Bound Volumes, Hometown History

December 12, 2024

135 YEARS AGO

The Local News—The peculiar weather of the past year or so, with the great amount of moisture deposited, is said to be accounted for by Professor Tyndall upon the theory that the Gulf Stream is steadily approaching our North Atlantic coast. He bases his argument on the discovery of gulf weed further and further in-shore during a period of ten years, and it is stated that the stream is already many miles nearer the coast than formerly. If this theory is borne out by facts we may yet live to experience the balmy climate of California in Oneonta, and to grow in our gardens the peaches, apricots, and nectarines, if not the oranges and lemons of that favored region.

Edward Hathaway who drives the best looking hack ever regularly run in Oneonta, lost one of his thoroughbreds by sudden death the other day. Now will be a good time for the people to show their appreciation of his enterprise and give him liberal patronage.

Mr. Luther, Superintendent of the Poor, has been here for the purpose of procuring necessary papers for the transfer of Mrs. Hi A. Rogers from the county house to the insane asylum. Mrs. Rogers is the wife of a colored barber who once lived here. Of late, her insanity has assumed a violent form.

December 1889

70 YEARS AGO

The average American driver is a good driver. The statistics prove it. But, even so, with a little more effort he can become a better driver. Such is the belief of Alderman Morris E. Howey, chair of Oneonta’s observance of “Safe Driving Day” this Wednesday. Mr. Howey says safe driving can be acquired by concentrating on it. He cited the effect of driving safety education on the nation’s highway death toll, as reflected in figures compiled by the National Automotive Safety Foundation. The death rate has been cut in half in the last 18 years. In 1935 there were 15.9 lives lost for each 100 million miles of travel. Last year the rate dropped to 7.1 lives and it will be around 6.1 this year. If the 1935 death rate had prevailed, last year there would have been 86,000 fatalities instead of 38,300.

December 1954

40 YEARS AGO

Area county judges will receive a 26 percent pay raise and the Oneonta city court judge is due for a 55 percent pay hike in January under a salary package that has been signed by Governor Mario Cuomo. Judicial salaries will vary to a new high of $95,000 for the Chief Justice of the NYS Court of Appeals. Locally, the five county judges serving Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties all have been collecting a $53,928 salary. Under the new plan, they are scheduled for a $14,072 raise – or 26 percent – to a new $68,000 salary. The part-time Oneonta city court judge currently makes $16,853. With a $9,300 pay hike, the new salary will come to $26,250. A part-time acting city judge will receive $100 per diem, not to exceed $3,000 annually.

December 1984

20 YEARS AGO

The Oneonta City Common Council set 2005 salaries for department heads: Assessor, Mario Arevalo, $45,042; Central Garage Supervisor, Paul Patterson, $40,558; City Clerk, James R. Koury, $41,224; Housing Rehabilitation Specialist, Bruce Amadon, $46,890; Community Development Director, Joseph Bernier, $57,510, plus $1,500 for engineering duties; Engineering Technician, Alec Pitel, $41,283; Engineering Technician, James Hawver, $34,949; Chamberlain, David Martindale, $58,552, plus $3,600 stipend for purchasing duties; Fire Chief, Robert Barnes, $61,176; Assistant Fire Chief, Wayne Mattice, $55,900; Personnel Director, John Insetta, $52,524, plus $5,000 for transportation director duties; Police Chief, John Donadio, $68,543.

December 2004