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First Amendment

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Controversy Dominates Town Board Meeting

Bryan LoRusso and several former Town of Hartwick employees want Hartwick Town Board member Chris Briggs to resign. A contingent of concerned Hartwick residents wants LoRusso, also a Town Board member, to resign. Hartwick Town Supervisor Robert O’Brien will be relocating before the end of the year, leaving that post unfilled. And the town’s attorney, William Green, has resigned, effective January 1, 2025.…

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Editorial: In Support of the Record, For the Record

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” So goes the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was contained in the Bill of Rights and ratified on December 15, 1791. It guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and…

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BECKERT: Letter Platform Appreciated

Letter from Bruce Beckert Letter Platform Appreciated I would like to thank this paper for printing my letters over the past two years, as well as the readers that read them. We all are so fortunate to live in this country, the greatest country in the world. Starting with the Revolutionary War all the way through 9/11, this country has persevered and succeeded. Currently we are in the midst of another crisis to protect our freedom and way of life.…

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Local Governments Should Tend Our Roads, Not Our Minds

Local Governments Should Tend Our Roads, Not Our Minds Do we really expect our local elected officials to tell us what to think? Quite the opposite, probably. And yet instead of focusing on paving streets, keeping tax at a reasonable level, and providing whatever might be considered essential services, they seem increasingly determined to do just that. Three examples popped up in the past few days that suggest this may be spinning out of control, including at the February meeting…

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Trump ’24 Billboard Redebated

Trump ’24 Billboard Redebated Planning Board Isn’t Proper Forum, ZEO, Town Attorney Find By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com It’s unclear whether a Town Planning Board effort to have the “Trump 2024” billboard on Route 28 removed is going anywhere. The town Planning Board was expected to take the issue up Monday, Feb. 1, but the meeting at the town hall in Portlandville was cancelled due to the snowstorm. Meanwhile, Town Zoning Officer Barbara Monroe drew a line in…

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What Is It About Flags, Anyhow?

EDITORIAL What Is It About Flags, Anyhow? The First Amendment is pretty clear:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Operative phrase:  “No law.” The devil, of course, is in the details, beginning with “shouting fire in a crowded theater,” the metaphor…