First in-person common council since COVID celebrates recent achievements By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — The Common Council met in person Tuesday, July 6, with an atmosphere of visible joviality and relief after spending a year meeting via Zoom. “This is something we haven’t done in a long time,” Mayor Gary Herzig said, which elicited some appreciative chuckles. Some of the agenda items passed included motions authorizing the acceptance of a state grant for the development of…
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Independence Day goes off with a bang in Oneonta By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA — Independence Day on Sunday, July 4, drew thousands to the parade and Neahwa Park for fireworks and festivities with the day being dedicated to the essential workers during the COVID crisis. Mayor Gary Herzig repeatedly said throughout the day that without the essential workers, this day would not have been possible. “They were here for us all year,” Herzig said prior to…
Campaigns Off To Fast Start In ’21 Revised Calendar Requires 6-Month Campaign Season By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com Election Day is still six months away, but in the past few days it’s been off to the races, the local races. With Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig’s announcing his retirement last week, three candidates immediately emerged to succeed him, a Democrat and two Republicans. Leading up to Tuesday, March 2, the first day nominating petitions can be circulated, a similar…
Oneonta Republicans Endorse Len Carson Gelbsman Didn’t Concede At Caucus By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Mayoral candidate Len Carson announced a few minutes ago that he received the city Republican Committee’s endorsement this evening to run for the city’s top office in the Nov. 2 elections. The committee chair is Susan Lettis. Carson said both he and Craig Gelbsman, who has also indicated he is interested in running for mayor, were at the caucus. After receiving…
MAYOR HERZIG REVIEW TERM Carson, Gelbsman Both Intend To Run For Oneonta Mayor 2 Republicans Would Primary On 6/22; So Far, Mark Drnek Is Sole Democrat By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Republicans Len Carson and Craig Gelbsman confirmed today they intended to run for mayor to succeed incumbent Gary Herzig, a Democrat, at the end of the year. If both candidates continue, it would ensure a Republican candidate June 22. A primary may also be shaping…
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,…
Councilman Carson: ‘Better To Hold Fast’ Motion Tabled To Accept $5K From Bombers’ Sale By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – In a 5-3 vote, Common Council this evening tabled the motion to release the city’s $50,000 mortgage on the Bombers’ Burrito Bar property for just $5,000 to the state Business Development Corp., citing hopes that a local buyer might help them negotiate a better price. “There has been local interest,” said Len Carson, Fifth Ward, who made…
COUNTY REPS DECLARE: If Onondaga County Can Sell Cars, Otsego Dealers Should, Too COOPERSTOWN – If Onondaga County got a special dispensation from Governor Cuomo to open its car dealerships, why shouldn’t Otsego County? That’s the question the Otsego County board wants answered by the time it next meets at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 20. Acting on a suggestion by Republican Oneonta City Council member Len Carson, his county rep, Democrat Danny Lapin, today championed his constituent: “If Onondaga got…
Reopen Auto Dealers, Carson To Ask County ONEONTA – Citing the $117 million that car dealerships put into the local economy, Common Council member Len Carson, Fifth Ward, is asking the county Board of Representatives to restart car sales in Otsego County. A former county board member himself, Carson told Common Council this evening he has sent a letter asking his former colleagues to petition Governor Cuomo to allow Otsego County to re-open car dealerships.…
ONEONTA VETERANS DAY Legion Leader Beth Akulin: ‘Vets Come In All Genders’ Veterans’ organizations still have a way to go in accepting women in their ranks, Beth Akulin, commander of VFW Post 1206 in Oneonta, inset at right, said during her address at Veterans Day ceremonies at the top of Neahwa Park’s Memorial Parkway at 11-11-11 this morning. While there are 1.3 million female veterans today, she said, “I have been yelled at for parking in a veterans parking place,…