By keeping its veteran population faceless and nameless, the Cooperstown Village Board has actively chosen to widen divisions and isolate an essential part of its own community. To maintain its idyllic façade, Cooperstown will continue to hide the contributions and sacrifices its community members have made in preserving American democracy.…
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This decision has prompted widespread outrage, leaving many questioning the board’s commitment to core American values and the very freedoms our veterans sacrificed to protect.…
Keynote speaker will be Unadilla Valley native Peter Lennon, retired U.S. Army Major General. As a leader in supply-chain operations, some of Lennon’s key assignments included theater-level transportation planner for the treaty implementation force in Bosnia-Herzegovina; director of strategic-level military transportation operations throughout the 23 middle-eastern countries of the United States’ Central Command; and commander of the 37,000-soldier 377th Theater Sustainment Command with forces throughout the eastern United States.…
This decision is rooted in careful consideration of our longstanding village values, legal responsibilities, and the need for sustainable ways to honor our veterans. It was made after months of public debate, research, letters, input from the community, and examining all sides of the issue.…
As a nine-year Navy vet with a brother and father who were in the Navy for 30 and 40 years, respectively, I say bravo to the village trustees for their decision not to modify the zoning law to allow veteran banners.…
Personal courage and a brave stand was exhibited by Village Trustee Hanna Bauer this week with her vote on the controversial banner proposal. Hanna has expressed her reasoning and it is sound, but she could have also decided to vote the other way if her thoughts were of that direction. This was a very complex and emotional issue.…
If approved, the sign law would have been changed to allow banners to be placed on New York State Electric and Gas utility poles on portions of four streets in the Village of Cooperstown—Lake Street, Pine Boulevard, Chestnut Street and Glen Avenue. Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh was the lone vote in favor of amending the law. Tillapaugh was the first village representative to speak when discussion of the sign law amendment officially opened, following a public comment period during which no…
First, each of us on this board has the title of trustee. We are fiduciaries, sworn to care for the public interest and rule of law, including the safety, health, comfort, and general welfare of Cooperstown’s inhabitants, the protection of their property and businesses, and the preservation of peace and good order in our public spaces.…
As mayor of Cooperstown, it is my honor to be asked to speak every year at our community’s Memorial Day Ceremony. I often note the memorials in our village to honor and remember those who travelled far beyond our small community to defend the principles and freedoms of our nation. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, where the Memorial Day ceremony takes place, was erected in the early 1900s not by the village but by Otsego County in memory of all…
As a Vietnam veteran who has lived in Cooperstown the past 37 years, I, too, do not need or want to purchase—or pay for though taxes—a banner to hang on a pole with my dated photo to acknowledge my service.…