Commission Holds Hearing Redistricting Explained; Draft District Map Viewed By WRILEY NELSONONEONTA The City of Oneonta 2020 Redistricting Commission held a public hearing on its proposed Common Council ward map on March 28. To ensure that each vote counts equally, New York’s Municipal Home Rule Law requires cities to reapportion their voting districts after the decennial federal census. The COVID-19 pandemic made this process considerably more difficult in Oneonta; SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students—who make up a significant percentage…
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Oneonta Artist Captures Essence of Our Region Using Spray Paint By IAN KENYONONEONTA On a 2015 visit to San Francisco, James Mcilroy stopped to observe a work by Austrian urban and graffiti artist, Nychos. The split animal anatomy in a spray paint medium left an impression on the curious Mcilroy that opened a new thought process—and inevitably would result in a major public artistic contribution to the community back home in Oneonta, bringing new life to the historic Ford Sales…
Letter from Andrew Hamill Support for Drnek, But With Questions In recent/positive news, the City of Oneonta was given a federal grant to help combat the homeless situation. I firmly support this effort. The only drawback I feel that needs to be addressed is where they are going to go. I fully support Mayor Drnek in his efforts and crusade to address the situation, but I also feel that there needs to be additional funding by either federal or state…
Oneonta QoL Committee Presents Deer Update By TED MEBUSTONEONTAThe City of Oneonta’s Common Council Quality of Life/Infrastructure Committee met to discuss, among other topics, the recommendations made by the Deer Management Task Force, a volunteer group of Oneonta residents commissioned to research solutions to deer overpopulation in the city, on January 30. The issue of overpopulation, as the DMTF stated, has environmental and public health consequences, which they identified in an itemized report as: landscaping damage and economic impact; frequent…
Armory’s Future TBD By Oneontans By TED MEBUSTONEONTAFollowing a recent evaluation of the Asa C. Allison, Jr. Municipal Building, located on the corner of Academy Street and Fairview Street in Oneonta and colloquially known as “The Armory” in reference to its initial purpose, the city found it to be underutilized and in need of improvement. Therefore, city officials opted to hear opinions from its residents about the building’s future in a survey released in December. To participate in the survey,…
SUNY Student Running for Common Council By TED MEBUSTONEONTASUNY Oneonta political science major and Maryland, New York native Andrew Hamill announced his candidacy for Oneonta Common Council in December, running as a member of his own party, “Unity for Oneonta.” Hamill hopes to bring accountability and pragmatism to the council, vowing to lead with a spirit of compromise. “We need Common Council members who are willing, and dedicated to reason and building a consensus with their constituents,” said Hamill. “As…
Snowfall Expected Thursday & Friday The US National weather service has issued a Winter Storm warning for Otsego County which is expected to last until 1 a.m. on Saturday. Weather.com predicts that snow showers will begin at 4 p.m. this afternoon, Thursday, December 15. The City of Oneonta has issued an advisory that they expect significant snowfall and residents are not to park on the streets after there have been 2 1/2 inches of snowfall. The city parking garage and…
What To Do About the Deer: An Ongoing Rural Debate By TED MEBUST ONEONTA – The City of Oneonta’s Quality of Life and Infrastructure Committee recently heard findings from a commissioned report on the various impacts of increasing deer populations in the area. Carried out over two months, the Deer Management Task Force report named overabundance, Lyme disease and an increasing number of deer-related accidents as driving forces behind their investigation. “Our goal is not to eliminate deer. It’s to…
Letter from Andrew Hamill Hamill To Run for City Council Post Our elected officials, in their capacities, need to do more for their citizens while still maintaining a proper and modern budget that works with the people, help their citizens in any way they can, be held accountable to a higher standard, and remember that they answer to their constituents. With that being said, I hereby announce my candidacy for councilman for the First Ward in the City of Oneonta.…
City Receives Grant For Theatre Restoration ONEONTA – The City of Oneonta has been awarded a $500,000.00 grant to assist in the stabilization of the historic Oneonta Theatre by Governor Kathy Hochul and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation. The Oneonta Theatre opened in 1897 as a vaudeville house, and later as a cinema. Recently, the New York State Preservation League listed the Downtown Oneonta Historic District, including the Oneonta Theatre, on its 2022/23 list of “Seven to Save” historic resources.…