed amendments so that veterans could be further honored here in the village, to the need for funding for veterans services.

Village resident Thomas Russo, whose father served in the Marines in Korea, said he wished this had not become a divisive issue, “but it has.”

“I am sure that we are all in favor of honoring our veterans, though we may disagree on the best way to do that,” Russo said. Russo feels there are too many banners and signs in the business district now and suggested honoring veterans in a more permanent way.

“My father believed as I do that the government owed veterans its support…owed them more than an ephemeral token of respect,” Russo continued. “As for me, I intend to continue to honor veterans by refusing to vote for anyone who thinks that being captured makes one less of a hero or who refers to them as suckers and losers.”

Floyd Bourne, commander of Cooperstown VFW Post 7128, said his organization would be willing to assist folks in the purchase and hanging of the banners, if the sign law amendments are passed. Both the VFW and the American Legion are tax exempt, Bourne said, and would be willing to take a lead role in the initiative.

“There are lots of representatives here tonight from the VFW. We feel strongly about this and are asking for a little respect. It’s not too much. It really isn’t,” he continued.

Bourne, who pointed out that there is signage everywhere in the village, commented, “As I drive through the village, I don’t hit any cars trying to read [the signs]. Anything you can do to make this happen would be much appreciated,” he said, directly addressing the trustees.

Cooperstown resident Chip Northrup said of the proposed sign law change, “Any banners are a distraction to motorists, motorcyclists, [and others]. I think it’s a terrible idea.”

Susan Mulligan, on the other hand, said she feels very strongly that veterans should be honored and she approves of changing the law. Mulligan explained that when driving in other municipalities with Hometown Heroes banners, where most of the banners are hung on NYSEG utility poles, “I noticed they were there—it did not distract my driving through town.”

Mulligan pointed out that tourists won’t be looking at the banners May through November, and contended that the village is “not that busy” but for 12 weeks out of the year. She said she would be willing to purchase and maintain the banners herself, if necessary.

Joan Parillo of Fly Creek, who first proposed the hanging of Hometown Heroes banners in the Village of Cooperstown, pointed out that she had identified three signs on village property that are in violation of the current sign law, two on Pioneer Street and one on Chestnut Street. Parillo has been very vocal about what she deems are inconsistencies in the village sign law and its enforcement.

Parillo, who has also gone to the Town of Otsego to seek permission to hang Hometown Heroes banners on State Route 28, commented, “They’re a lot easier to deal with.”

Village resident William Rigby, also a veteran, came to Cooperstown in 1992, when there were “no signs at all, really.” Rigby told those assembled that there were a lot of other veterans in his family, none of whom were ever in favor of publicity.

“I follow in their footsteps,” Rigby said. “Can’t you come up with another idea?”

His wife, Janet Rigby, spoke next, saying she, too, was concerned about the possible alteration of the sign law.

“I learned in the fourth grade that just because everyone else does it, doesn’t mean I have to,” Janet Rigby said. “The only one that’s benefitting from this is Rileighs Outdoor Décor [the outdoor decoration business behind the Hometown Heroes Banner Program].”

She emphasized that she would rather see money spent to fund veterans’ services.

Ken Zigon, who currently lives in Oneonta but was born and raised in Cooperstown, said he is looking forward to seeing his father and brothers’ pictures on the banners and does not believe the addition of the banners to utility poles will be a distraction or a problem, saying, “I drive big trucks. You can walk as fast as you can drive a car on Main Street Cooperstown.”

“There’s a ship named after Cooperstown be-cause of the veterans,” Zigon continued and, referring to Russo, he added, “That fellow tried to make it political before he beat it out the door. These banners should hang in this town.”

Helmut Michelitsch, owner of Metro Cleaners, said he believes not allowing the signs would be an “injustice to vets and our community.”

“I love this town. The [village] board is intelligent enough to delineate where these signs would be appropriate. I don’t find them objectionable. Leave it up to the board where they would be allowed.”

The Hometown Heroes banners can be found in “every small community in the state,” Michelitsch said, and people love them.

“Let’s try to honor our vets. This is a nice way of doing it,” he concluded.

Achim Koeddermann, an associate professor at SUNY Oneonta of German origin, spoke next.

“I just moved here, and the more I live here the more I love it,” Koeddermann said.

Instead of the Hometown Heroes banners, Koeddermann said he would rather support something more tangible to help veterans, and would like to see younger veterans become more involved.

“What I didn’t see in the Memorial Day parade was younger veterans. My appeal is to try to get younger generations involved and I don’t see the banners doing this,” Koeddermann explained, becoming emotional when he said to the veterans assembled, “Thank you for saving my country.”

Perhaps the most compelling argument of the evening came from Cooperstown resident Linden Summers.

“I’m not a native,” Summers said. “I was four weeks old when we moved here.”

Summers recounted that his grandfathers served in World War I and his parents served in World War II.

“On Memorial Day, they were godlike creatures to people my age,” he recounted.

The value of veterans and what they have done for us is forged in his mind forever, Summers said.

Summers, who has spent the last 5-10 years traveling through Delaware, Chenango, and Otsego counties, continued: “Whenever I saw those [banners] they took me back to those days and triggered memories of veterans and what they have done for all of us.”

He said he wondered why Cooperstown didn’t have any Hometown Heroes banners, and thought it was only because no one had yet taken the initiative.

“This is a great missed opportunity for this village to not do what so many other towns and villages in New York State have done,” Summers said. “The Village of Cooperstown is not unique, in that it shares with all the communities [in that] mothers, fathers, sons and daughters went off to war. This board has the power to pass the law,” Summers concluded to a round of applause from the crowd.

Pine Boulevard resident Karen Crissman said that, although every male member of her family has served in the military, she is opposed to changing the law.

“We need a better way to help veterans,” she said.

Teriann Sammis, who has lived here for 31 years, was in the Navy—her family is a Navy family, she said.

“[Though] I am not the type of person that [wants] their picture on a banner, I love this,” she continued. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask for recognition for veterans. It is the memories and appreciation that is important. Personally, I want people to be able to be recognized for what they have done.”

James Mogavero said that while he appreciates our veterans, he believes “Cooperstown is really unique and can’t really be compared to other communities” in terms of traffic, aesthetics and architectural integrity. He said he is not in favor of anything that adds to the distraction.

Diane Adams assured those gathered that she understands heavy traffic, but wondered how many people are just assuming there will be distractions caused by these banners.

“Has anyone communicated with other communities?” she asked.

Adams expressed support for the Hometown Heroes banners, saying “These veterans wrote us all a blank check. I feel that the banners start conversations and energize young people.”

The banners are “a way we can open this community to more conversation,” she added.

Tim Weir, who grew up in the area, spoke on behalf of the American Legion and his family. He said he thinks it is important to honor individual local veterans and is in favor of changing the sign law to allow the banners.

“All I feel in my heart is memories and a sense of pride when I see them—I don’t get out and read them. They make me feel ‘warm and fuzzy.’”

The final speaker of the evening was village resident Richard Blabey, who assisted with the writing of the current sign law and is himself a veteran.

The intent of the law, he said, was “to get the spread of signs under control so the village can maintain its character, and to balance the need for signage in the business district with the issue of over-signing.”

“It is a very complicated law,” Blabey said. “We worked on it for months.”

Blabey concluded by saying the proposal is contrary to the intent of the law, but he did present an option for placement of the Hometown Heroes banners.

“Cooperstown Central School has a parking lot with lots of poles. Banners hung there could be an inspiration to students. The military needs recruits. I think this would be an ideal place,” he said.

Mayor Tillapaugh closed the public hearing at 7:56 p.m. The Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees will meet next on Monday, October 28. Those interested can view the full trustee meeting and public hearing at https://www.youtube.com/@villageofcooperstown7215/streams.