Editorial of December 28, 2023

Greetings, Friends

The time has come, for we and you,
To bid this frightful year adieu.
It hasn’t been a year to remember,
And we’re ever so glad we’ve got to December.

The whole world is at war, so it seems, every day,
With hostages, gunfire, people running away.
With our climate and energy both creating a mess,
And all the new COVIDs, they’re anyone’s guess.

But here in Otsego, we’re crawling along,
Our towns and our county try not to do wrong.
Our mayors, so quick to take care of us all,
And our village officials keeping right on the ball.

Tillapaugh and Drnek, our supervisors too,
Take the bull by the horns, keep us all in their view.
So we thank them profusely, for their hours of work,
And hope they don’t fly off to Caicos and Turk.

Our firemen jump at the sound of a horn,
They put fires out by the light of the morn.
And they work with the highway to make the roads clear,
So we can run errands and stop hitting those deer.

And let’s not forget the police in our towns,
The sheriffs and deputies, they make many rounds.
They occasionally stop us for going too fast,
And we have to pay up and get points that might last.

To our merchants and bakers and baseball-bat makers,
We wish you a good year selling stuff by the acres.
To our lawyers and judges, may you solve every suit,
And get back on that golf course, some low scores to shoot.

To Country Club, Subaru, we wish you good fare,
Let’s go big on electrics, let’s charge everywhere.
They’re good for our climate, an energy tool,
And they’re saving us money, we’re not eating up fuel.

Here’s to Becky, our go-to when we’re at the Price Chop,
And to Rob, Dave, and Ellen and their healthy food shop.
To Danny’s, Brooks and Annutto’s, Mel’s, Hawkeye, Sal’s too,
Fly Creek General Store, Toscana, Norbu.
Doubleday and Stagecoach, the Diner, Bocca and Cooley’s,
Blue Mingo, Origins, Ommegang and The Buzz, Fly Creek’s newbie.

Season’s greetings you farmers who till, milk and mow,
And come to the market with fresh foods in tow.
Good cheer, healthcare friends of the medical world,
Thank you Tommy, and Bassett, keep your sails always unfurled.

We love our non-profits, they work hard and they care,
O2K, OCCA, OLT—always there.
Saving our lakes and our farms, bringing hope with good hearts,
And cheering us up with their operas and arts.

Twenty twenty-four is upon us, a new year for us all,
Let’s all work together, let’s heed the high call.
We will make our world better, spread good will and joy,
And we’ll all get along, we’ll try not to annoy.

Here’s to Otsego, our heaven, where we best belong,
May we bury our hatchets, make peace and be strong.
Here’s a splendid new chance, a new year is arriving,
Let’s be kind, get along, show the world that we’re thriving.

With apologies to “The New Yorker.”