IN MEMORIAM Albert L. Colone, 76 Oneonta Native, Veteran, Musician, Developer, Dreamer Albert L. Colone was born July 8, 1944 in Oneonta the son of the late Ani Pasquale and Eva Gloria (Jerome) Colone. He grew up on River Street, in his beloved 6th Ward, playing sandlot sports and generally tormenting the Wilcox’s and others with his older brother, Frank. Albert ultimately ended up a life-long resident of 6th Ward and helped to establish the 6th Ward Athletic Club and…
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Al Colone
ALBERT COLONE RECOUNTS FAMILY’S STORY COVID? It Could Have Been Worse Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 pandemic has Albert Colone, founding president of the former National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, musing about the immigrant experience, when times were REALLY tough. This is the first of two columns on the immigrant experience of his grandparents, Frank and Lucia (Valentini) Colone. COVID-19, which hit America hard starting in early 2020, turned our worlds upside down. I haven’t been able to hug…
LETTER from ALBERT COLONE Pandemic Proving: Socialism Only Answer To the Editor: The most important word to define the “Cares Act” is socialism. One thing is for sure, the private sector will not be the source of a post COVID-19 recovery, either in job creation or in providing the source of accompanying funds! Think of it: It wasn’t that long ago that President Trump and his Congressional Republican allies were chastising Democrats for wanting to bring nasty “socialism” to America;…
LETTER from AL COLONE Use Bed-Tax Increase To Build County Future To the Editor: I saw in your papers where there was going to be a presentation Tuesday, Jan. 21, to discuss increasing the county lodging tax 2 percent, with the new $1 million in projected revenue, dedicated to support road improvements throughout the county. Let me offer my general support for the idea, whatever good that might bring. However, I do believe dedicating the funds to road improvement is…
LETTER from AL COLONE As Upstate Declines, There Will Be More Schenevuses To the Editor: What’s to blame for the financial stress currently being experienced by the Schenevus Central School system? Mismanagement? Nah. A ban on hydro-fracking? I doubt it. I think it’s regional population loss which has negatively impacted much of Upstate. If there’s anyone or anything to blame, I’d suggest putting it on the multi-generational commercial decline within the City of Oneonta and the surrounding urban center! Small…
LETTER from AL COLONE We Need More Natural Gas? For What? To the Editor: Why does our area need more natural gas? Since the ’50s and ’60s, our area industries have, for the most part, shrunk in size, while employment levels have been buoyed by the growth in the “not for profit” service sector. Our area has had no population growth since the Civil War! Indeed, we’ve lost population since the 1960s; our young people have out-migrated, leaving for opportunity…
COLUMN Press Ahead With Railyards, Or Oneonta, DRI In Doubt Editor’s Note: This is a comment on the DGEIS on the redevelopment of Oneonta’s D&H railyards, after the plan was pummeled at a March 5 public hearing at Foothills. Al Colone is founding president of Oneonta’s former National Soccer Hall of Fame. By AL COLONE • for Hometown Oneonta & The Freeman’s Journal Dear Mayor Herzig and Common Council members: The 270 acres of the former D&H railyards are the…
LETTERS Colone: ‘Microgrid’ Would Use 90% Renewables To the Editor: Dennis Higgins of Otego, once again misstated the content in an early January opinion piece published in this newspaper, which I entitled, “Is a tri-gen municipal microgrid an answer to boosting local energy?” Mr. Higgins is obviously a pretty smart guy, who must know a lot about energy, but struggles with reading the word “biomass.” He said, I “never mentioned” biomass in my original article. For the record, below is…
LETTER TO EDITOR COLONE: Southside Should Explore Merging Into City To the Editor: I’ve been tracking the fire contract issue between the city and town of Oneonta over fire services to the Town’s Fire District #1. The lack of town leadership has once again raised its ugly head as evidenced by the Town’s longstanding failure to have a legally constituted fire commission and then by ignoring negotiations on this all-important matter as it was formally proposed by the City in early…
ONEONTA TOWN BOARD REJECTS GO-EDC STUDY By LIBBY CUDMORE • for allotsego.com ONEONTA – 24 hours after Common Council voted unanimously to pay its $12,500 share of the Local Government Efficiency Grant to study cost-saving measures between the town and the city, the Town Board refused to even bring the resolution, prepared by GO-EDC’s Bill Shue and Al Colone, to a motion for vote. “We don’t respond to ransoms,” said Town Board member Andrew Stammel. “These are two activists who don’t live in our…