LETTER from ONEONTA COMMON COUNCIL & Otsego County Board of Representatives So Where Do You Stand? Democracy? Insurrection? To the Editor: The violence in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, which led to the deaths of five people, have clarified the one question that needs to be asked of our country, state and regional representatives: Are you for the democratic process or are you for insurrection? There is no longer any nuance, thanks to the actions of a group of pro-President…
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LETTER from ANITA LEMONIS Treat All Writers With Respect To the Editor: As a former long-time resident of Otsego County, I still appreciate our community’s hospital workers, responsible gun owners and polite neighbors – even when we don’t always agree. Unfortunately, these are things Rick Brockway doesn’t seem to understand or appreciate. I was struck by the angry and personal tone in one of Brockway’s latest rants when he attacked long-serving public health providers, including Mary Ann Whelan, for recognizing…
Scrappy, Innovative GOP Chair Resigns, Focuses on Consulting By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com It was 2013. The issue was fracking. And four prominent local Republicans knocked on Vince Casale’s door. “It was conveyed to me that the party was in some trouble,” said Casale, who last week advised the Republican County Committee he is resigning as chairman. “My work is done,” he said. “It’s time for a change.” He recommended Lori Lehenbauer of Worcester, Republican county elections commissioner,…
Democrats Back Away From Coup Control At Hand, But ‘It Wouldn’t Be Fair’ By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Democratic county reps this week were one vote away from shared control of Otsego County’s $120 million government for the next 14 months. They could have shared fully in who becomes the board’s chair and vice chair. They could have split committee chairmanships. They could have required consensus on every important decision as the county emerges from the COVID-19 threat.…
LETTER from ANDREW STAMMEL After Vacancy Rift, Bi-Partisan Trust Needs Rebuilding To the Editor: The run of bi-partisanship on the county Board of Representatives has been interrupted by the Republican caucus’ recent efforts to steamroll through a replacement for Representative Oberacker. During my two and a half terms on the county board, cooperation between parties has ebbed and flowed. Since the 2017 election it has been split 7-7 between Democrats and Republican-affiliated members. Thankfully, a bi-partisan governing coalition and leadership…
HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 Lumberjack Songs From The Adirondacks LUMBERJACK SONGS – 2 p.m. Enjoy afternoon of rousing lumberjack songs, learn about the Adirondack mountain logging camps. Free admission. Arkell Museum, 2 Erie Blvd., Canajoharie. 518-673-2314 ext. 113 or visit www.arkellmuseum.org/events-calendar…
HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 Screening Of ‘Forrest Gump’ ADULTS MORNING MOVIE – 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Enjoy morning with “Forrest Gump” featuring actor Tom Hanks. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main St., Otego. 607-988-6661 or visit www.facebook.com/harrislibrary/…
Editorial for November 2, 2018 Are We Doing Political Debates Right? Let’s Talk About It League of Women Voters’ moderators lost control of the Monday, Oct. 22, debate between the incumbent Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin, Jr., and his challenger, retired state trooper Bob Fernandez. Not the candidates – the League, to the point where moderator Barbara Heim of Oneonta threatened at least twice to shut it down and send home the 150+ attendees who packed The Fenimore Museum…
Column by Adrian Kuzminski for November 2, 2018 Gerrymandering Takes Away Our Right To Representation The most remarkable thing I’ve seen in this year’s midterm election campaigns is Chad McEvoy’s op-ed in the New York Times. The headline says it all: “If I win my district, I’ll get rid of it.” That’s the 101st Assembly District, a model of gerrymandering, which snakes in a narrow strip from New Hartford near Utica through part of Otsego county to the Hudson Valley.…
Editorial for September 21, 2018 MISTAKES WERE MADE. WHO MADE THEM? Who Lost Otsego Manor? It’s pretty clear to everyone by now that the sale of Otsego Manor in Jan. 27, 2014, was a mistake. That was punctuated with numerous exclamation marks Wednesday, Sept. 12, when Focus CEO Joseph Zupnik and his chief financial executive, Daniel Herman, pleaded guilty before Otsego Town Justice Gary Kuch in the Fly Creek courtroom. Under a plea agreement, Zupnik and Herman admitted to only…